According to The Morning Call, Lehigh County, Pa., judge Kelly L. Banach has ruled that Snuka is mentally incompetent to stand trial against the charges that are being levied against him.
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Snuka’s mental fitness will be reevaluated in six months.
“Unfortunately justice suffers when it’s delayed”, Banach said. “No offense, but I don’t think he’s smart enough to fake it”.
According to WFMZ, Snuka’s legal team said he suffers from brain damage from his years in pro wrestling and early on-set dementia.
Kirwan held up Snuka’s 2012 autobiography – a prosecution exhibit – and pointed to the cover photo of Snuka executing his high-flying signature move, the “Superfly Splash”.
Prosecutors reopened the investigation after a 2013 report in The Morning Call newspaper raised questions about the case. A county grand jury past year determined that Snuka repeatedly assaulted Argentino, his mistress, at the former George Washington Motor Lodge in Whitehall Township and then left her in bed to die. Snuka was wrestling and returned to the motel they were staying at and found her dead.
Dattilio said he believed Snuka was not competent to help his lawyer with his defense and a trial would worsen his mental state. Banach disagreed with prosecutors’ argument that Snuka was faking his dementia.
“You do that over and over again … you’re going to get your bell rung a few times”, attorney Robert Kirwan said, per the Morning Call.
The investigation was re-opened after pressure from Argentino’s family. The gag order, which Banach declined to lift after the hearing, prevents them from commenting.
Charges were not brought at the time of Nancy Argentino’s death in 1983, despite a damning autopsy report.
Snuka joined the WWF in 1982 and remained with the promotion until 1985.
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Snuka, 73, told the judge that he was in in 80s and was unaware it was 2016. Prosectors did not object to the request.
