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A longtime NFL veteran has reportedly been deemed a person of interest in the potential homicide of a woman in the Dominican Republic.
The body of Carli Franchesca Guzman Roche was found at a property that was owned by Mike Pennel, who has won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, after she disappeared in 2021.
Guzman was declared missing on Sept. 13, 2021, after not being heard from since eight days prior. Her body was found on the property, which Pennel sold last year, in January while a worker was digging a trench, ESPN reported. The report by ESPN cited anonymous sources close to the investigation.
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Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel Jr. runs on the field before Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on Feb. 11, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
The home is in a gated community in Sosúa, on the northern coast of the country.
Pennel denied any involvement in a text to ESPN.
“This isn’t a story. I’m not legally involved. This is fake news being reported. I’d advise you to speak with my agent/lawyer … before writing a false story. Damaging my reputation,” he wrote to the outlet.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel Jr. plays against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Feb. 9, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Pennel played for both the Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals this past season. It marked his third stint with Kansas City.
The defensive lineman has been suspended by the NFL three times for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, two of which occurred in 2016. He was also sued in 2024 by Dwayne Haskins’ widow, who accused him of defrauding her of $275,000 in a dog-breeding business out of 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 Jan. 26, 2025. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
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However, the Green Bay Packers took a chance, and he has turned it into a 12-year career with five teams, including the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons. He also was on the practice squad for the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears.
He is currently a free agent.
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