Veteran defensive tackle Michael Pennel Jr. is considered a person of interest in a homicide investigation involving a missing woman in the Dominican Republic, according to reporting from ESPN.

The body of Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche was discovered in January on a property formerly owned by the 34-year-old veteran. Guzmán was 22 when she was reported missing in September 2021 after moving to Sosúa, a coastal town where the athlete owned a home in a gated community.

Two sources close to the investigation told ESPN that the remains were found by a worker digging a trench. Authorities recently confirmed the identity of the remains using DNA from Guzmán's 8-year-old son. While the attorney general's office has not released a specific cause of death, the case is being investigated as a homicide.

Responding to inquiries via text message, the former Kansas City Chiefs lineman dismissed the reports as "fake news" and stated he has not been contacted by Dominican officials.

"This isn't a story. I'm not legally involved," he stated. "I'd advise you to speak with my agent/lawyer before writing a false story. Damaging my reputation."

His Dominican attorney, Alexander Valbuena, said his client did not know Guzmán and was not in the country when she disappeared. Records show the athlete was released by the Chicago Bears on Aug. 31, 2021, and signed with the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 15, 2021—two days after the missing person report was filed. Valbuena added that the player has instructed his legal team to cooperate fully with authorities to clarify the situation.

The grandmother of the victim, Paula González, told ESPN she had no knowledge of who owned the property or why her granddaughter would have been there. She described Guzmán as a beloved student who was well-liked by her community.

Dominican authorities characterized the investigation as being in its early stages and noted that several foreigners are being interviewed.