Former Trail Blazer arrested in kidnapping, killing of Washington state woman in Las Vegas
Chance Comanche, who played one game for the Trail Blazers last year and until recently was a player with the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League, has been arrested, along with his girlfriend, in the kidnapping and killing of a Washington state woman in Las Vegas, authorities said Sunday.
Comanche, 27, a power forward and center, played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 2015-17 before declaring for the NBA draft. He went undrafted and signed a free-agent contract with the Portland Trail Blazers last April but played only one game. Sacramento signed Comanche in October but waived him 10 days later, at which point he joined Stockton.
Las Vegas Metropolitan police said two people walked into a police substation on Dec. 7 around 3:30 p.m. to report that Marayna Rodgers was missing.
Rodgers, who worked as a medical assistant, had been visiting Las Vegas from Washington state with friends, according to local media.
Rodgers, 23, had gone out Dec. 5 and had planned to meet her friend Sakari Harnden, 19, and Harnden’s boyfriend, Comanche.
Rodgers had not been seen or heard from since, police said; authorities suspected foul play. Las Vegas Metropolitan police later discovered Rodgers’ remains in the desert of Henderson, Nevada.
“Detectives determined that Harnden and Comanche were responsible for the murder of Rodgers,” said a statement from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Comanche played with the Stockton Kings in their game against the G League Ignite in Henderson the day Rodgers was last seen.
Comanche was arrested Friday by the California FBI Criminal Apprehension Team in Sacramento and is awaiting extradition to Nevada on suspicion of kidnapping. The charges will be “amended to open murder” in coordination with the Clark County district attorney’s office, according to police. Comanche is being held at the Sacramento County Jail without bail. Harnden was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Comanche signed with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings on Oct. 2, and they waived him Oct. 12. He then played with the G League affiliate the Stockton Kings. The Stockton Kings dropped the 27-year-old center Friday.
The 6-foot-11 Comanche was a standout center when he played for Beverly Hills High School before playing for the University of Arizona.
