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The United States Marshals Service announced:the arrest of two suspects in the murder of Kevin Nikel this past July.
One, Amanda Marie Penny, was Nikel's ex-wife. The other, Michael Delbert Hogue, was described as Penny's "romantic partner" by local media reports. Hogue, who is believed to have shot Nikel, is being charged with 1st Degree Murder. In Arkansas, if Hogue is convicted, he is facing between 10 and 40 years or life imprisonment.
Penny has been charged with Accomplice to Murder in the 1st Degree. In Arkansas, the penalties to the charge are the same as 1st Degree Murder, so Penny is facing between 10 and 40 years or life imprisonment.
They have also been each charged with Possession of Firearm by Certain Persons. In Arkansas, that is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but it can be escalated to a Class B Felony with enhanced penalties if the person charged has a prior violent felony or if the possession occurs during another crime.
Nikel, who performed in the ring as Ivan Warsaw and Knuckles Madsen, passed away on 7/11 in in Rogers, Arkansas after being found by authorities. He had been shot in his abdomen . Knikel was transported to the hospital but succumbed to his wounds.
Nikel's mother, Susan Kinderman spoke with CBS affiliate THV channel 11 after the arrests, confirming Penny was Nikel's ex-wife and that their divorce had been finalized several days before his death. "There was some kind of an argument. Maybe there was texting going back and forth. I think they enticed Kevin to meet up with them. I was told by the detectives that there was some kind of altercation. Shots were fired, and Kevin was killed, and that's all we really know."
Nikel and Penny had met in High School, Kinderman said. "She was his first friend that he met in high school. They were dating, then they got married. They were happy for a long time, and then I guess they started to grow apart. And, you know, neither one of them were happy. Kevin took a job where he could be gone two weeks at a time, and things just progressively got worse, until they divorced."
Working under the name Knuckles Madsen, Nikel was under a WWE developmental deal in 2012. He appeared regularly on WWE NXT live events but only made a few appearances on television. He exited NXT in December 2013 and wrestled in Arkansas, Texas and Memphis through 2024, including headlining TCW events against Jerry Lawler.
"I just hope that we have a lot of answers. I know that the justice system will work. Whatever penalty they get, I'm fine with. But instead of that, I want to make sure that we know exactly what happened and why. I would like to hear it from them. I don't know if I will, but I would rather hear from those two, and we'll just have to see how that comes out," Kinderman said.
Hogue was charged in April 2020 with Aggravated Assault and Criminal Mischief in the First Degree and also has a history of drug related offenses, including once being charged with exposing a child to a chemical substance in 2006. He released from prison in October 2025 and was scheduled to be on parole through April 2033, but that parole has been revoked.
Nikel was only 41 years old.
Penny and Hogue are each currently incarcerated in Benton County Jail in Arkansas. They were scheduled for a bond hearing this morning.
PWInsider.com sends our deepest condolences to the family, friends and fans of Kevin Nikel.
The official statement from The United States Marshals Service:
U.S. Marshals Arrest Two Northwest Arkansas Murder Suspects
November 18, 2025
Cory Thomas
Chief Deputy U. S. Marshal
United States Marshals Service
Western Arkansas Fugitive Task Force
Fayetteville, AR – On November 17th, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Michael Hogue in Fort Smith and Amanda Penny in Rogers, AR. Hogue was wanted for 1st Degree Murder and Penny for Accomplice to Murder in the 1st Degree. Both had additional charges for possession of a firearm by certain persons.
The warrants were stemming from a July shooting where a local wrestler was shot and killed in Rogers, Arkansas. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office has led the investigation from day one and their diligence led their department to obtaining warrants for Hogue and Penny on November 17th.
The warrants were turned over to the U.S. Marshals shortly after they were issued by the Benton County Circuit Court Monday afternoon to locate and arrest Hogue and Penny.
They were both located simultaneously in the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas on Monday around 4:30 pm.
U.S. Marshals Service task forces combine the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest our nation’s most dangerous fugitives. These task forces are dedicated to reducing violent crime by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. They also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters. In 2024, the U.S. Marshals arrested 74,222 fugitives, cleared 88,765 warrants, which averaged out to around 297 fugitives arrested per day in 2024 alone.
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