The frame of a girl lacking within the Dominican Republic since 2021 used to be came upon previous this 12 months on a assets that used to be owned through NFL veteran Michael Pennel Jr. on the time she disappeared, two Dominican assets just about the investigation instructed ESPN.
The assets, talking at the situation of anonymity, mentioned Pennel is regarded as an individual of passion within the case.
An lawyer for Pennel mentioned the participant didn’t know the lady and used to be now not within the nation on the time she disappeared. In a textual content message reaction to ESPN, Pennel categorised the tale “pretend information.”
Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche used to be 22 when she used to be declared lacking Sept. 13, 2021, after just lately shifting to the northern coastal vacationer the city of Sosúa, the place Pennel had a house in a gated neighborhood. The nationwide lawyer normal’s administrative center mentioned in a observation that she had now not been heard from since Sept. 5 and that the seek for her lined all the province of Puerto Plata.
Two assets just about the investigation mentioned Pennel bought his assets final 12 months, and the frame used to be came upon whilst a employee used to be digging a trench in January. Guzmán’s frame used to be most effective just lately known after officers in comparison her DNA to a pattern from her son, who’s now 8.
Officers didn’t unlock a reason for loss of life, however the lawyer normal’s administrative center mentioned government are pursuing Guzmán’s case as a murder.
Responding to a textual content, Pennel mentioned, “This is not a tale. I am not legally concerned. That is pretend information being reported. I would advise you to talk with my agent/legal professional … earlier than writing a false tale. Harmful my recognition.”
Pennel, 34, performed for the Kansas Town Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals final season and is a loose agent.
His Dominican lawyer, Alexander Valbuena, mentioned Pennel requested his legal professionals “to provide his complete cooperation to the Dominican government and assist explain the placement.”
Pennel instructed ESPN on Saturday morning that he has now not been contacted through Dominican government.
The lawyer normal’s administrative center characterised the case, which used to be reopened after Guzmán used to be known, as being in an early level. The administrative center mentioned “foreigners” have been being interviewed within the investigation.
The Dominican assets didn’t say if there have been different individuals of passion.
“It is usually essential to explain that we’re already in conversation with the government to explain the placement, as Mr. [Pennel’s] number one worry and passion has been to unravel this since he realized of it,” Valbuena mentioned.
On the time of Guzmán’s disappearance, Pennel used to be between groups, having been launched Aug. 31, 2021, through the Chicago Bears. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 15, two days after Guzmán used to be declared lacking.
Guzmán’s grandmother, Paula González, instructed ESPN that police by no means instructed her who owned the valuables the place Guzmán’s stays have been discovered or whom they could suspect in her loss of life. Requested why her granddaughter would possibly had been on the assets, González mentioned she had “no concept in any respect.”
“She used to be beautiful, a scholar, very loving,” González mentioned. “Everybody beloved her. She had a variety of pals.”
Pennel has had quite a few criminal and administrative problems prior to now. NFL information say he used to be suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse coverage thrice, two times in 2016 and as soon as in 2020, He used to be sued in 2024 through the widow of NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins, accusing him of defrauding her out of $275,000 in a canine breeding trade he operated within the Dominican Republic.
Pennel additionally used to be just lately in a public spat with social media influencer and singer Jhonni Blaze, who accused him of bodily abusing her. Pennel denied the accusation and accused Blaze of looking to extort cash from him. Neither one mentioned they reported their accusations to regulation enforcement.
Pennel’s Instagram account used to be deactivated Thursday after unsubstantiated accounts connecting him to Guzmán’s loss of life started to appear within the Dominican press and on social media.
ESPN’s Tod Robberson contributed to this record.