Bartlesville baseball coach arrested, accused of strangling his wife

A Bartlesville baseball coach is accused of strangling his wife. An affidavit says the victim feared her husband, John Pannell, would kill her, but he says he is innocent.

An affidavit says Pannell's wife “was aggravated by the financial situation happening to her and her husband” and began knocking on a bathroom door to get Pannell to answer.

His wife told investigators: “The bathroom door opened and John attacked her.”

The affidavit says Pannell “pushed her onto the bed and put his arm around her neck.” It says “John used his weight to hold his legs down.”

Pannell's wife told investigators that Panell “was squeezing so hard she thought her neck was going to break.”

Pannell told News On 6 he is innocent, but declined to comment further. Pannell's attorney also declined to comment.

Pannell coaches Bartlesville's American Legion baseball team, and his company also maintains the city's baseball and softball fields.

In a statement, the City of Bartlesville states in part:

“The contract contains nothing relevant to the recent arrest of 4F Sports owner John Pannell. Therefore, no action can or will be taken by the City at this time regarding this arrangement. The contract expires on the last day of December 2024 and could be reviewed at that time.

Records show Pannell's wife filed for divorce this week. The attorney for Panell's wife did not respond to News On 6's inquiry.

News On 6 also requested an interview with Bartlesville police, but the department did not respond to our request.