Super Fly Snuka Charged with Murder

grote15

Has anyone been following this case? I saw today his attorney claims he can't be tried because he is punch drunk from all the blows to the head? If allegations are true, he deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison.

baz518

I saw an article about it the other day... surprised I had never heard about it. A 30+ year-old case in which his girlfriend's family had won a wrongful death suit against him just a couple years after it happened, not sure why the prosecutor waited so long? Apparently it was a news story and another call by the victims sister that made him take another look at the case. Considering the evidence and his past history of domestic violence, he should definitely be behind bars for life.

flatfoot816

I know 1 thing--I would definitely take his case. Anytime the police wait 3 decades to arrest someone on a cold case-with no new evidence---good luck on the prosecution

LarkinCollector

There's no way that he'll be found competent to stand trial, much less convicted at this point.

gregmo32

I have long suspected that it also ultimately explains his bit-part in the original Wrestlemania. McMahon couldn't risk his being charged in the run up to it.

vols1

The story said there were two other wresters with him. Who were they?

perkdog

<< <i>I know 1 thing--I would definitely take his case. Anytime the police wait 3 decades to arrest someone on a cold case-with no new evidence---good luck on the prosecution >>



I think it happens more often than most of us think, DNA evidence is making cold cases warm.

grote15

<< <i>

<< <i>I know 1 thing--I would definitely take his case. Anytime the police wait 3 decades to arrest someone on a cold case-with no new evidence---good luck on the prosecution >>



I think it happens more often than most of us think, DNA evidence is making cold cases warm. >>



That is an excellent point. DNA evidence didn't even exist in 1983. And imo he doesn't deserve a pass because he managed to elude prosecution for 32 years.

LarkinCollector

<< <i>That is an excellent point. DNA evidence didn't even exist in 1983. And imo he doesn't deserve a pass because he managed to elude prosecution for 32 years. >>


I'm not saying he deserves a pass due to the time passed, but I don't see any way he can mount a credible defense if he has no mental capacity to do so. A mental hospital is the best the prosecution can expect and I think even that is a waste now. He has the money to support himself instead of being a burden to taxpayers on a wasted attempt at prosecution now. The delay in charging him has caused this, not the evidence. If there was DNA evidence, that could have been used many years ago since it has been available (and perhaps while he still had at least minimal capacity in his skull) ....

grote15

<< <i>

<< <i>That is an excellent point. DNA evidence didn't even exist in 1983. And imo he doesn't deserve a pass because he managed to elude prosecution for 32 years. >>


I'm not saying he deserves a pass due to the time passed, but I don't see any way he can mount a credible defense if he has no mental capacity to do so. A mental hospital is the best the prosecution can expect and I think even that is a waste now. He has the money to support himself instead of being a burden to taxpayers on a wasted attempt at prosecution now. The delay in charging him has caused this, not the evidence. If there was DNA evidence, that could have been used many years ago since it has been available (and perhaps while he still had at least minimal capacity in his skull) .... >>



I think it remains to be seen what will transpire with this case. Whether or not he is mentally fit to stand trial is something else to be determined. It's a fine line between sympathy for him in his present state and sympathy for the victim. If he indeed murdered this woman, he certainly showed no mercy or compassion to her at the time, and from what I'm reading, he beat her mercilessly throughout his relationship with her, too. I don't agree that a person should be granted freedom vs being criminally institutionalized if he has enough money to support himself. That sets a very bad precedent, imo.

LarkinCollector

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>That is an excellent point. DNA evidence didn't even exist in 1983. And imo he doesn't deserve a pass because he managed to elude prosecution for 32 years. >>


I'm not saying he deserves a pass due to the time passed, but I don't see any way he can mount a credible defense if he has no mental capacity to do so. A mental hospital is the best the prosecution can expect and I think even that is a waste now. He has the money to support himself instead of being a burden to taxpayers on a wasted attempt at prosecution now. The delay in charging him has caused this, not the evidence. If there was DNA evidence, that could have been used many years ago since it has been available (and perhaps while he still had at least minimal capacity in his skull) .... >>



I think it remains to be seen what will transpire with this case. Whether or not he is mentally fit to stand trial is something else to be determined. It's a fine line between sympathy for him in his present state and sympathy for the victim. If he indeed murdered this woman, he certainly showed no mercy or compassion to her at the time, and from what I'm reading, he beat her mercilessly throughout his relationship with her, too. I don't agree that a person should be granted freedom vs being criminally institutionalized if he has enough money to support himself. That sets a very bad precedent, imo. >>


Was he mentally fit when the action happened? Regardless if it's drug-induced or not, that's still a very pertinent question. Likely the answer is no. It's a waste of prosecutorial discretion at this point if he's not fit to stand trial and likely to become a ward of the state. If this case were brought up 20 years ago, the answers are likely quite a bit different (and DNA evidence was still as available then as it is now).

