NBA G League player Chance Comanche confesses to disturbing motive for ‘strangling Marayna Rodgers to death with cable’
FORMER pro basketball player Chance Comanche has confessed a disturbing motive behind strangling a woman in Las Vegas with the help of a former girlfriend, harrowing police records allege.
Comanche, 27, is facing felony charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder after he and Sakari Harnden, 19, were arrested in connection to the death of Marayna Rodgers.
Comanche was a professional basketball player for the NBA G-League’s Stockton Kings, before he was released from the team on Friday.
The body of Rodgers, 23, was found by police near Henderson around 20 miles outside of Las Vegas, following a reported confession from Comanche, according to police records reviewed by NBC affiliate KCRA-TV.
Rodgers was a medical assistant from Lakewood, Washington and reportedly traveled to Las Vegas to engage in “prostitution,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrest warrants claim.
She had been reported missing on December 7, two days after police say she had a fatal encounter with Comanche and Harnden.
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DEADLY MOTIVE
While the exact motive behind Rodgers’ death has not been publicly confirmed, police records reviewed by KCRA-TV, detail multiple possible reasons behind the alleged killing.
Following his arrest last week, Comanche allegedly told police that Harnden claimed Rodgers wanted her Rolex watch.
He allegedly claimed that Harnden said Rodgers would smoke her if she didn’t get the watch.
He also allegedly said that Harnden made other complaints about Rodgers, claiming she had made similar purchases.
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However, Rodgers’ boyfriend allegedly told police that Harnden was angry with Rodgers for allegedly claiming the 19-year-old supposedly implicated her boyfriend in a double murder, according to the outlet.
Ahead of the alleged murder, Comanche and Harnden supposedly discussed kidnapping and killing the victim in a series of text messages, according to an arrest report reviewed by local Fox affiliate KVVU-TV.
The report claims that the two allegedly sought out having a third party kill the victim.
In a group message reportedly between Comanche, Harnden and the third party only identified as “Tre,” the former basketball player allegedly texted, “I told my dawg the whole plan.”
When the third party then asked what the two wanted done, Comanche allegedly responded with a coffin emoji.
The group message reportedly continued for several days up until December 4, with Comanche allegedly suggesting at one point, “I can snap her neck.”
FATAL DATE
Police claim Rodgers was killed just hours after the Stockton Kings’ game on December 5, when Rodgers reportedly went to meet up with the suspects for an alleged prostitution double date, during which Comanche was supposedly posing as a trick.
Harnden reportedly also worked as a prostitute and was allegedly previously friends with Rodgers, according to the outlet.
The former basketball player later reportedly confessed his involvement to police, claiming Rodgers agreed to have her hands zip-tied as a kinky sex request that night, according to police records.
He also allegedly told police he used an HDMI cord to strangle the 23-year-old, claiming Harnden used her hands at the same time.
Additionally, Comanche reportedly revealed to police where Rodgers’ body had been left in a ditch covered with rocks.
Police have reportedly since tracked Comanche’s and Harnden’s movements on the night of the killing through cell phone tower data.
Authorities claim that after the Stockton Kings’ game on December 5, the suspects appeared to be traveling together just after midnight.
Police claim they traveled from a hotel to a liquor store where they met Rodgers.
At around 3:35 a.m. on December 6, Rodgers’ phone reportedly stopped working.
That same morning, Comanche was spotted returning to and leading his hotel in the area with luggage at around 8:50 a.m.
Meanwhile, police say Harnden left the hotel room less than two hours later.
Harnden was ultimately arrested on December 13, on felony charges of kidnapping and theft, according to court records reviewed by The U.S. Sun.
Comanche was arrested by Sacramento County police and FBI agents two days later on a kidnapping charge.
The two were both charged with felony murder and conspiracy to commit murder in Las Vegas court on Monday.
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Comanche is currently still in custody in Sacramento, where he first appeared in court on Tuesday.
The former basketball player waived extradition, meaning Las Vegas police now have 30 days to return him to Nevada.