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A longtime NFL veteran was reportedly considered a person of interest in the potential murder of a woman in the Dominican Republic.
The body of Carli Franchesca Guzman Roche was found on a property owned by Mike Pennel, winner of two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, after his disappearance in 2021.
Guzman was declared missing on September 13, 2021, after not being heard from for eight days. Her body was found on the property Pennel sold last year in January while a worker was digging a trench, ESPN reported. The ESPN report cites unnamed sources close to the investigation.
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Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel Jr. runs onto the field before Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada on February 11, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
The house is in a gated community in Sosúa, on the north coast of the country.
Pennel denied any involvement in a text sent to ESPN.
“This is not a story. I am not legally involved. This is false news being reported. I advise you to speak with my agent/lawyer…before writing a false story. This is damaging my reputation,” he wrote to the outlet.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel Jr. plays against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 9, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Pennel played for the Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals last season. This was his third stint with Kansas City.
The defensive lineman was suspended by the NFL three times for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, including twice in 2016. He was also sued in 2024 by the widow of Dwayne Haskins, who accused him of defrauding her of $275,000 from a dog breeding business in the Dominican Republic.
The 34-year-old played college ball at Scottsdale Community College, Arizona State and CSU Pueblo, going undrafted in 2014.
Defensive tackle Mike Pennel Jr. of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after stopping a two-point conversion during the first half of the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on January 26, 2025. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
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However, the Green Bay Packers took a chance and he turned it into a 12-year career with five teams, including the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons. He was also on the practice squad for the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears.
He is currently a free agent.
