One of the biggest factors that led to the involvement of a grand jury were inconsistent statements from Snuka himself. Via
the Morning Call:
Snuka originally told at least five people, including the responding police officer, he shoved Argentino earlier that day, causing her to fall and hit her head. He later told police those five people misunderstood him, and said Argentino slipped and hit her head when they stopped along the highway to urinate. After Argentino died, though, Snuka spoke to a hospital chaplain and to Procanyn, giving both men different accounts of how she died.
“We believe it is important to note that James Snuka changed the location of the injuries in his discussion with the chaplain to happening on the highway traveling to [the George Washington Motor Lodge], but still admitted that she sustained her injury after he shoved her and she fell backward, hitting her head on the concrete,” the grand jury wrote in the presentment.
Years later, Snuka’s story again differed from his original retelling. The grand jury reviewed copies of Snuka’s 2012 autobiography Superfly: The Jimmy Snuka Story, as well as interviews after the release. The grand jury noted that no less than 14 different versions of the incident were told on record in various forms by Snuka since the discovery of her death.
Via
Lehigh Valley Live:
They also reviewed interviews Snuka gave with the
Opie and Anthony radio show and
The Sam Roberts Show, including watching YouTube clips of the interviews.
In the interviews and book, Snuka claimed the pair were driving to Allentown, when they stopped so Argentino could use the bathroom on the side of the road. Snuka said Argentino fell and hit her head, but that she was conscious afterward and they drove to the Lehigh Valley.
In the book, Snuka said, “The only thing I know for sure is that I didn’t hurt Nancy. I couldn’t believe what had happened.” Sam Roberts asked Snuka about talking about Argentino’s death in his autobiography.
“Um, I had to tell the truth, brudda,” Snuka said.