MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Memphis Hustle basketball player was arrested in Sacramento, California, in connection with a kidnapping turned murder investigation in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Chance Comanche played with the Memphis Hustle in 2017-2018 and was with the Stockton Kings in the NBA’s G League until he was released from the team following his arrest Friday, Dec. 15, 2023.
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, 27-year-old Comanche and his girlfriend, 19-year-old Sakari Harnden, are facing charges of murder in the death of Marayna Rogers.
Las Vegas Police said Rogers was reported missing on Dec. 7. Investigators said she was out with friends on Dec. 5 and had planned to meet her friend, Harnden, who would be with her boyfriend, Comanche.
After the planned meeting, police said Rodgers was not seen or heard from. They said they suspected foul play and arrested Harnden and Comanche on suspicion of kidnapping. Harnden was arrested Wednesday in Vegas, and Comanche was arrested Friday in Sacramento.
After the arrests, investigators said they found Rodgers' remains in the Nevada desert near Henderson. They expect the charges against Harnden and Comanche to be amended to ‘open murder.’
Sacramento County jail records showed that Comanche was ineligible for bail as he awaited extradition.
Who is Chance Comanche?
Comanche is a now former center for the Stockton Kings, a G-league affiliate of the Sacramento Kings.
In college, he played basketball for the Arizona Wildcats but he ultimately went undrafted by the NBA in 2017. He eventually signed with the Memphis Hustle (2017-2018) and then played for the Cleveland Charge during the 2018-19 season.
He also played overseas in Turkey for Mamak Belediyesi but he went back to the United States the following year and played for the Enid Outlaws in The Basketball League (TBL).
He found his way to the Stockton Kings for the 2022-23 season before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers in April on a 10-day contract, according to the NBA transactions list. Prior to joining the Blazers, he had played 32 games with the Stockton Kings. However, he would later find his way back to the Stockton Kings for the 2023-24 season.
The same day that Comanche was arrested in connection to the investigation, the Stockton Kings announced that he was released.
