DEATH OF A BENTON COUNTY WRESTLER IS NO LONGER FACING A MURDER CHARGE. AN AMENDED CRIMINAL INFORMATION SHEET SHOWS THIS UPDATE. AMANDA MARIE PENNY, 40, AND MICHAEL DELBERT HOGUE, 51, PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO MURDER LAST MONTH. PENNY’S CHARGES ARE NOW LISTED AS HINDERING APPREHENSION OR PROSECUTION AND POSSESSION OF FIREARMS BY CERTAIN PERSONS. KEVIN NICKEL, WHO WRESTLED UNDER THE RING NAME IVAN WARSAW, WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN THE BEAVER SHORES NEIGHBORHOOD IN JULY 2025. THAT’S JUST A FEW MILES EAST OF
Benton County woman accused in wrestler Kevin Nikel’s death no longer charged with murder
Updated: 5:19 PM CST Feb 12, 2026
The woman who had been accused in the death of a Benton County wrestler is no longer facing a murder charge, an amended criminal information sheet shows.Amanda Marie Penny, 40, and Michael Delbert Hogue, 51, pleaded not guilty to murder last month.Penny’s charges are now listed as hindering apprehension or prosecution and possession of firearms by certain persons.Penny’s attorney told 40/29 News he has no comment on the change in charges. The Benton County prosecutor has not yet returned our call. He had previously said evidence showed Penny was working with Hogue when he pulled the trigger.Kevin Nikel’s murderKevin Nikel, who wrestled under the ring name Ivan Warsaw, was shot and killed in the Beaver Shores neighborhood in July 2025. That’s located just a few miles east of downtown Rogers.Court records show Nikel and Penny were married and recently divorced. Remembering Kevin NikelIn November, one of Nikel’s best friends told 40/29 News about his life.”Yeah, he was like my brother,” Logan Pendergraft said.”We saw each other, talked to each other, every day,” Pendergraft said. “And, he was — best guy I ever knew.”Pendergraft said losing Nikel took the light out of the world for those closest to him.”Of course, seeing him wrestle, you know, as a big fan and admired him, and then he took me under his wing and really built me up,” Pendergraft said. “Built my confidence up and just trained me to be better physically. But, better man, better dad.”Pendergraft said Nikel is survived by a young son, a brother, and his mother.
BENTON COUNTY, Ark. —
The woman who had been accused in the death of a Benton County wrestler is no longer facing a murder charge, an amended criminal information sheet shows.
Amanda Marie Penny, 40, and Michael Delbert Hogue, 51, pleaded not guilty to murder last month.
Penny’s charges are now listed as hindering apprehension or prosecution and possession of firearms by certain persons.
Penny’s attorney told 40/29 News he has no comment on the change in charges. The Benton County prosecutor has not yet returned our call. He had previously said evidence showed Penny was working with Hogue when he pulled the trigger.
Kevin Nikel’s murder
Kevin Nikel, who wrestled under the ring name Ivan Warsaw, was shot and killed in the Beaver Shores neighborhood in July 2025. That’s located just a few miles east of downtown Rogers.
Court records show Nikel and Penny were married and recently divorced.
Remembering Kevin Nikel
In November, one of Nikel’s best friends told 40/29 News about his life.
“Yeah, he was like my brother,” Logan Pendergraft said.
“We saw each other, talked to each other, every day,” Pendergraft said. “And, he was — best guy I ever knew.”
Pendergraft said losing Nikel took the light out of the world for those closest to him.
“Of course, seeing him wrestle, you know, as a big fan and admired him, and then he took me under his wing and really built me up,” Pendergraft said. “Built my confidence up and just trained me to be better physically. But, better man, better dad.”
Pendergraft said Nikel is survived by a young son, a brother, and his mother.