Ex-NBA G-leaguer Chance Comanche and his ex-girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, were arrested on murder charges for allegedly planning and carrying out the murder of 23-year-old Marayna Rodgers, who went missing after traveling to meet the two in Las Vegas on December 5.
Authorities discovered Rodger’s remains in Henderson 10 days after she was reported missing. In an interview in Sacramento, Comanche told police where they dumped her body.
In late November, Comanche and Harnden devised a plan to murder Rodgers after a Stockton Kings NBA G League game in Las Vegas. Comanche informed investigators that Harnden had conflicts with Rodgers, who allegedly threatened to “smoke” her over a Rolex.
According to court documents, Comanche and Harnden initially attempted to enlist a third party named “Tre” to carry out Rodgers’ murder, as revealed in text messages. However, Tre declined to assist.
At the time, they explored various methods for the murder, including poisoning, strangulation, and the use of a gun.
“I can snap her neck or just strangle the bitch,” Comanche allegedly wrote in a group message with Harnden and a third man, who had contact with someone who could get Rodgers “chipped.” “If you get a nice little thick piece of rope or sum sturdy I can do it from the backseat. Like how the killers do it in the movies.”
On December 5, during the Stockton Kings’ game in Vegas, hosted at the M Resort, Comanche admitted to luring Rodgers to Las Vegas under the pretense of engaging in “kinky sex.” Rodgers believed she would be paid $1,000 for the encounter, as per Comanche’s statement to the police.
In a gray Mercedes matching Harnden’s description, Comanche and Harnden met Rodgers at a liquor store after leaving the hotel. Surveillance footage showed the driver entering the store to purchase alcohol before returning to the car.
Cellphone records obtained through a search warrant revealed that at 1:21 a.m., Rodgers, Comanche, and Harnden used the same tower, indicating they were likely traveling together.
According to police, Comanche confessed to choking Rodgers with an HDMI cord and then using his hands to finish the act. He and Harnden dumped her body in a ditch, covered it with rocks, and smashed her cell phone, which stopped pinging at 3:35 a.m. Their cell phones were traced to a nearby tower 15 minutes later.
After the murder, Comanche and Harnden stayed in contact, with police suspecting that the ex-player was coaching Harnden on how to interact with law enforcement.
“Calmly answer them. They only know what you tell them,” Comanche said at 10:03 a.m. December 6. “You got this boo. This is the post-game interview. Just smile and wave.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau arrested Comanche on December 14 at his team’s practice facility, leading to his immediate dismissal from the Kings.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office, Comanche is being held in Sacramento, awaiting extradition to Nevada for his first court appearance on Tuesday at 3 p.m., while Harnden made her first appearance in Clark County Justice Court earlier this week.