grote15

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>That is an excellent point. DNA evidence didn't even exist in 1983. And imo he doesn't deserve a pass because he managed to elude prosecution for 32 years. >>


I'm not saying he deserves a pass due to the time passed, but I don't see any way he can mount a credible defense if he has no mental capacity to do so. A mental hospital is the best the prosecution can expect and I think even that is a waste now. He has the money to support himself instead of being a burden to taxpayers on a wasted attempt at prosecution now. The delay in charging him has caused this, not the evidence. If there was DNA evidence, that could have been used many years ago since it has been available (and perhaps while he still had at least minimal capacity in his skull) .... >>



I think it remains to be seen what will transpire with this case. Whether or not he is mentally fit to stand trial is something else to be determined. It's a fine line between sympathy for him in his present state and sympathy for the victim. If he indeed murdered this woman, he certainly showed no mercy or compassion to her at the time, and from what I'm reading, he beat her mercilessly throughout his relationship with her, too. I don't agree that a person should be granted freedom vs being criminally institutionalized if he has enough money to support himself. That sets a very bad precedent, imo. >>


Was he mentally fit when the action happened? Regardless if it's drug-induced or not, that's still a very pertinent question. Likely the answer is no. It's a waste of prosecutorial discretion at this point if he's not fit to stand trial and likely to become a ward of the state. If this case were brought up 20 years ago, the answers are likely quite a bit different (and DNA evidence was still as available then as it is now). >>



I'm sure the victim's family views things quite a bit differently and I don't balme them. I also don't agree that qualifications should be made for his behavior because he "roided up," either. We simply have a difference of oipinion with regard to this debate.

BigMK

I remember reading about this years ago but never heard all the details until now. Disturbing, to say the least. According to the article I am reading, Snuka initially told the responding officer he shoved his girlfriend causing her to hit her head. He then changed his story to detectives that she had slipped on the side of the highway and hit her head on concrete. He then takes her to the motel where she slept for hours, even notices a big lump on her head but does not call for medical attention right away. He goes off to a taping returning later that night and notices fluid draining from her mouth and nose and then decides to call for medical attention. The autopsy revealed more than two dozen cuts and contusions on her head, ear, chin, arms, hands, back, buttocks, legs and feet. The pathologist who performed the autopsy, wrote at the time that the case should be investigated as a homicide.

Just a few months before this , Snuka was charged with assault after he beat her at another motel in NY where she suffered significant injuries. Its also been reported that he beat his ex-wife. Its hard to believe he evaded a murder charge for all these years and a shame her family had to live without justice.

72skywalker

I bet you he snapped after getting hit in the head with a coconut by Roddy Piper in Piper's Pit.

MantleMarisFordBerra

<< <i>I have long suspected that it also ultimately explains his bit-part in the original Wrestlemania. McMahon couldn't risk his being charged in the run up to it. >>



Absolutely. Snuka appears to be quite the scum bucket - he was married during this time. Apparently this was his side piece that he (allegedly) killed. But being a scum bucket in the world of wrestling doesn't make him unique. As the old saying goes, "Love the art, not the artist."

MantleMarisFordBerra

<< <i>I have long suspected that it also ultimately explains his bit-part in the original Wrestlemania. McMahon couldn't risk his being charged in the run up to it. >>



Absolutely. Snuka appears to be quite the scum bucket - he was married during this time. Apparently this was his side piece that he (allegedly) killed. But being a scum bucket in the world of wrestling doesn't make him unique. As the old saying goes, "Love the art, not the artist."

Tabe

Some stuff to clear up:

The allegations and information, in general, have been around for almost 30 years. I remember seeing a story about this incident (which occurred in 1983) on the cover of a wrestling magazine sometime around 1985/86. Of course, being a wrestling magazine, they said Snuka killed Argentino with a Superfly Leap off of their bed.

There is actually lots of new evidence in the case. New witnesses, new info, etc. It was all spurred on by Jimmy Snuka's autobiography, ironically. He wrote yet another of his actions in that book, it was read by the Argentino family (and eventually the prosecutor), they compared it to what he'd said before and, well, here we are.

tsalems1

I was shocked when I head about this a couple days ago. I had no idea about what happened back in 1983 with his girlfriend and I followed wrestling back then.

Dpeck100

Snuka PSA 9


So far the situation doesn't appear to be negatively affecting his card prices. Sold for $72 with shipping.

I think a lot of people myself included have always assumed he was guilty and Vince helped get him off.

Does anyone in the legal profession have a general idea how long a case like this takes to go to trial and reach a verdict?

Dpeck100

Apparently he doesn't have much time to live. I loved watching the Superfly.

Dpeck100

I popped this figure out of the package a few years ago for display.

Dboneesq

From about one year ago:

CWUCAT62

Got this photo autographed years ago in Portland Oregon, at the Portland Sports Arena. Old School Portland Wrestling was something my family watched every Saturday night. Sad story about his victim(s), his mental state, and stomach cancer issues.