Dave Meltzer on Jimmy Snuka Murder Case: ‘Almost All Of This Evidence Was There 30 Years Ago’

Dave Meltzer, founder of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, was the featured guest on the most recent episode of the Jim Cornette Experience podcast (Episode #94) on MLW Radio. Meltzer discussed the history and recent developments involving the Jimmy Snuka murder case, following up on Cornette’s reflection on the matter last week.

As previously reported by Inquisitr, legendary wrestler Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka was charged with murder earlier this month over the 1983 death of his girlfriend, Nancy Argentino. Although Snuka was investigated briefly at the time of the incident, no charges were filed until after the case was reopened in 2013. Now 72 years old, Snuka is apparently battling dementia and stomach cancer.

Meltzer, who has studied the case extensively, shared information regarding Argentino’s autopsy that appear to contradict Snuka’s most well-known version of the events which led to her death. For the most part — Snuka changed his story a few times in the hours surrounding Argentino’s decline and passing — the wrestler has maintained that Argentino slipped and hit her head while stopped at the side of the road near Allentown, Pennsylvania, for a bathroom break. According to Snuka’s account, the two proceeded to their hotel room and Snuka left Argentino to work a wrestling show, only to later return and find his girlfriend in serious medical distress.

Meltzer explained that, when a local newspaper revisited the case on the 30th anniversary of Argentino’s death, key information was uncovered, which ultimately prompted prosecutors to take a new look at the case.

“The coroner said that this needs to be investigated as a homicide,” Meltzer said. “That was somewhat the smoking gun, because it kind of embarrassed the local authorities that here the coroner who investigated it said that. And also, if she had fallen by the side of the road and hit the back of her head, there would be gravel and things like that. There was nothing like that. And the other thing that had never come out is that there were bruises all over her body. It wasn’t like she had just bumped the back of her head. She had bruises on her arms and different places which would in theory [show] that she had been in a fight or something.”

With regard to the general timeline of the Jimmy Snuka murder case, Meltzer suggested that law enforcement could have likely leveled charges against Snuka many years ago considering all of the information that was available to them.

“When it’s over and you read all of the evidence, the thing that just hits you like a brick is that almost all of this evidence was there 30 years ago.”

Meltzer noted that the newest evidence against Snuka includes the wrestler’s own comments during a radio interview as well as accounts provided in his autobiography. He also said that a handful of individuals came have come forward since Argentino’s death, including the widow of the late wrestler Buddy Rogers who told police about Snuka’s history of domestic violence with his wife.

Responding to a question from Jim Cornette’s co-host Alice Radley, Meltzer said he is not aware of any investigations that might seek to explain why it took so long for charges to be filed in the Jimmy Snuka murder case.

Jimmy Snuka is currently out of jail on $100,000 bond as he awaits news of future court dates.

[Image via Victory Journal]