WWE Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka DEAD At 73

Just weeks after a Pennsylvania judge dismissed a murder case against him, former pro wrestler Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka has died. He was 73.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson wrote on Twitter Sunday: “Our family @TaminaSnuka asked me to share the sad news that her dad Jimmy Snuka has just passed away. Alofa atu i le aiga atoa. #RIPSuperfly.”

Snuka’s daughter, Tamina, who performs with the WWE, wrote: “I love you dad.” She also posted a photo of their hands on Instagram. Earlier this month, Lehigh County Judge Kelly Banach said Snuka was not competent to stand trial in the 1983 death of his girlfriend. Snuka’s lawyer had told the court that his client was suffering from, dementia, was in hospice care in Florida and had six months to live. The retired WWE star was charged in 2015 with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Nancy Argentino, whose body had been found more than three decades earlier in their Whitehall Township hotel room. Prosecutors alleged she was beaten, while Snuka has maintained that she died from a fall. Authorities reopened the investigation after The Morning Call newspaper raised questions about the case in 2013. Banach ruled last summer that Snuka was not competent to stand trial after his attorney argued the ex-athlete had dementia, partly due to the head trauma sustained over a long career in the ring. Prosecutors countered that Snuka’s brain showed normal signs of aging and suggested he might be feigning symptoms. At a hearing last month to re-evaluate Snuka’s mental fitness, his wife told the judge that the family struggled to keep him from leaving home during bouts of psychosis in which he thought he was late for a wrestling match. Banach then took time to review Snuka’s medical records before ruling. h/t abc7

Snuka, a native of Fiji who previously lived in Camden County, New Jersey, was known on the wrestling circuit for diving from the ropes.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Snuka’s family and friends at this difficult time.