ESPN Retracts Article Linking NFL Player to Death of Woman in Dominican Republic

On June 18th, ESPN published an article that linked free agent football player Mike Pennel Jr. with the death of Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche in the Dominican Republic. The report claimed she had disappeared back in 2021 and was found dead on his property near Puerto Plata earlier this year (January 2026). The original story cited interviews conducted by T.J. Quinn and Juan Recio along with police records as sources for their claims about Mr. Pennel's alleged connection to Ms. Guzman’s disappearance. Pennell denied any involvement or presence at the time when it happened; he stated publicly during initial reporting: 'I wasn't even there.' Following public backlash over potential inaccuracies within its coverage regarding such sensitive matters involving individuals' lives being affected negatively due to misinformation spread through media outlets like theirs.'