‘It doesn’t feel real’: Friends remember Washington woman after body found in Nevada desert

LAS VEGAS — Friends and family of a North Sound woman are in disbelief after her remains were found in a Nevada desert.

Las Vegas Police say they found the remains of 23-year-old Maryana Rodgers in a desert outside of Henderson, Nevada – roughly 15 miles away from her last known location.

Police arrested two people in connection to her disappearance and death: 19-year-old Sakari Harnden and G-League Basketball player Chance Comanche. Garret Comer, a close friend of Maryana, says she was the perfect friend.

“Genuine, loving, concerning, far from being self-centered,” Comer said.

He says both he and Maryana went down to Las Vegas for vacation. He says the last time he saw her was Dec. 6 when he was dropping her off with a friend. He says that the friend Maryana was hanging out with was Sakari.

“This is a person that looked me in my eye when I was dropping Maryana off saying, ‘I’ll make sure she’s alright,’” Comer said.

Comer also tells KIRO 7 that Rodgers took Harnden in several years ago.

“And Maryana had looked at her like a sister. Took care of her, clothed her, fed her,” Comer said.

Organizations like the Dock Ellis Foundation, a non-profit that raises awareness about missing person cases involving black and brown people, believe Rodgers’ case should’ve gotten a lot more attention than it did.

“She deserves justice and the community and the states…state to state deserve answers,” CEO Jasmine Ellis said.

And while there is some closure in Rodgers’ body being recovered, Comer says he wishes he had more time.

“I didn’t get the time to tell her what she meant to me in my life. I’m pretty sure she knew, but I just never verbally expressed it,” Comer said.

Harden is in the Clark County Jail. Comanche was arrested in Sacramento on Friday and is being extradited to Nevada.

For more information about Dock Ellis, click here.

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