WWE Legend Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka Charged in the 1983 Murder of His Girlfriend
This article, WWE Legend Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka Charged in the 1983 Murder of His Girlfriend, originally appeared on TVGuide.com.
Jimmy Snuka, who wrestled under the name Superfly, has been charged in the 1983 murder of his girlfriend, The Associated Press reports.
The Lehigh County, Penn. District attorney's office announced the results of the grand jury investigation on Tuesday, revealing Snuka has been charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The 72-year-old turned himself in on Tuesday on a $100,000 bail.
On May 10, 1983, police discovered Snuka at a hotel where Nancy Argentino, Snuka's 23-year-old girlfriend, was unresponsive. Several hours later Argentino died of traumatic brain injuries.
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Snuka, who was married at the time, gave varying accounts of how Argentino sustained the brain injuries and over three dozen cuts and bruises, which an autopsy determined as being consistent with being hit with a stationary object. According to the grand jury report, Snuka first told paramedics he had hit Argentino during an argument, causing her to hit her head on concrete, but later Snuka told police she fell during a bathroom break on their way to the hotel.
Snuka has since maintained his innocence, even defending himself in his 2012 autobiography. However, when Arentinos sisters contacted district attorney James B. Martin, authorities began a renewed investigation into her death.
"I think that it's been a long road," Louise Argentino-Upham told The Morning Call of Allentown. "They did the right thing in face of all the evidence."
