Former NFL defensive tackle Mike Pennel is considered a person of interest in a Dominican Republic homicide investigation after the remains of Carli Franchesca Guzman Roche were found on property Pennel previously owned, according to reporting summarized by Pro Football Rumors from an ESPN investigation.
The key legal point is narrower than the headline noise around the case: Pennel has not been charged, and he has denied having any connection to Guzman's death. Dominican authorities are treating the case as a homicide, while the investigation remains active.
Pennel Case Centers On Former Dominican Republic Property
Guzman went missing in September 2021. Pro Football Rumors, citing ESPN's T.J. Quinn and Juan Recio, reported that her body was discovered in January 2026 during excavation work by the property's new owner.
The property belonged to Pennel at the time of Guzman's disappearance. The ESPN investigation, as summarized by PFR and other reports, said several people interviewed by police indicated Pennel and Guzman knew each other or had connections worth investigating.
Pennel disputes that account. PFR reported that he told ESPN he was not legally involved and later denied knowing Guzman, saying one of his former associates may have known her instead.
Authorities Have Not Filed Charges
The reporting states that Dominican authorities reopened the case in March and are treating it as a homicide. PFR also reported that Pennel received a certificate from local authorities last month confirming he was not then the subject of criminal charges, and that he shared it with the NFL.
An attorney in the Dominican Republic told ESPN he expected charges to be filed because Pennel owned the property at the time of the disappearance, but PFR noted that the attorney did not specify which charges Pennel could face and also said he expected Pennel to be exonerated with respect to Guzman's death.
Those details matter for a sports news item because Pennel is a longtime NFL player and free agent, but the story is primarily a legal development. Pennel entered the league as an undrafted free agent, played for multiple teams and is best known for his stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won two Super Bowls.
The verified record for now is limited: Guzman's body was found on a property Pennel once owned, authorities are treating the case as a homicide, Pennel is described as a person of interest, and no criminal charge against him has been verified.