Ex-congressional candidate, retired pro wrestler surrenders to Las Vegas police after murder warrant issued
Dan Rodimer, 45, was identified as the suspect in the blunt force trauma death of 47-year-old Christopher Tapp
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A former congressional candidate and retired WWE wrestler turned himself in to Las Vegas police on Wednesday evening after an arrest warrant for open murder was issued for him earlier in the day.
Dan Rodimer, 45, was identified Wednesday as the suspect in an alleged altercation that turned deadly inside a Las Vegas resort room in October, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
The department said medical personnel responded to a call for help inside a resort room in the 3000 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard on Oct. 29.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The man inside the room, later identified as 47-year-old Christopher Tapp, was taken to the hospital with "injuries as a result of a purported accident," police said at the time.
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Dan Rodimer, a retired pro wrestler and former congressional candidate in Texas and Nevada, surrendered to Las Vegas police Wednesday after an arrest warrant for open murder was issued for him. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Tapp died at Sunrise Hospital on Nov. 5, FOX 5 Las Vegas reported, and on Nov. 22, police began investigating his death as suspicious after learning he had been involved in an altercation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His death was ruled as a homicide by the Clark County Coroner's Office, resulting from blunt force trauma to the head.
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David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, Rodimer's lawyers, gave the following statement to FOX 5 on Wednesday evening:
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Mr. Rodimer is voluntarily surrendering to authorities and will post a court ordered bail," it read. "He intends on vigorously contesting the allegations and asks that the presumption of innocence guaranteed all Americans be respected."
He posted his $200,000 bail Wednesday night and has a hearing set for Thursday morning, local outlets reported.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rodimer, a Republican, unsuccessfully ran against Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in 2020 for her seat in Nevada's District 3.
FILE - Nevada Republican congressional candidate and former pro wrestler Dan Rodimer speaks during a 2020 rally for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the Boulder City Airport in Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
He then moved to Texas, where he ran in a 2021 special election to fill the seat left vacant by Republican Rep. Ron Wright, who died in office after contracting COVID-19. As one of 23 candidates for the seat, Rodimer garnered less than 3% of the vote.
Rodimer competed as a professional wrestler in the WWE from 2004 to 2007.