WWE Legend Jimmy Snuka Charged With Third Degree Murder in Mistress' 1983 Death

Former wrestling star was known by the nickname Superfly

By Lily Harrison Sep 01, 2015 8:51 PMTags
Jimmy SnukaJohn Barrett/Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com

WWE legend Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka has been charged with the 1983 murder of his mistress, Nancy Argentino, E! News has learned.

The 72-year-old was arrested and taken into custody at this home in New Jersey Tuesday morning, TMZ reports, where he subsequently was booked and posted bail that had been set at $100,000.

The member of the WWE Hall of Fame was specifically charged with third degree murder as well as involuntary manslaughter.

Lehigh County District Attorney James B. Martin announced the charges today, explaining that the investigation was re-opened after Argentino's family repeatedly requested justice for her death.

According to her autopsy report, which was briefly explained in Martin's press release today, Argentino's death was "attributed to craniocerebral injuries, the pattern of which is consistent with a moving head striking a stationary object but is not consistent with a single multiple fall in view of multitudinous of scalp, facial and bodily bruises and abrasions."

Snuka told a Grand Jury in 1983 that he and Argentino were at a motel in Allentown and were "fooling around outside of the hotel room when he pushed her and she fell; they must have wrestled a little too much and she hit her head on concrete."

Today's press release continues by saying that Snuka told authorities that "he pushed her, she fell and lost consciousness but then came to and that he went back to sleep."

At the time, Snuka was married and a had four children living in North Carolina.

WWE released the following statement following today's news:

"WWE expresses its continued sympathy to the Argentino family for their loss. Ultimately, this legal matter will be decided by our judicial system."

—Reporting by Baker Machado