Montgomery County DA drops assault charge against Mike Missanelli in domestic dispute
The case was withdrawn late last month at a preliminary hearing in Lower Merion, according to prosecutors.
Montgomery County prosecutors have withdrawn criminal charges against longtime Philly sports personality Mike Missanelli, ending their investigation into an alleged domestic dispute between him and his fiancee.
Missanelli, a former Inquirer sportswriter best known for his 15-year stint as a host at 97.5 The Fanatic, was arrested in April and charged with simple assault and harassment after his fiancee accused him of slapping her across the face during an argument inside their home in Lower Merion.
During a preliminary hearing late last month, prosecutors declined to move forward with the case.
In a statement Wednesday, Kate Delano, a spokesperson for District Attorney Kevin Steele, said that “after reviewing additional information, the office made the determination that it would withdraw the charges.”
“In every case, we are always continuing to investigate after charges are filed,” she said.
Missanelli’s attorney, Brian McMonagle, declined to comment Wednesday. Missanelli did not respond to a request for comment.
In the affidavit of probable cause filed by Lower Merion police, officers wrote that Missanelli, 70, was in a heated argument with his fiancee over their engagement. His fiancee’s name was redacted from court records.
Police responded to a 911 hangup shortly after midnight, and Missanelli told officers the argument led to a “scuffle.”
The fiancee struck him in the chest and Missanelli’s “open hand slapped her on the left side of her face/head,” the affidavit said. One officer said he saw fresh blood on the woman’s forehead from a laceration allegedly caused by the slap.
Missanelli was fired from WIP in 2006 after he punched a producer. He was then fired by 6abc in 2017 for misogynistic comments he made about Beth Mowins, an ESPN broadcaster.
In recent years, Missanelli has been in the news for various job changes. After 15 years with 97.5 The Fanatic, he was pushed out by management in 2022, then brought back in 2024, only to be ousted once more last August.
Currently, he is embroiled with a legal battle with JAKIB Media and its owner, Joe Krause, for their alleged failure to pay him $85,000.
Staff writer Rob Tornoe contributed to this article.
