NBA G League Player Arrested For First-Degree Kidnapping

G League basketball player Chance Comanche has been taken into custody in connection with the disappearance of Marayna Rodgers.

G League Stockton Kings basketball player Chance Comanche has been arrested by an FBI apprehension team for an alleged connection to the disappearance of Marayna Rodgers, a 23-year-old medical assistant from Washington State, according to ESPN. Comanche, 27, was arrested on a warrant for first-degree kidnapping issued in Las Vegas Justice Court, according to 8NewsNow. He is being held in Sacramento County Jail without bail. Rodgers was last seen on Dec. 6 while visiting Las Vegas with friends.

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The G League Stockton Kings released Comanche on Friday, and the team declined to comment further on the matter. Marayna Rodgers’ disappearance has led to the arrest of a second individual, Sakari Harnden, 19, who faces a first-degree kidnapping charge. Harnden is currently detained in a Las Vegas jail on $500,000 bail.

Loved ones of Rodgers have emphasized that she had a good job and would not willingly leave her family and dogs behind. The criminal complaint against Harnden alleges that she held or detained Rodgers against her will and without her consent for the purpose of causing harm or death. Harnden’s bail conditions include high-level electronic monitoring, and she is due for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 28.

In a separate case in Las Vegas Justice Court, Harnden faces a theft charge unrelated to the kidnapping case. She is accused of stealing at least one Rolex. A status check for the theft charge is scheduled for Dec. 19. The arrest warrant for Comanche was issued by Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Diana Sullivan, who had also set bail for Harnden.

Comanche is scheduled to appear in court in Sacramento County on Tuesday afternoon. The Stockton Kings played against G League Ignite in Henderson, Nevada, on Dec. 5, a day before Rodgers went missing. The circumstances surrounding Comanche’s visit to Las Vegas remain unclear.

Jasmine Lee, CEO and founder of the Dock Ellis Foundation, an organization advocating for missing and murdered people of color, stated that the foundation is looking into Rodgers’ missing persons case. Las Vegas Metro Police encourage anyone with information to contact them at (702) 828-3111, and anonymous tips can be submitted through Crimestoppers at (702) 385-5555.

Comanche, a 6-foot-10 center, played college basketball at Arizona and appeared in one NBA game with the Portland Trail Blazers on April 9. His arrest has raised concerns and drawn attention to the broader issue of missing and murdered people of color, prompting advocacy efforts by organizations such as the Doc Ellis Foundation.