Former G League player Chance Comanche, who was charged with the murder of a woman whose body was found near Las Vegas, will not face the possibility of the death penalty if he were to be found guilty at trial, his lawyer told ESPN on Thursday.
"Today the State announced that they are not seeking the death penalty," Gary L. Guymon, Comanche's attorney, wrote 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, who also faces kidnapping charges, pleaded not guilty at a hearing Thursday. Indicted by a grand jury, Comanche saw his arraignment continued earlier this month while the case was considered by the capital case review committee.
Prosecutors said that Comanche and his former girlfriend, Sakari Harnden, 19, -- who faces murder and kidnapping charges related to the death of the same woman -- will be tried together. Harnden also pleaded not guilty. They next will be in court Wednesday, when the state will schedule the trial.
The charges against Comanche and Harnden are related to the disappearance and death of Marayna Rodgers, who is from Lynnwood, Washington. Las Vegas police said Rodgers, a medical assistant, was choked to death early Dec. 6. Her remains were later found in a roadside ditch in suburban Henderson.
An autopsy report obtained by ESPN concluded Rodgers' death was a homicide caused by asphyxia due to strangulation.
After his arrest, Comanche, a 6-foot-10 power forward and center, was dropped by Stockton, the NBA G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. The team had played the G League Ignite in Henderson on Dec. 5. Comanche played one NBA game, for the Portland Trail Blazers, on April 9, 2023. He collected seven points and three rebounds in the Trail Blazers' 56-point loss to the Golden State Warriors.