ESPN retracted a report regarding Michael Pennel Jr. and a death investigation in the Dominican Republic. The original story linked Pennel to the disappearance of a woman who vanished on September 5, 2021. The network has now removed the piece after finding that the reporting contained factual errors.

Representatives for the athlete provided evidence to clear his name. This documentation included travel and financial records that prove Pennel was not in the country when the woman disappeared. These records directly support the statements Pennel previously gave to the network during the initial reporting process.

Legal representatives also issued a formal statement following the retraction. The network admitted the errors and took the story down to correct the record. This correction clears Pennel of the specific accusations regarding his location during the September 5, 2021 disappearance.