Shocked father of chokehold victim Jordan Neely recounts son’s hard life, love of Michael Jackson (EXCLUSIVE)
Jordan Neely #JordanNeely
Andre Zachery remembers the light in his little boy’s eyes the first time the child heard Michael Jackson.
Little Jordan was maybe 4 years old, listening raptly as his dad introduced him to the music of The Jackson 5. As he grew older, Jordan began impersonating the King of Pop — sporting imitation stage outfits and a moonwalk of perfection.
“He looked just like him,” recalled Zachery, 59, of the Bronx. “He used to perform on the block. One day, people were loving him. Michael!”
The adult Jordan Neely never reached the status of his idol, performing instead in the subways, living for years as a homeless man and disappearing from his dad’s life four years ago.
The 30-year-old was killed Monday during a confrontation where a straphanger put him in a lethal chokehold aboard a subway car. The city Medical Examiner on Wednesday ruled the incident a homicide.
“Jordan was a good man,” his grieving father told The Daily News. “He was a good person. He grew up good. He always had a (temper), but he never used to hurt anyone … He wasn’t bad. He was beautiful.”
Zachery recalled his son was autistic, often sitting at home and just staring at his fingers while growing up. The 2007 murder of his mother in New Jersey sent Jordan into a deep funk, he recounted.
“He didn’t care anymore after that,” said the dad. “Once his mother died … They were very close. He loved her so much that he just lost it. After we buried her, he just wasn’t the same anymore.”
Meanwhile, the Manhattan native’s work as a Jackson impersonator was widely seen across the internet, and he was photographed in 2009 outside the Regal Cinemas in Times Square before going to see the singer’s movie “This is It.”
Neely also took his act to the subway, performing for donations with his favorite song “Billie Jean.” He was a chip off the musical block, following in the footsteps of both his singer dad and the moonwalking Jackson.
“He really perfected that,” said the distraught dad. “I don’t know how he did it! I was proud of him for doing that.”
But Neely later fell on hard times, dropping out of high school and landing on the streets — or worse. Zachery said his son typically did not take the medications prescribed for him, and his autism prevented Neely from finding steady work.
The NYPD busted Neely 42 times across the last decade and he had a documented mental health history with police, with his most recent arrest in November 2021 for slugging a 67-year-old female stranger in the face. A warrant for his arrest on felony assault charges was issued on Feb. 23.
“He didn’t like the meds,” said his father. “He didn’t like those meds. He didn’t want to be a zombie. He was a smart boy, he had a smart mind … I started praying for him.”
Neighbors described him as a friendly local figure who simply disappeared in recent years, never to be seen again.
“He was to himself,” said Shevon Anari, 58, who lives on the block. “I never saw him perform, but I seen him in (the costume). He was never dangerous or nothing … He was harmless, he didn’t bother nobody.”
His dad recalled the last time the two saw each other four years ago, when Neely walked out of their home and never returned. The son left behind his Jackson get-up, from the shoes to the jacket to the hat.
The last time Zachery heard from his son was in a jailhouse letter.
“He was locked up several months ago and he sent me a letter from where he was and he said, ‘Dad, I disobeyed you. And I’m sorry,’” recounted Zachery. “He said he wanted to come home. And that was it. I didn’t hear no more from him until now.”
Zachery said he searched for his son but was never able to track Jordan down.
Neighbor Bernice Boateng, 25, who lives in the victim’s old building, recalled once spotting Neely a few years back in a replica of Jackson’s red leather outfit from the “Thriller” video.
“I never saw him dance,” she said. “That’s so sad.”
©2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.