Michael Pennel investigation updates: NFL journeyman 'person of interest' in possible murder case
Michael Pennel Jr., an 11-year NFL veteran and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Chiefs, is a person of interest in a Dominican Republic investigation into the death of Carli Franchesca Guzman Roche, whose remains were found on property he once owned. Pennel, who has not been arrested or charged, denies any involvement and claims the reports are false. The case, treated as a homicide, was reopened after the body was discovered in April 2026, and authorities are reportedly interviewing foreigners, including Pennel. He has not been contacted by Dominican officials but says he will cooperate fully.
- ▪The body of Carli Franchesca Guzman Roche, missing since 2021, was found in a trench on property Michael Pennel once owned in Sosua, Dominican Republic.
- ▪Pennel denies involvement in the woman's death and claims the allegations are fake news intended to damage his reputation.
- ▪Dominican authorities are treating the case as a homicide, though no official cause of death has been released and no arrests have been made.
- ▪Pennel was previously suspended three times by the NFL for substance abuse violations and faced a civil lawsuit in 2024 related to a dog breeding business in the Dominican Republic.
- ▪He last played in the NFL in 2025, appearing on the rosters of the Bengals and Chiefs without making an on-field appearance.
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