Trending News|September 02, 2015 02:27 EDT
Jimmy Snuka Arrest News: Former Wrestling Superstar Charged for 1983 Death of Girlfriend
Former professional wrestling superstar "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka has been arrested and charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the 1983 death of his girlfriend, Jay Busbee of The Turnstile reports.
As noted by the report, the case, which was dormant for more than two decades, was reopened by the Lehigh County (Pa.) district attorney's office last year after The Mornign Call investigated the death of Nancy Argentino in a Whitehall Township motel. The investigative report included what Busbee points out as a never-before-published autopsy labeling the death of a homicide.
The 72-year-old former WWF superstar was arrested Tuesday morning at his New Jersey home. According to The Morning Call, his bail has been set at $100,000.
As The Turnstile highlights, Snuka's then girlfriend, Argentino, died on May 10, 1983. According to local reports back then, "Superfly" was taping a WWF show in Allentown (Pa.) Fairgrounds and returned to the couple's hotel room to find her gasping for air and "oozing yellow fluid from her mouth and nose."
The autopsy found that the 23-year-old endured more than two dozen cuts and bruises to her head, ear, chin, arms, hands, back, buttocks, legs and feet, as noted by The Turnstile. The injuries were said to be indicative of force from a stationary object.
Snuke became the only person of interest in the case, but was never charged. As Busbee points out, he told at least five people earlier in the day that he had shoved Argentino and that she had fallen. His story was later changed to Argentino falling on her own.
The case was considered "cold" in June of 1983, as the Argentino family was awarded a $500,000 wrongful death judgment against the wrestling superstar. Snuka was unable to pay the amount.
"Many terrible things have been written about me hurting Nancy and being responsible for her death, but they are not true," Snuka wrote in his biography. "This has been very hard on me and very hard on my family. To this day, I get nasty notes and threats. It hurts. I never hit Nancy or threatened her."
