Missing Woman Found on NFL Player’s Dominican Property

Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche’s body was discovered in January 2026 on a Puerto Plata property owned by NFL veteran Michael Pennell Jr. The woman had been reported missing on September 11, 2021. Dominican prosecutors have reopened the case as a homicide and listed Pennell as a “person of interest.” Pennell’s attorney, Alexander Valbuena, maintains his client had no knowledge of the woman.

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Michael Pennell Jr., an NFL veteran, owned a residence in Puerto Plata and traveled often to the Dominican Republic. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons on September 15, 2021, after Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche’s disappearance was reported. In May 2021, Dominican authorities arrested Pennell and two Americans, Torrey Johnson and Jabrion Burnside, for possessing a 9 mm pistol. Key individuals include Pennell, Guzmán, her grandmother Paula González, and attorney Alexander Valbuena.

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Jan 2021 – Pennell and Guzmán were last seen together at Santo Domingo airport before a taxi ride.

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Sep 5, 2021 – Guzmán called her grandmother, Paula González, saying she was with Pennell.

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Sep 11, 2021 – Family filed a missing-person report.

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Jan 2026 – Body found on Pennell’s property; March 2026 – Remains identified as Guzmán.

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Dominican prosecutors treat the case as homicide, with no cause of death released. Officials reopened the case, naming Pennell a person of interest. Valbuena stated his client had no knowledge of or connection to the deceased. Pennell denied involvement, calling the coverage fake news.

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Guzmán’s grandmother reported a strong odor of decay during a September 2021 visit to Pennell’s property; police dismissed it as a dead animal and did not search the backyard. González said the police response was dismissive, calling the area a “cemetery” where “young girls disappear.” Dominican media noted the case’s sensitivity given the country’s reliance on tourism and concerns about corruption.

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Valbuena asserts Pennell was abroad when Guzmán vanished, yet police records contain no verification of his whereabouts. No forensic details or cause of death have been released, and Pennell was never interviewed despite family requests.

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• “Yes -- no doubt. Strongly, no doubt” — Paula González, grandmother.

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• “He said, 'Look, you should come here, because this smells fishy. Here in Puerto Plata ... this is a cemetery. Here is where young girls disappear,'” — Police officer (as recalled by González).

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• “Our client informs us that he did not know, nor had any connection to, the person reported as having been found dead.” — Alexander Valbuena, attorney.

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Dominican prosecutors will continue the homicide investigation, with Pennell remaining a person of interest.

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