An NBA G League player was arrested in connection with a murder, after authorities claim he and his girlfriend kidnapped and killed a woman in Las Vegas who was reported missing on Dec. 7th.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Department reported that the victim, Marayna Rodgers, had arranged to meet Sakari Harnden, 19, who would bring her boyfriend, 27-year-old Chance Comanche on Dec. 5.
However, Rodgers was never heard or seen from that day on and basically disappeared.
Comanche, 27, who played for the Stockton Kings, the G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, was arrested Friday in Sacramento. Harnden, 19, was arrested in Las Vegas two days before.
Comanche and Harnden were charged with kidnapping, but their charges will be upgraded to open murder.
“After arresting Comanche and Harnden, we were able to find the remains of Rodgers in the desert.
The Sacramento Kings announced they released Comanche on Friday, the same day he was arrested.
On Dec. 5th, the day Comanche supposedly met Rodgers, the Stockton Kings played a game in Henderson, Nevada, just outside of Las Vegas.
Following the Kings’ game, Comanche made his way back to his hotel with the team, before he went back outside and got into Harnden’s car and they drove to meet Rodgers.
Rodgers was lured to her death by Comanche and Harnden, who promised her a double date with another man, and to meet them at a pre-determined location.
After purchasing alcohol, the trio drove to a cul-de-sac near the former house of Comanche’s friend, where they had originally planned to commit the murder.
Harnden had explained to Rodgers that Comanche was the “trick” (a prostitute client) and was “going to pay them for their services,” with Sakari explaining Comanche was into “kinky sex” and wanted to tie them both up, before having sex.
Rodgers agreed and began removing her clothes. Harnden removed her clothing and climbed over the center console and straddled Rodger’s lap.
At this point, Comanche had grabbed a bag of plastic zip-ties that were already in the car and handed two to Sakari.
Rodgers willingly had her wrists tied together before Comanche wrapped a cord around her neck while Harnden, still straddling Rodgers, placed her hands on the defenseless woman’s neck.
Comanche told police he used an HDMI cord to choke Rodgers for “10 seconds” and stopped when he heard his victim struggling to breathe, but Harnden continued until Rodgers was unresponsive.
Comanche and Harnden checked her pulse and determined she was dead when they saw fluid coming out of Rodgers’ mouth.
The deadly pair pulled over to the side of a road in Henderson, Nevada, and dumped Rodgers’ body in a ditch before covering the body with rocks.
Comanche confessed to police that he used a towel to pick up the rocks to avoid getting his DNA on them.
The accused killers smashed Rodgers’ phone and drove back to the team hotel, where they stayed until Comanche left with the team around 8:50 a.m.
Comanche and Harnden remained in contact after the murder, with police believing the former King was coaching Harnden through how to talk to law enforcement.
“Calmly answer them. They only know what you tell them,” Comanche said at 10:03 a.m. Dec. 6. “You got this boo. This is the post game interview. Just smile and wave.”
Harnden is in custody in Clark County, being held on a $500,000 bond, while Comanche is awaiting extradition from California to Nevada.
Comanche is 6-foot-10 and played college basketball at Arizona. He appeared in one NBA game last season for the Portland Trail Blazers.
