WA woman found dead in Nevada desert, pro basketball player arrested
Dec 18, 2023, 11:43 AM | Updated: 12:19 pm
A woman’s remains were found in a Las Vegas suburb at the beginning of the month, and now a minor league NBA player and his girlfriend have been arrested concerning her death.
Marayna Rodgers, a 23-year-old medical assistant from Lynnwood, Wash., was visiting Las Vegas on Dec. 5. Two days later, her remains were found in Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas.
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Police say that Rodgers had made plans to meet with her friend, 19-year-old Sakari Harnden, and her boyfriend, 27-year-old Chance Comanche. Comanche is a former professional basketball player for the Stockton Kings, the minor league affiliate for the Sacramento Kings. The Stockton Kings were in Henderson Dec. 5 for a game against the NBA G League Ignite, based in Henderson, Nev.
According to a press release from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) on Dec. 7, two people went to a police substation to report Rodgers missing, telling police about her plans to meet with Harnden and Comanche.
“Early in the investigation, detectives suspected foul play and obtained video evidence to arrest Harnden and her boyfriend Comanche for their role in the kidnapping and disappearance of Rodgers,” LVMPD said in a press release.
On Dec. 14, Harnden was arrested and booked into Clark County Detention Center for kidnapping.
On Dec. 15, Comanche was arrested by the FBI in Sacramento and is pending extradition to Nevada. Comanche was released from the roster of the Sacramento Kings the same day.
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Comanche, a power forward and center, played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 2015-17 before declaring for the NBA draft.
He went undrafted and signed a free-agent contract with the Portland Trail Blazers last April but played only one game.
Sacramento signed Comanche in October but waived him 10 days later, at which point he joined Stockton.
