Michael Pennel Jr., a member of two Super Bowl-winning squads, is reportedly a person of interest in an investigation into a woman's death.
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According to ESPN, sources close to an ongoing investigation in the Dominican Republic provided the information. The case focuses on Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche, a 22-year-old female who was reported missing on Sept. 13, 2021.
Her body was discovered earlier this year on property in the Dominican Republic that Pennel owned. Per ESPN, an attorney for Pennel has said that he did not know the woman, nor was he in the country at the time she went missing.
The sources told the outlet that Pennel sold the property and someone later discovered her body while digging a trench. A DNA sample compared to her 8-year-old son confirmed her identity.
ESPN reports that authorities are investigating this as a homicide and that Pennel has asked his lawyers to cooperate with the Dominican authorities and to "help clarify the situation."
An undrafted free agent out of Colorado State-Pueblo, Pennel has spent 12 years in the NFL while playing for multiple teams. He made his regular-season debut in 2014 as a member of the Green Bay Packers, and he suited up for 13 games. He remained in Green Bay through the 2016 season.
Pennel moved to the New York Jets in 2017 and spent two seasons with the team. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and 2020, winning one Super Bowl, before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2021.
He spent 2022 with the Chicago Bears before returning to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023 and 2024. He won his second Super Bowl at the end of the 2023 season.
Pennel split last season between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs. He is currently a free agent as the NFL offseason continues.
Pennel has played in 154 games, starting 27, over his 12-year career. He has tallied 257 combined tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and 17 quarterback hits.
