NEW: Footage released moments before NBA player Chance Comanche and his girlfriend allegedly murdered 23-year-old Marayna Rodgers in Las Vegas. Comanche is facing kidnapping and murder charges after he and his girlfriend Sakari Harnden lured Rodgers to her death. According to…
Former NBA G League player Chance Comanche faces murder charges, spared death penalty
NBAFriday, 29 March 2024 at 08:12
Former G League player Chance Comanche, who faces murder and kidnapping charges in connection with the death of Marayna Rodgers, will not be subjected to the death penalty if found guilty, his lawyer confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
"Today the State announced that they are not seeking the death penalty," Gary L. Guymon, Comanche's attorney, stated via email. "We are grateful for this decision. The case will be set for trial where we will make the necessary comments and arguments in Court in anticipation of trial."
Comanche, indicted by a grand jury, entered a plea of not guilty during a hearing on Thursday. The arraignment, initially scheduled earlier this month, was postponed pending review by the capital case review committee.
Both Comanche and his former girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, 19, who also faces charges related to the death of Rodgers, will be tried together, according to prosecutors. Harnden, like Comanche, pleaded not guilty. Their next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, during which the state will arrange the trial proceedings.
The charges stem from the disappearance and subsequent death of Marayna Rodgers, a medical assistant from Lynnwood, Washington. Las Vegas police reported that Rodgers was strangled to death on the early hours of December 6. Her body was later discovered in a roadside ditch in suburban Henderson.
An autopsy report obtained by ESPN concluded that Rodgers' death resulted from homicide, caused by asphyxia due to strangulation.
Following his arrest, Comanche, a 6-foot-10 power forward and center, was released by Stockton, the NBA G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. The team had competed against the G League Ignite in Henderson on December 5. Comanche's professional basketball career included one NBA appearance for the Portland Trail Blazers on April 9, 2023, during which he scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
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