Chicago Bears: ESPN forced to retract story regarding former player amid murder investigation

Last month, a report from ESPN was published that alleged that former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mike Pennel Jr. was a person of interest in a murder investigation. Per their original report, Pennel not only knew the woman who was killed, but her body was found on a property that he supposedly owned in the Dominican Republic.

The former Bears defensive lineman, a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, vehemently denied any involvement in the murder ever since ESPN published the article.

And it’s worth noting, the sports media giant has since retracted their story.

Former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mike Pennel Jr. sees ESPN retract murder investigation story

The entire text of the June 18 article has been wiped from ESPN’s site. In its place, the network as posted the following statement:

“On June 18, 2026, ESPN published a story about Michael Pennel Jr. and an investigation into the death of a woman in the Dominican Republic who disappeared on September 5, 2021. ESPN has determined the story contained errors and has removed it. Since the publication of the story, Pennel’s representatives have provided ESPN with documentation, including travel and financial records, supporting Pennel’s statements to ESPN that he was not in the Dominican Republic at the time the woman disappeared.”

Additionally, they provided a link to a statement released by Pennel’s attorney, which reads in part:

“Mr. Pennel had nothing to do with the death or disappearance of Ms. Roche and was never a suspect or person of interest in that investigation. He did not know her.

“Mr. Pennel’s personal records including his passport and other travel documents, banking records and photographs along with their geotracking locations confirm Mike was not in the Dominican Republic in September, 2021 at the time of Ms. Roche’s disappearance, or in the weeks before or after it. Mike was in Denver, Colorado being treated for a sports injury at the time and was signed by the Atlanta Falcons on September 15, 2021.”

Pennel, who played for the Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals last season, is still a free agent.

More Chicago Bears news from ChiCity Sports

• Bears QB Caleb Williams plans to “shut everybody up”
• Bears predicted to add 3x Pro Bowl running back via trade in 2026
• Ben Johnson’s stubbornness may cost Bears dearly in one area

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago Bears: ESPN forced to retract story regarding former player amid murder investigation appeared first on ChiCitySports.