MCall.com is reporting that WWE Hall of Famer Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka was charged on Tuesday afternoon with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the 1983 death of his then-girlfriend, 23-year old Nancy Argentino. Argentino died in an Allentown, Pennsylvania motel room on May 10, 1983 with an autopsy revealing traumatic brain injuries as the cause of death along with numerous cuts and bruises all over her body, described as “mate abuse.”
Snuka had been a person of interest in the case when it was originally opened after Argentino’s passing, but was later closed after Snuka was never charged. Argentino’s family won a wrongful death suit against Snuka in 1985 to the tune of $500,000, which Snuka never paid, claiming he was broke. For many years, Snuka has proclaimed his innocence, notably in his autobiography released in 2012.
In 2014, the case was re-opened by a Pennsylvania Grand Jury and Lehigh County DA Jim Martin after many articles were written about the anniversary of Argentino’s passing and the urging of her family. Snuka last month was diagonsed with stomach cancer and it is unknown what his current health is as of this time. Snuka, age 72, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon in New Jersey at the Lehigh County Jail and is currently being held on $100,000 bail.
MCall.com: Wrestling legend Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka to be charged in girlfriend’s 1983 death