LAS VEGAS — Editor's note: This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some.
The arrest warrant for Chance Comanche, the former Stockton Kings player accused of killing Washington woman Marayna Rodgers in Nevada, sheds new details on the investigation into her death.
CASE HISTORY
Law enforcement officials in Las Vegas say Rodgers was out with friends Dec. 5 and planned to meet her friend, 19-year-old Sakari Harnden and her boyfriend, Chance Comanche.
Rodgers was reported missing two days later, and investigators arrested Harnden and Comanche on suspicion of kidnapping. Officers found Rodgers’ remains in a Nevada desert after the arrests.
WHAT THE WARRANT SAYS
According to the warrant, Rodgers and her boyfriend, identified in the warrant as ‘Tremaine,’ traveled from Washington state for sex work Dec. 1.
Tremaine told investigators that Rodgers and Harnden got into an argument Dec. 4 after Rodgers allegedly told people Harnden implicated her boyfriend Iosua in a San Joaquin County homicide case. A search of San Joaquin County jail records shows an Iosua Sataua being held for murder.
Rodgers allegedly texted a childhood friend – identified in the warrant as Garrett – who also traveled to Las Vegas and asked him to drive her to meet Harnden around 1 a.m. Dec. 6.
Garrett drops off Rodgers at an unknown location where Harnden is waiting inside a Mercedes full of suitcases. Garrett sees a person in the rear passenger side of the vehicle and Harnden allegedly tells him it’s a person paying for their services. Harnden drives off with the man and it’s the last time Garrett sees Rodgers.
Sakari Harnden files a missing persons report for Rodgers the afternoon of Dec. 6. She tells authorities she last saw Rodgers leaving in an Uber for an ‘appointment’ while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Then, on Dec. 7, one of Rodgers’ friends reports her missing and tells investigators Rodgers was a working prostitute who left the night before to meet Harnden for an encounter with two unknown men.
A detective and FBI special agent tracked down and interviewed Harnden Dec. 8 after she allegedly refused to return their calls. She identified the man seen in the vehicle with her and Rodgers as Chance Comanche.
Harnden told investigators Rodgers got into an Uber and left after their encounter while she stayed with Comanche for the rest of the night. Harnden says she tried multiple times to contact Rodgers multiple times after that, but her messages never went through.
Investigators then seized several devices the same day and a digital forensic search warrant was approved, which was conducted Dec. 9. They found messages on the app Telegram between Harnden and Comanche.
The messages, which authorities note are likely incomplete due to them being deleted or un-synced, span from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6.
A series of messages from Dec. 4 allegedly showed the two discussing ways to kill Rodgers. There are several texts on Dec. 6 which allegedly show Harnden and Comanche discussing ways to make sure their stories to investigators line up.
Harnden was arrested Dec. 13 on suspicion of kidnapping while Comanche was arrested Dec. 14.
According to the arrest warrant, Comanche told investigators Harnden told him about problems with one of her friends, Marayna Rodgers. He also said Harnden’s friends told her Rodgers threatened to ‘smoke her’ if Harnden didn’t give her a Rolex watch.
From there, Comanche detailed how the two of them put a plan together to lure Rodgers away from her friends to kill her. The two tried to get someone else to kill Rodgers for them, but they were unable so they decided to do it themselves.
Comanche says Harnden told Rodgers he was into sex that involved being tied up, so Rodgers willingly gave up her hands so they could be tied. While Rodgers was bound, Comanche says he strangled her with an HDMI cord but stopped when he heard her struggling to breathe.
He then told investigators Harnden used her hands to strangle Rodgers until she was unresponsive. He said the pair found a ditch on the side of an unidentified road and covered her body with rocks before smashing her phone.
