Former Wrestler, Political Candidate Suspected of Murder in Las Vegas

A former congressional candidate and retired professional wrestler, suspected of being involved in an accident at a Las Vegas Strip hotel that resulted in the death of one man reportedly surrendered to the police. The aforementioned accident involves Christopher Tapp, a 47-year-old man who passed away early in November after an altercation at a Halloween Party dating back to October 29. The suspect in the case is Daniel Rodimer, a 45-year-old former political candidate and retired wrestler.

David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, the lawyers representing Rodimer in the case confirmed in a statement released by The Associated Press that he is “voluntarily surrendering to authorities and will post a court-ordered bail.” Moreover, the lawyers wrote: “He intends on vigorously contesting the allegations and asks that the presumption of innocence guaranteed all Americans be respected.”

The announcement comes after local media outlets confirmed that the Clark County Justice Court opened a murder case against Rodimer. A warrant for his arrest was also issued by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD). The bail set for the suspect was $200,000.

A few years ago, in 2020, Rodimer competed for the third congressional district seat in Nevada. At the time, he lost against Rep. Susie Lee who had approximately 13,000 more votes. The next year, Rodimer attempted to secure Texas’ sixth congressional district seat. Sadly, just like his first political attempt, he didn’t win the seat.

Before his political career, Rodimer used to be a popular professional wrestler. Back in 2006, he entered into a development contract with WWE for one year. Besides a former political candidate and professional wrestler, the 45-year-old is also a former football player.

Altercation Results in the Death of One Person

The altercation where Rodimer was allegedly involved put him at a party that took place on October 29, 2023, at Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip. According to local media outlets, Rodimer was at a Halloween party along with Tapp and other guests. The event took place in a hotel suite and reportedly included celebrities, including Instagram influencers.

Different witnesses confirmed that on the night of the party, a fight broke out between Tapp and Rodimer. One witness alleged the former political candidate and wrestler hit Tapp, who was the victim. After that, the victim allegedly fell on the floor but hit his head in the process. The same witness claimed Rodimer proceeded to hit Tapp around his body, including his head.

Resorts World security attended the hotel suite and found Tapp who couldn’t tell them his name. Minutes later, the victim was rushed to Sunrise Hospital by paramedics. He passed away a week later on November 5, 2023.