Chance Comanche, the ex-G League player facing an open murder charge, appeared in court in Sacramento on Tuesday. He is awaiting extradition to Las Vegas, where he is accused of participating in a murder-for-hire plot along with his ex-girlfriend, Sakari Harnden. During the hearing, which lasted only minutes, Comanche waived his right to challenge the extradition.
Comanche, who most recently appeared with the Stockton Kings, admitted to his role in the plot according to a police report obtained by FOX 5 in Las Vegas. Per the report, Comanche recounted the details of the incident and later showed detectives where to find the body of Marayna Rodgers.
The 23-year-old Rodgers, a medical assistant from Washington state, was reported missing on December 7 after having met with Comanche and Harnden two days prior on Dec. 5. After an initial investigation, Harnden was arrested on Dec. 13 by Las Vegas police, while Comanche was apprehended on Dec. 15 by the FBI in Sacramento.
Both were initially charged with kidnapping, but those charges were later amended to open murder, per Las Vegas police, who issued a press release on Dec. 17. The statement reads in part:
"Based on information obtained after the arrest of Harnden and Comanche, detectives were able to recover human remains in a desert area in Henderson, Nevada. The remains were later identified by the Clark County Coroner to be of Marayna Rodgers.
"Detectives determined that Harnden and Comanche were responsible for the murder of Rodgers. The charges for both individuals will be amended to open murder through coordination with the Clark County District Attorney's office."
Shortly after his arrest, Comanche was released by the Stockton Kings. The team was in Henderson on Dec. 5 to play against the G League Ignite. Comanche last played for the Kings on Dec. 12, and -- based on the timeline -- appeared in three games following Rodgers' murder.
Comanche, 27, went undrafted in 2017 before playing in the G League and Turkey. He made one appearance in the NBA for the Portland Trail Blazers in April of 2023.
