: LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An NBA G League player and his girlfriend have been accused of the murder of a woman who was reported missing earlier this month, according to Las Vegas Metro Police.
Chance Comanche, aged 27, and Sakari Harnden, aged 19, were both apprehended recently in connection with the disappearance of Marayna Rodgers, aged 23.
Rodgers, a medical assistant from Washington state, had been visiting Las Vegas with friends in early December, as her family informed KLAS. However, she had not been seen since December 6.
Human remains found in a desert area of Henderson, just outside of Las Vegas, have been identified as Rodgers.
After detectives concluded that Comanche and Harnden were responsible for Rodgers’ murder, Las Vegas Metro Police stated that the pair are expected to face an open murder charge.
Comanche was taken into custody on Friday by a California FBI Criminal Apprehension Team in relation to the disappearance. He was transferred to the Sacramento County Jail after a warrant for first-degree kidnapping was issued in Las Vegas Justice Court. It is anticipated that he will be extradited to Nevada.
Comanche, who played for the Stockton Kings, the G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, was released by the team on Friday. The team declined to comment further on the matter. Comanche went undrafted after playing basketball at the University of Arizona and has spent the last two seasons with Stockton.
Harnden, on the other hand, was arrested in Las Vegas on December 13 on a first-degree kidnapping charge. As of Sunday morning, she remained in a downtown Las Vegas jail with a bail set at $500,000.
According to a criminal complaint, Harnden confessed to holding or detaining Rodgers against her will and without her consent, with the intention of killing her or causing bodily harm.
The disappearance of Rodgers had already raised suspicion, as she had a stable job and would not have willingly abandoned her family or pets back home in Washington state, according to loved ones.
The Dock Ellis Foundation, a Las Vegas organization that advocates for families of missing and murdered people of color, expressed their sympathies to Rodgers’ family and pledged to continue following up on the case.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at (702) 828-3521 or via email at homicide@lvmpd.com. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555..
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