Pro basketball player among 2 arrested after missing woman’s remains found in desert

Two people, including a former professional basketball player, have been arrested and will face murder charges in connection with the disappearance of a woman whose remains were found in Henderson, Las Vegas police announced Sunday.

Marayna Rodgers’ remains were found in a desert area of Henderson, according to a Metropolitan Police Department news release.

Rodgers’ friend Sakari Harnden, 19, and her boyfriend, Chance Comanche, 27, have been arrested, police said.

Comanche played one game for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers in April 2023, according to Basketball Reference.

He played two seasons at the University of Arizona and was also an NBA G League player on the Sacramento Kings’ affiliate Stockton Kings, having played a game in Henderson the same day police said Rodgers was last seen or heard from before her remains were found.

On Friday, the day Comanche was arrested, Stockton announced it had released him.

Authorities believe that Harnden and Comanche are “responsible for the murder of Rodgers,” police said.

According to social media posts shared by what appeared to be Rodgers’ friends, Rodgers was 23.

Two people walked into a Metro substation on Dec. 7 just after 3:30 p.m. to report Rodgers missing, the news release said. Police didn’t say who those people were.

Detectives learned that Rodgers had been out with friends on Dec. 5 and had a pre-arranged meeting with Harnden, who was bringing her boyfriend, Comanche.

“Since then, Rodgers had not been seen or heard from,” police said in the release.

Comanche played a 7 p.m. basketball game in Henderson on Dec. 5, scoring 16 points in the Kings’ 103-91 loss to the Henderson-based NBA G League Ignite at Dollar Loan Center.

Early on, police “suspected foul play,” the Metro release said. Investigators obtained evidence to arrest Harnden and Comanche for “their role in the kidnapping and disappearance of Rodgers,” police said.

Harnden was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas on a kidnapping charge.

Comanche was arrested Friday in Sacramento, California, by the FBI’s Criminal Apprehension Team. His extradition to Nevada on a kidnapping charge is pending.

Both Harnden and Comanche will face open murder charges, police added.

The Clark County coroner’s office confirmed it was Rodgers’ remains that were found in the desert area of Henderson, police said.

It was unclear when exactly Rodgers’ remains were found, but police said they were recovered because of information obtained after the arrests of Harnden and Comanche.

Where specifically the remains were found also wasn’t clear.

No further details about the allegations against Harnden and Comanche were immediately provided by police.

A previous version of this story misstated the name of one of the people facing a murder charge.

Contact Brett Clarkson at bclarkson@reviewjournal.com.