Ex-NBA G League Player Confesses To Woman's Murder In Nevada
Ex-NBA G League player confesses to woman's murder in Nevada, as newly obtained arrest reports have unveiled the intricate details surrounding the alleged conspiracy to kidnap and murder Marayna Rodgers, who went missing on December 5 and was later found dead in Henderson ten days thereafter.
Author:Paula M. GrahamReviewer:Rhyley CarneyDec 20, 20233K Shares65.5K Views
Ex-NBA G League player confesses to woman's murder in Nevada, as newly obtained arrest reports have unveiled the intricate details surrounding the alleged conspiracy to kidnap and murder Marayna Rodgers, who went missing on December 5 and was later found dead in Henderson ten days thereafter. Arrested in connection with the incident are Sakari Harnden, 19, and Chance Comanche, 27, both facing charges of open murder.
Comanche, a former NBA G-League professional basketball player, was today released by his team. According to Harnden's arrest report, the two suspects initiated the planning of Rodgers' murder at the end of November, executing their alleged plot when Comanche's team played in Las Vegas.
A series of text messages has brought to light that the two suspects initially explored the option of involving a third party to carry out the victim's murder. On November 30, Comanche introduced the plan to Harnden, indicating he would "run it by him."
On December 2, Comanche messaged Harnden, stating, "I told my dawg the whole plan." Subsequently, an unidentified third party referred to as "Tre" in the police report inquired about Comanche's specific intentions regarding the victim.
As per the police report, Comanche responded with a coffin emoji. The group text continued, and on December 4, a complication arose when they discussed the challenge of obtaining a gun.
In the group text, Comanche chillingly wrote, "I can snap her neck." Harnden responded by providing a location for the planned murder, to which Comanche replied with a heart emoji.
On the day in question, Chance's team, the Stockton Kings, arrived in Las Vegas around 4 p.m. for a game and checked in at the M Resort. Police outlined his movements after arrival, highlighting an incident where he entered a gray Mercedes, matching the description of Harnden's car, shortly after midnight on December 6.
A search warrant was obtained, and the suspects' movements were traced through cell tower data. It was noted that both suspects appeared to travel together from the hotel to a liquor store, where they encountered the victim. At 1:21 a.m., all three phones pinged the same tower, suggesting that Sakari, Marayna, and Chance were together in the same vehicle.
Surveillance video confirmed the gray Mercedes pulling into the liquor store parking lot, where the trio stopped to purchase alcohol before returning to the vehicle. At 2:18 a.m., their phones connected to a different tower.
The victim's phone stopped functioning around 3:35 a.m., with both suspects' phones traced to a nearby tower less than 15 minutes later. Video footage revealed that Comanche returned to his hotel and departed the resort with his luggage at 8:50 a.m. Police reported that Harnden, visibly upset and crying, was observed leaving the hotel room around 10:24 a.m.
Harnden was located and apprehended by the LVMPD CAT team on December 13. Upon her arrest, she chose not to communicate with detectives. Comanche was taken into custody by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Bureau at his team's practice facility on December 14. He was subsequently booked into the Sacramento County Jail and is presently awaiting extradition to Las Vegas.
During an interview with detectives on that day, Comanche provided additional details about the plan and its execution. He disclosed that he had met Harnden through a dating app approximately a year and a half ago, and although they had dated and subsequently broken up, they maintained contact.
According to Comanche's statements to the police, Harnden informed him about issues with the victim, asserting that Rodgers threatened to harm her if she didn't provide a Rolex watch. In response, Comanche and the other suspect purportedly began devising a plan to lure Marayna away from her friends to cause harm, as detailed in the report.
This planning phase extended to the group text chat, during which Comanche mentioned that "Tre" was uninterested in assisting. Allegedly, Comanche then offered a $3,000 incentive to quicken the completion of the job.
Admitting their failure to recruit assistance, they formulated their plan. Comanche, under the guidance of Harnden, posed as a "trick" to arrange a meeting with the victim. As part of the scheme, Comanche informed Rodgers that he was interested in "kinky sex" and proposed tying both women up in the car.
Under the belief that she was to be compensated $1,000 for the encounter, the victim consented, allowing Comanche to secure her hands with zip ties. Harnden joined her in the front seat and willingly presented her hands for binding.
Comanche recounted that he then utilized an HDMI cord to strangle the victim, admitting to applying pressure for approximately 10 seconds. He claimed to have ceased when he heard her struggling to breathe. Simultaneously, the other suspect placed her hands on the victim's neck and participated in choking her. Once she became unresponsive, both suspects checked for a pulse, presuming her to be deceased.
According to Comanche's statements to investigators, the suspects subsequently drove around in search of a location to dispose of the body, ultimately settling on a ditch on the side of Vincenzo Lane in Henderson. They left the victim's body there, covering it with rocks, and destroyed her cell phone.
Comanche confessed to using a towel to handle the rocks, preventing the tracing of DNA. The two suspects re-entered Comanche's hotel room around 6 a.m.
In the course of his interview, Comanche identified the location of Rodgers' body on a map. Homicide detectives promptly responded to the information and discovered the victim's remains.
Conclusion
Harnden now faces a single count of open murder in Clark County Justice Court. Comanche remains in custody in Sacramento, and as of now, no specific date for his extradition or appearance in Clark County court has been disclosed.
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Paula M. Graham
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Rhyley Carney
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