Mike Pennel is person of interest in Dominican Republic death | Report

TL;DR

Mike Pennel, a former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle, is a person of interest in a Dominican Republic death case involving a woman missing since 2021. Her body was found on property owned by Pennel, who denies knowing her and claims he was not in the country at the time.

Key points

Mike Pennel is a former Cincinnati Bengals player.
He is a person of interest in a death case in the Dominican Republic.
The woman's body was found on property owned by Pennel.
Pennel claims he did not know the woman and was not in the country.
The case involves a woman missing since 2021.

Mentioned in this story

Mike PennelCincinnati BengalsDominican Republic

Defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who played in eight games for the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2025 season, is considered a person of interest in a case involving the death of a woman missing in the Dominican Republic since 2021, according to a report by ESPN's TJ Quinn and Juan Recio.

The report adds that the woman's body was discovered earlier in 2026 on a property that Pennel owned at the time she disappeared.

An attorney for Pennel said the player did not know the woman and was not in the country at the time she disappeared, according to Quinn and Recio. In a text message response to ESPN, Pennel called the story "fake news."

Defensive tackle Mike Pennel had 15 tackles in the eight games in which he played for Cincinnati last season.

Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche was 22 when she was declared missing Sept. 13, 2021, according to the report.

After the Bengals released Pennel last October, the Kansas City Chiefs signed him one day later.

Pennel had 15 tackles in the eight games in which he played for Cincinnati, which had signed Pennel to the active roster off the practice squad in September.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mike Pennel is person of interest in Dominican Republic death | Report

Q&A

What is Mike Pennel's connection to the death case in the Dominican Republic?

Mike Pennel is considered a person of interest in the case involving the death of a woman who went missing in the Dominican Republic in 2021, with her body found on property he owned.

What did Mike Pennel say about the allegations against him?

Mike Pennel called the allegations 'fake news' and stated through his attorney that he did not know the woman and was not in the Dominican Republic when she disappeared.

When was the woman's body discovered in relation to Mike Pennel's involvement?

The woman's body was discovered earlier in 2026, years after she went missing in 2021, and it was found on property owned by Mike Pennel at that time.