In 2015, CrimeFeed told you about WWE legend Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka being charged for a murder that occurred more than 30 years ago. Now, according to the Morning Call, the 40-year veteran of the WWE recently spent an hour testifying in a Pennsylvania courtroom as part of a hearing to determine if Snuka is competent to stand trial for killing a former girlfriend.
During his time on the stand, Snuka often referred to Judge Kelly L. Banach as “dear” and “hon,” and said he could’t recall his age or who is currently President of the United States. He reportedly attributes some of his memory loss to the time he spent in the ring sustaining many concussions, although the report notes that there are no current medical documents showing Snuka was treated for head injuries.
“They kick you in the head, everything,” Snuka said. “They take a run at you against a pole. It’s bad when you get hit in the head.”
Snuka, now 73, is accused of being responsible for the death of his girlfriend, then-23-year-old Nancy Argentino. The victim was found dead inside a Whitehall Township motel 33 years ago, the Morning Call originally reported.
Argentino was Snuka’s mistress, as he reportedly had a wife and four children at home. At the time of the young woman’s death, first responders said Argentino was “unconscious, barely breathing and her dilated pupils and rapid heart rate indicated she had a head injury.” She reportedly passed away at the Lehigh Valley Hospital emergency room the next day.
It appears there were a number of contributing facts leading up to Snuka’s arrest. First, The Morning Call conducted its own investigation in 2013, prompting a grand jury probe. The publication even unearthed a never-before-seen autopsy report that ruled Argentino’s death a homicide. In addition, the autopsy said she had 39 cuts and bruises and was likely a victim of “mate abuse.”
Related: 17-Year-Old Wrestling Star To Be Tried As Adult For Rape, Murder Of 7-Year-Old
The publication says 20 witnesses testified in front of the grand jury in 2013, including an original case detective who worked on the homicide in 1983. Snuka was present, but did not testify himself and asserted his Fifth Amendment rights.
As for the WWE organization, it did release a statement to PWInsider.com saying it “[expresses] its continued sympathy to the Argentino family for their loss. Ultimately this legal matter will be decided by our judicial system.”
According to the Morning Call, Snuka gave several different accounts of how Argentino died. One account stated that “…the victim passed out in the room and hit her head on the side of the chair or bed. He kept checking on her, and she was breathing OK.”
In his book released a few years ago, Snuka wrote about being arrested for assaulting Argentino only four months before her death in 1983. Apparently the book’s account is different than what was documented in the the police report. During that incident, Argentino was treated for injuries she sustained to her back and scalp after Snuka was seen “forcibly dragging the naked Ms. Argentino down the hallway by her hair.”
Third-degree murder is defined as the intent to kill with malice, and Snuka could spend 20 to 40 years behind bars if convicted. The Morning Call reports more testimony will be heard on June 21 and a final ruling as to how this case will move forward will take more than a month.
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Photo: WFMZ