Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka was perhaps one of the most charismatic and recognizable stars of his day in the WWF (now WWE). He also was one of the innovators of the high-flying stunts wrestling fans see as commonplace today.
Wrestling may have taken its toll on the 73-year-old Snuka, though, as he’s been suffering from dementia for awhile now. That played a key factor in a Pennsylvania judge’s ruling Wednesday that Snuka was incompetent to stand trial for a murder charge around the 1983 death of his then-girlfriend, Nancy Argentino.
Back then, Argentino and Snuka got into an argument in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and an altercation ensued, with Argentino eventually suffering a skull fracture and other head injuries that led to her death. Snuka has told various stories of what happened over time, all involving her falling inadvertently, but in different locations. No criminal charges were brought against Snuka in 1983, but her family won a wrongful death suit against him in 1985. Last year, he was charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter.
The case couldn’t proceed without determining if Snuka was fit to stand trial, though, and that’s what happened over the last four days. The defense argued that Snuka’s dementia is so bad that he couldn’t remember much from 30 years ago, with defense expert Dr. Frank Dattilio testifying that Snuka’s dementia is so severe he can’t comprehend that he’s even been charged with a homicide. Following four days of testimony, judge Kelly A. Banach ruled in the defense’s favor and Snuka will not stand trial.
Snuka is far from out of the woods, though, as he will be reevaluated in six months’ time, and will be evaluated further for the next year and a half. If he is still found to be incompetent after 18 months, the chargers will be dropped for good.
A big issue for Snuka is the many varying stories he has told over the years about the circumstances surrounding Argentino’s death back in 1983. Should he be found competent, the state will likely proceed with a trial against him.
