More than $165,000 has been donated to a legal defense fund for Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old former Marine who choked Jordan Neely to death on the New York City subway earlier this month. The fundraiser on the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo had attracted more than $165,000 in donations as of Friday morning. The page’s description said the money would be handled by the law firm representing Penny, Raiser & Kenniff, and echoed the firm’s earlier statement claiming Penny acted to protect passengers on the subway. “All contributions are greatly appreciated,” the fundraiser’s description reads. “Any proceeds collected which exceed those necessary to cover Mr. Penny’s legal defense will be donated to a mental health advocacy program in New York City.” The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed Thursday that Penny would be arrested on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in relation to Neely’s death, with reports suggesting that Penny is expected to surrender to authorities on Friday morning.
