Nevada Court of Appeals rejects petition to dismiss indictment of ex-congressional candidate accused of murder
Daniel Rodimer is accused of punching Christopher Tapp, 47, inside Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip on Oct. 29, 2023, leading to Tapp's death. Doctors pronounced Tapp dead at a Las Vegas hospital on Nov. 5, 2023. The Clark County coroner's office ruled Tapp's death a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to his head, documents said. A scan showed he suffered several brain bleeds.
RELATED: Ex-congressional candidate accused of killing man in Las Vegas hotel room dressed as 'Ken,' court records allege witness coverup
The state appeals court rejected Rodimer's claims regarding witness testimony that led to his grand jury indictment in April 2024.
Rodimer claimed the state 'introduced inadmissible hearsay,' saying it elicited testimony from Dani Lyons, who said Rodimer's wife told her not to talk to the police. After an investigation, the appeals court determined that Lyons' statement did not constitute hearsay.
Additionally, Rodimer claimed the state failed to show evidence of Lyons' history of drug use and tell the grand jury about the effect of drug use on credibility. The appeals court said in the order that Lyons' drug use did not constitute exculpatory evidence and was not required to be brought before the grand jury.
Rodimer also claimed the state allowed a detective to provide his opinion on Rodimer's guilt. The detective's testimony showed that the case was initially reported as a slip and fall, but after interviewing witnesses, the detective concluded the victim did not get his injuries from a fall.
The order showed that the detective did not give an opinion about Rodimer's guilt during his testimony. The detective did not 'even mention Rodimer at all,' the order said.
Rodimer's attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, released the following statement about the appeals court decision:
'The Petition that was filed on behalf of Mr. Rodimer raised significant legal issues that warrant further review. As a result, we are in the process of determining the next steps that will be taken in the appeal process to protect Mr. Rodimer's and all Nevadans' rights.'
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