PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS SNUKA’S BRAIN IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR

> JUDGE SET TO DECIDE IF JIMMY SNUKA IS MENTALLY COMPETENT TO STAND MURDER TRIAL
– The Associated Press is reporting that a Pennsylvania judge is set to hear testimony today on whether WWE Hall of Famer “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka is mentally competent to stand trial in the death of his mistress Nancy Argentino, who died in 1983. The former WWE Superstar stands charged with third degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Snuka has already pleaded not guilty. However his attorney says that Snuka, who is 72 years old, is suffering from dementia and post-concussion syndrome and does not understand the charges or even knows that he was arrested. He also has stomach cancer. The Snuka/Argentino case was re-opened in 2013 by Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin after some excellent work by a couple of journalists working for The Morning Call newspaper who exposed a never-before-seen autopsy report that labeled the death as a homicide.

> PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS SNUKA’S BRAIN IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR
– A psychologist hired by the defense in the Snuka trial told the judge that the former wrestler’s brain “beyond repair” after being damaged badly during his wrestling career and is getting worse by the month thanks to his dementia. The psychologist, Dr. Frank M. Dattilio, said that Snuka is not fit for trial as he does not understand the legal process and the trial would cause a “severe erosion of his emotional state.” Judge Kelly L Banach will be hearing expert analysis from the other side as well and The Morning Call newspaper says it is unlikely that the judge will hand down a ruling today. The hearing continues today at the Lehigh County Courthouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania. You can see the video of Jimmy Snuka making his way in to the courthouse at http://w-o.it/1TbFbdZ .

Colin Vassallo has been editor of Wrestling-Online since 1996