A suspect in the death of Chris Tapp, an Idaho man who was wrongfully convicted and later became an advocate for the wrongly accused, has been identified as a former Nevada congressional candidate.
Las Vegas police announced on Wednesday that they have secured an arrest warrant for 45-year-old Daniel Rodimer on a murder charge.
Tapp, aged 47, passed away in Las Vegas following a reported accident on October 29th, as officials revealed in January.
According to his lawyer, Tapp had attended a car show in Las Vegas and unfortunately suffered a fall, hitting his head on a coffee table in his hotel. As a result, he was hospitalized and fell into a coma.
The police have not released any further information regarding the death or Tapp’s connection to Rodimer.
In the 2020 election, Rodimer, who has a background in wrestling and politics, came in second place for a seat in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District. He narrowly lost to incumbent Suzanne Lee by a margin of approximately 3 percentage points.
Tapp was eventually cleared of the murder two years later when Dodge’s former neighbor was arrested and later pleaded guilty to the crime.
Tapp was instrumental in advocating for legislation in Idaho and various other states, aiming to ensure just compensation for those who have been wrongfully convicted. In 2021, Idaho Governor Brad Little endorsed a bill supported by Tapp, resulting in a law that granted him $1.2 million. This amounted to $62,000 for each year he had spent in prison.
Tapp took legal action against the city of Idaho Falls and its police department, accusing them of “egregious misconduct.” In 2022, he reached a settlement of $11.7 million and received an apology from the mayor to resolve the lawsuit.
