Dan Rodimer appears in court for the first time in Las Vegas murder case | Dishes

A former congressional candidate and professional wrestler appeared in court for the first time Wednesday morning in connection with the death of Christopher Tapp, who died after an altercation at Resorts World in November.

Daniel Rodimer, who ran for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District in 2020, was charged with murder last month after investigators accused him of attacking Tapp during a strip casino party. Rodimer turned himself in to police on March 6 but was released hours later after posting $200,000 bail.

Tapp, 47, had spent two decades in an Idaho prison for a 1996 murder he did not commit. He was released in 2017, exonerated in 2019 and then won an $11.7 million settlement against the city of Idaho Falls in 2022.

During Wednesday's brief hearing, Rodimer was accompanied by his attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld. Chesnoff told the judge that Rodimer was waiving his right to a speedy preliminary hearing, in which a judge would determine whether there was enough evidence to try Rodimer.

After the hearing, Chesnoff said defense attorneys “look forward to vigorously defending this case.” He declined further comment.

Tapp's mother, Vera Tapp, also attended Wednesday's court hearing, along with Tapp's friend John Thomas, who also served as a public defender for Tapp during his exoneration trial.

“We just want to let everyone know that we want the process to work itself out,” Thomas told reporters after the hearing. “We are not here to influence anyone, we just want justice to be served.”

Thomas said the hearing triggered a “flood of emotions” from Tapp's family, who declined to speak to reporters.

During the hearing, Chesnoff told Justice of the Peace Eric Goodman that the defense wants to request evidence of Tapp's records while in prison.

Assistant District Attorney Binu Palal said the request was “somewhat premature,” adding that the state “does not agree that it is entitled to these records.”

Meanwhile, Thomas said Tapp's time in prison following his exoneration was well documented and reported by multiple national news outlets.

“We have nothing to hide,” Thomas said.

Tapp's friends previously told the Review-Journal that after receiving his severance package, he became more interested in fast cars and racing culture. His connections to road racing led him to visit Las Vegas and attend the Oct. 29 party in a suite at Resorts World, his friends said.

Rodimer's apparent anger at Tapp was fueled after Tapp allegedly offered Rodimer's stepdaughter cocaine during the party. This is according to a Metro Police document dated March 1, in which a detective outlined the allegations against Rodimer and requested that an arrest warrant be issued.

Witnesses said Rodimer heard Tapp say, “If you ever talk to my daughter again, I'm going to fucking kill you,” the documents said.

Tapp was taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, where he died on November 5. The Clark County coroner's office ruled his death a homicide in January.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for May 21, although Palal said prosecutors are still considering whether to present the case to a grand jury instead.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at [email protected] or 702-383-0240.