LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — New evidence and transcripts from a Clark County grand jury proceeding, which indicted former NBA G-league player Chance Comanche and his ex-girlfriend Sakari Harnden on murder charges, reveal more about a gruesome murder plot.
On December 6, 23-year-old Marayna Rodgers was found strangled in a roadside ditch in a Henderson neighborhood.
According to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Comanche and Harnden conspired to kill Rodgers while Comanche was in Las Vegas for a basketball game.
Five people testified before a grand jury, including the owner of a liquor store. The liquor store's surveillance video show Harnden and Rodgers the day Rodgers was killed, according to grand jury transcripts.
Video surveillance at a WinCo grocery store on the same date show Comanche and Harnden just a few hours later.
Text messages between Comanche and Harnden reveal them conspiring to kill Rodgers, according to grand jury transcripts.
One text message reading: "So we finna just take her there and then u finna strangle her?"
According to grand jury transcripts, the motive for the killing was over a Rolex watch.
LVMPD homicide detective Aaron Jenkins testified "that Sakari owns a Rolex watch that Marayna was, I guess she wanted the watch and Marayna made comments to mutual friends about if she did not receive the watch that she would in his terms smoke Sakari for the watch."
Jenkins said the term "smoke" means "shoot."
The transcripts also name a third person who may have known about the murder scheme. The third person is identified as Travion Carter, Comanche's friend from basketball.
Carter currently does not face any charges related to Rodgers' murder.
A text message Comanche sent to Rodgers was also shown to the grand jury. According to police, Comanche posed as a client interested in 'kinky sex.'
The message reads: "If possible I was thinking 1k for like an hour and then possibly longer depending on how the vibes go."
Police said Comanche led detectives to the location where Rodgers' remains were found near Horizon Ridge Parkway and Gibson Road.
Comanche and Harden were scheduled for arraignment Wednesday morning but their hearing was delayed because the case is currently under review for death penalty.
The pair is scheduled to be back in court March 28.
