Mike Pennel—a two-time Super Bowl winner—is now at the center of an international homicide investigation, after authorities in the Dominican Republic named him a person of interest in the death of a 22-year-old woman whose remains were found on property he once owned.
According to ESPN, Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche was reported missing in September 2021 after moving to Sosúa, a tourist town on the country’s northern coast. Her body was discovered in January 2026 when a worker digging a trench on the property uncovered human remains. Investigators later confirmed her identity through DNA testing using a sample from her now 8-year-old son.
The property where the remains were found had been owned by Pennel at the time Guzmán disappeared but was sold last year. Authorities have not released a cause of death, but have classified the case as a homicide.
Pennel, 34, most recently played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals during the 2025 season and is currently a free agent. He built a decade-long NFL career after entering the league as an undrafted free agent, contributing to multiple playoff runs and earning championship rings in Kansas City.
In response to the reports, Pennel has denied any connection to the case. “This isn’t a story. I’m not legally involved. This is fake news being reported,” he said in a message, adding that he was not in the Dominican Republic at the time Guzmán disappeared.
His attorney, Alexander Valbuena, said Pennel has offered “full cooperation” with authorities and is seeking to “clarify the situation.” Pennel also told reporters he has not been contacted by investigators.
Dominican officials say the case is still in its early stages, with multiple individuals—described as “foreigners”—being interviewed. Guzmán’s disappearance initially triggered a province-wide search in Puerto Plata, but her family says they were never informed about who owned the property where her remains were ultimately found.
“She was pretty, a student, very loving,” her grandmother, Paula González, said. “Everyone loved her.”
The renewed attention around the case has also revived scrutiny of Pennel’s past off-field issues, including prior NFL suspensions tied to the league’s substance abuse policy and a 2024 civil lawsuit connected to a business dispute in the Dominican Republic.
Separately, he has denied past sexual harassment allegations made publicly by a social media influencer.
None of those matters is directly tied to the current investigation.
