WWF Legend Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka Arrested in 33-Year-Old Murder Case

In 1983, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was wrestling in Allentown, Penn. His girlfriend, Nancy Argentino, 23, stayed behind in the motel. When Snuka returned from wrestling, she had yellow fluid oozing from her nose and mouth and she was struggling to breath. Snuka took her to the hospital where she died the following day.

In the immediate aftermath, some people close to Snuka said he told them he had pushed Nancy and she struck her head. Others said that Snuka characterized the incident as an accident that happened while playfully horsing around.  Finally, Snuka began telling people, including police, that the "accident" actually happened the day before when they had stopped on the side of the road for a bathroom break.

That's the story Superfly has stuck with all these years. It's the version of the story that investigators had no evidence to refute and Snuka was never charged.

The case remained cold until 2013 when the Allentown newspaper The Morning Call convinced prosecutors to look again at the case. They looked into the coroners report from 1983 which had never been released to the public. In it, the coroner said that Nancy Argentino died from her head striking a stationary object AND that she had injuries all over her body that were consistent with domestic abuse. The coroner recommended that the case be prosecuted as a homicide.

Why wasn't it? A meeting was held a few months after the Nancy Argentino's death between prosecutors, Snuka, and WWF boss Vince McMahon.  What was discussed? Was some kind of deal reached? Nobody knows because there's no record of the meeting.

But Snuka, 72 now, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of third degree murder. He's since been released on bail.