According to a recent report, NFL player Mike Pennell was familiar with the woman who was discovered deceased on his property in the Dominican Republic, despite his claims otherwise.
The deceased, Carli Francesca Guzmán Roche, was found in January on land formerly owned by Pennell. She had been reported missing by her family in September 2021, but her body was located only this year during excavation work by the new owners of the property. Initially, Pennell insisted to police and the media that he did not know Guzmán, labeling such claims as “fake news,” as reported by ESPN.
“I don’t really get any of this. I don’t recognize the names being brought up. I have no connection to this woman. I wasn’t even in the country when she went missing,” Pennell stated, according to ESPN, which covered the story following the discovery of Roche’s body.
Pennell’s lawyer in the Dominican Republic, Ariel Duran, claimed that documents confirm Pennell’s non-involvement in the woman’s death. However, he expressed concern that since Pennell owned the land when the body was buried there, charges might still be forthcoming against him. Duran also mentioned that he might not continue representing Pennell due to a financial disagreement over unpaid fees.
Despite Pennell’s public denials of any association with the deceased, ESPN brought to light documents and testimony suggesting the contrary.
For instance, a former neighbor of Pennell, Tyree Lamont Davis, had informed authorities in 2021 that Pennell was indeed acquainted with Guzmán and claimed that she was last seen with him at the Santo Domingo airport in January.
However, Pennell retorted to police that he had a falling out with Davis even before Guzmán’s disappearance and insinuated that it was Davis, not him, who had an affair with her.
In a twist, Guzmán’s grandmother revealed to police that Pennell had sent a taxi to fetch her granddaughter when he visited the island and hinted that the two had spent significant time together. She even expressed concerns about Pennell’s potential involvement in Guzmán’s disappearance.
As a result, Dominican authorities have reopened the investigation and identified Pennell as a “person of interest,” despite an earlier inquiry largely exonerating him.
Pennell, 35, began his NFL journey as an undrafted player in 2014 with the Green Bay Packers, but he has since played for several teams and is currently a free agent. Over his 12-year career, Pennell participated in 154 regular-season games and started in 27 of them, winning two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs.
