NFL free agent defensive tackle Mike Pennel initially denied through his attorney any knowledge of or connection to a woman whose body was discovered on property he previously owned in the Dominican Republic. An ESPN investigation published Thursday, however, presents evidence from witnesses and police records suggesting Pennel had an ongoing relationship with the victim.
The body of Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche, who was 22 when she disappeared, was found in January 2026 during excavation work on the property in the Puerto Plata resort area. Pennel had sold the property in 2025. Dominican authorities identified the remains in March 2026 using DNA from Guzmán’s now 8-year-old son and are treating the death as a homicide. No cause of death has been publicly released. Pennel has been named a person of interest in the investigation.
Initial Denials
In April, after earlier ESPN reporting identified Pennel as a person of interest, his attorney Alexander Valbuena stated: “Our client informs us that he did not know, nor had any connection to, the person reported as having been found dead.”
Pennel also responded directly to media inquiries via text message, writing that the reports were “fake news,” that he was “not legally involved,” and advising outlets to contact his agent or lawyer before publishing stories that could damage his reputation. He claimed he was out of the country when Guzmán went missing but did not provide documentation to support that assertion when requested.
What the Investigation Found
The new ESPN reporting, based on interviews with people close to Guzmán and a review of police records, contradicts those denials. Multiple people described an ongoing relationship between Pennel and Guzmán when he visited the Dominican Republic.
Guzmán’s grandmother, Paula González, told ESPN that her granddaughter referred to Pennel as “el futbolista” (the football player). González said Pennel would send a taxi for Guzmán to spend time with him and that she had seen the two speaking on a videoconference call. She strongly confirmed a photo of Pennel as the man her granddaughter knew.
According to González, Guzmán called her on Sept. 5, 2021, saying she was with Pennel, felt unwell, and planned to return home the next day. A friend of Guzmán separately told police she believed Guzmán had recently been with Pennel.
Police records show that days after Guzmán was reported missing on Sept. 11, 2021, her grandmother insisted officers search Pennel’s property. Police visited the address with family members and a family attorney. They noted a strong odor of decay but dismissed it as coming from a dead animal and did not investigate further at the time.
Two American associates of Pennel, LeAndre Kemont Jefferson and Davis Tyree Lamonte (also referred to as Tyree Lamont Davis), were interviewed by police. Lamonte told investigators that Pennel and Guzmán were friends and that he last saw them together in January 2021 at an airport before they left in a taxi. A phone number provided to police during the investigation was registered to Pennel.
There is no record in the available police files that investigators interviewed Pennel during the initial 2021 search.
Timeline of Key Events
- January 2021: Pennel and Guzmán were last seen together by a witness at an airport in Santo Domingo, departing in a taxi.
- May 2021: Pennel was arrested in the Dominican Republic along with two other men on an unrelated charge of possessing a 9 mm pistol.
- Sept. 5, 2021: Guzmán told her grandmother she was with Pennel.
- Sept. 11, 2021: Guzmán’s family reported her missing.
- Sept. 13, 2021: Police began searching for her; Pennel signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
- ~Mid-September 2021: Police visited Pennel’s property with Guzmán’s family and noted the odor of decay.
- 2025: Pennel sold the property.
- January 2026: Guzmán’s body was discovered during excavation by the new owner.
- March 2026: Remains identified; case reopened as a homicide investigation with Pennel named a person of interest.
- April 2026: Pennel and his attorney issued denials.
- June 9, 2026: Valbuena told ESPN there had been no recent contact from investigators.
- June 18, 2026: ESPN published its investigation detailing evidence of a relationship.
No charges have been filed against Pennel or anyone else in connection with Guzmán’s death. The investigation remains active and in its early stages, according to Dominican authorities. Valbuena has stated there has been no recent contact from investigators as of early June.
Pennel, a veteran defensive tackle who has appeared in games for multiple NFL teams—including the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he won two Super Bowls—is currently an unrestricted free agent.
The case has drawn renewed attention in the Dominican Republic, where tourism officials have worked to improve the country’s image regarding visitor safety. The Puerto Plata region, a popular resort area, has faced past scrutiny over missing persons cases.
Flip the pages for photos of Carli Roche may she rest in peace and get justice.
