Authorities name former GOP congressional candidate as suspect in potential murder

An arrest warrant has been issued naming former GOP congressional candidate Dan Rodimer as the suspect in a homicide.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced Wednesday that Rodimer, 45, has been identified as the suspect in a suspicious death that is now being investigated as a homicide that occurred Oct. 29, 2023, on the Las Vegas strip.

Rodimer won Nevada’s Republican primary in 2020 in the state’s 3rd Congressional District. He lost the general election to Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) by fewer than 13,000 votes. Rodimer was endorsed by then-President Trump.

He is an attorney and former professional wrestler. In the primary, Rodimer defeated his nearest primary opponent by more than 15 percentage points.

Las Vegas Police said homicide detectives were examining the suspicious death of 47-year-old Christopher Tapp. Police said medical personnel responded to a call about a male suffering from injuries “as a result of a purported accident.”

Tapp was transported to a hospital and later pronounced dead, the release said.

The homicide department was made aware of the suspicious death circumstances Nov. 22, 2023, and began investigating.

The arrest warrant, dated March 6, 2024, has been issued for Rodimer “on the charge of open murder.”

The Clark County Coroner’s Office has ruled Tapp’s death a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, police said.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rodimer is flying into town to address the warrant. The warrant calls for him to be held on a $200,000 bail.

The outlet, citing the police report, said the dispute between Rodimer and Tapp occurred when Tapp offered Rodimer’s stepdaughter cocaine during a party at Resorts World. Rodimder reportedly told Tapp “if you ever talk to my daughter again, I’ll f‑‑‑ing kill you.” A witness told police that two loud banging noises were heard and Rodimer had punched Tapp.

Tapp, an Idaho resident, spent 21 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of an 18-year-old. He was released in 2017 and exonerated in 2019, the outlet reported.

The Hill has reached out to Las Vegas police for more information.