Las Vegas, Nevada – A disturbing case unfolded in Las Vegas, revealing the tragic final moments of 23-year-old Marayna Rodgers before her alleged kidnapping and murder by former pro basketball player Chance Comanche and his girlfriend Sakari Harnden. Comanche, a 27-year-old former NBA G-League player connected to the Stockton Kings, now faces serious charges of murder and kidnapping in connection to Rodgers’ death on December 6. Both Comanche and Harnden, 19, were indicted by a grand jury on March 11, with prosecutors considering sending the case to the Death Penalty Review Committee.
The incident involved the strangulation and burial of Rodgers’ body in a Henderson neighborhood, where she was discovered covered in rocks. Photos presented to the grand jury depicted the grim scene near Gibson Road and Horizon Ridge Parkway. Before her untimely death, surveillance footage captured Rodgers with Harnden outside a Las Vegas liquor store.
Rodgers, initially from Washington state and working as a medical assistant, had traveled to Las Vegas with her boyfriend in early December. Reports suggest they planned to engage in prostitution upon arrival. Additional details from a Las Vegas police report indicated that both Harnden and Rodgers were involved in sex work. The events leading to Rodgers’ demise unfolded when she mistakenly believed she was meeting a client for a double date to sell sex, only to be met by Comanche posing as the client.
Following Rodgers’ murder, security footage showed Comanche and Harnden together at a local grocery store. In a dark turn of events, Harnden reportedly named her boyfriend in a double murder case in California, sparking a deadly chain of events that culminated in Rodgers’ tragic end. Comanche ultimately confessed to the crime, leading to the discovery of Rodgers’ remains.
Text exchanges between Comanche and Harnden suggest a sinister plan to harm someone, deliberating over methods like strangulation or the use of weapons. Grand jury materials indicated Comanche attempted to pay someone $3,000 to carry out the murder before resorting to carrying out the act themselves. The case is ongoing, with Comanche and Harnden facing a slew of charges, including murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy related to Rodgers’ death.
The pair appeared in court on March 13, with the arraignment postponed to March 28. Both suspects remain in custody amid a harrowing investigation into the heinous crime that shook the Las Vegas community.