Jimmy Snuka, former WWE Hall of Famer and pro wrestling legend, has officially entered a plea of not guilty to charges of third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Snuka is accused of killing his former girlfriend Nancy Argentino in 1983, and faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
The case skipped preliminary hearings and went straight to trial after a lengthy investigation by police and the Lehigh Valley District Attorney’s Office. Snuka’s involvement in Argentino’s death was long considered one of pro wrestling’s most believed in urban legends, but thanks to the in-depth research and reporting of journalists at The Morning Call newspaper for the 30th anniversary of her death, the DA’s office agreed to take a deeper look into the cold case.
During today’s hearing, Snuka again mounted the defense that he suffers from dementia, and said that he never went to school, and cannot read or write. He claimed that he was unaware of where he was, or even what day of the week it is. Snuka’s lawyers have already questioned his ability to stand trial, saying that his early-onset dementia doesn’t leave him fit to answer questions about the 30-year-old murder. They purport that he wouldn’t be competent enough, either physically or mentally, to recall the events in question, as well as asserted Snuka’s fifth-amendment rights against self-incrimination.
