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A longtime NFL veteran has reportedly been considered a person of interest in the potential killing of a woman in the Dominican Republic.
The body of Carli Franchesca Guzman Roche was found on property 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 September 13, 2021, after not being heard from since eight days prior. Her body was found on the property Pennel sold last year in January while a worker was digging a trench, ESPN reported. The report from 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 February 11, 2024. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
The home is located in a closed area in Sosúa, on the country’s northern coast.
Pennel denied any involvement in a text message to ESPN.
“This is not a story. I am not legally involved. This is fake news being reported. I would advise you to talk to my agent/lawyer … before you write a fake story. Damages my reputation,” he wrote to the outlet.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel Jr. will play against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 9, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
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Pennel played for both the Chiefs and 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 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 in 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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The Green Bay Packers took a chance, though, and he’s 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.
