Daniel "Big Dan" Rodimer is wanted for the charge of open murder in connection with a homicide that took place in Las Vegas in 2023, according to court records. A warrant request was issued on Tuesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, jail records did not indicate that Rodimer is in custody.
Rodimer is a former professional wrestler who unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for Congress, both in Nevada in 2020, and in Texas in 2021. Rodimer lost Nevada Congressional District 3, to Democrat incumbent Susie Lee by 13,000 votes, and then ran in the Texas' District 6 special election.
The homicide took place at Resorts World on October 29, 2023, where 47-year-old Christoper Tapp was found suffering from injuries that were initially purported to be caused by an accident. Tapp was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Tapp's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, and the Coroner ruled the death a homicide.
Homicide investigators were informed that Tapp had been involved in a fight inside a hotel room before his body was discovered.
Tapp had wrongfully served 21 years in prison for the murder of an 18-year-old Idaho woman, Angie Dodge, who was found raped and nearly decapitated. The Idaho Innocence Project worked on Tapp's case and in 2019, he was exonerated from his conviction with the use of DNA evidence. Brian Dripps, a neighbor to Angie at the time of her murder, has since confessed and been convicted of the crime.
Rodimer has a history of alleged violence, which became a campaign issue in 2020. In 2018, his spouse, Sarah Rodimer, made two phone calls to 911, one alleging domestic violence. In a campaign ad, Sarah addressed these claims, saying it was a “verbal argument, plain and simple," and that Daniel “has never laid a hand on me, not then or ever.”
In a 2010 incident, Rodimer was arrested for an alleged battery at a Florida Waffle House. The charges were dropped pending Rodimer's completion of an anger management course.
Police encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to reach out to the LVMPD Homicide Section either by phone at 702-828-3521 or via email at [email protected]. To maintain anonymity, individuals can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 702-385-5555 or online at www.crimestoppersofnv.com.
Please note that this is a developing story. RedState will bring you updates as they become available.