In April, ESPN reported that free-agent defensive lineman Mike Pennel is a “person of interest” in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found on property Pennel previously owned in the Dominican Republic. Pennel called the report “fake news,” and his lawyer said Pennel didn’t know the woman.
ESPN now reports that Pennel did indeed know the woman.
Citing “interviews with people close to the victim and police records reviewed by ESPN,” ESPN reports that Pennel “frequently spent time” with Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche when Pennel was in the Dominican Republic.
She was reported missing on September 11, 2021. Her body was discovered in January 2026, when the new owner of the property was doing excavation work.
Pennel and his lawyer did not respond to “several messages” from ESPN seeking comment.
Undrafted in 2014, Pennel has played for the Packers, Jets, Chiefs, Falcons, Bears, and Bengals. In 2025, he appeared in eight games with the Bengals and eight with the Chiefs.
In 12 years, he has 154 regular-season appearances and 27 starts. He won a pair of Super Bowls with the Chiefs.
