Republican Arrested for Murder

Former Republican Congressional Candidate Arrested for Murder

Daniel Rodimer, a former professional wrestler and congressional candidate, turned himself in to the Nevada police following an arrest warrant issued for his involvement in the death of Chris Tapp.

Tapp, who had been wrongfully imprisoned for two decades for a murder he did not commit, died from a head injury at a Las Vegas Strip hotel.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department disclosed that they were seeking Rodimer on charges of open murder relating to Tapp’s death, which resulted from blunt force trauma to the head. Tapp, 47, received medical attention on October 29 after being found at the hotel but later succumbed to his injuries.

Rodimer’s legal representatives, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, conveyed in an email to The Associated Press that Rodimer was “voluntarily surrendering to authorities and will post a court ordered bail.”

“He intends on vigorously contesting the allegations and asks that the presumption of innocence guaranteed all Americans be respected,” they asserted.

The investigation, sparked by new information on November 22 regarding Tapp’s injuries from a supposed accident, revealed that Tapp had been involved in a confrontation in a hotel room before his hospitalization. The Clark County Coroner’s Office later ruled the death a homicide.

According to court documents, the conflict arose after Tapp allegedly offered cocaine to Rodimer’s stepdaughter. A witness recounted Rodimer threatening Tapp, followed by two loud noises. Further investigation revealed text messages between Rodimer and his wife, where she described witnessing a violent altercation and intervening.

Tapp and Rodimer knew each other through their mutual interest in classic cars and racing, according to a family attorney.

Rodimer, who ran as a Republican against Democratic Rep. Susie Lee for Nevada’s District 3 seat in 2020 and lost, had been endorsed by Former President Donald Trump prior to the election. Trump had praised Rodimer for his potential to fight for lower taxes, better education, and more jobs, as well as his support for law enforcement.

After his political endeavors in Nevada, Rodimer relocated to Texas, where he participated in a special congressional election in 2021 to succeed Ron Wright but did not secure a significant portion of the votes.

Tapp’s wrongful conviction for the 1996 rape and murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge, despite DNA evidence excluding him, was eventually vacated in 2019, following decades of advocacy by the Innocence Project and coverage by “48 Hours.”