From the pro-wrestling ring to the political arena, one retired WWE wrestler and GOP congressional candidate will feature in a whole new environment: a court of law faced with murder charges. And like much about American politics these days, the details of what happened are alarming.
On March 6, 2024, the AP reported that Daniel Rodimer — who wrestled in the WWE as “Dan Rodman” and retired in 2007 — turned himself in on murder charges. Those murder charges stem from a 2023 incident at a Las Vegas Strip hotel where 47-year-old Christopher Tapp died from what was later determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
When he surrendered, Rodimer’s lawyers, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld said, “[Rodimer] intends on vigorously contesting the allegations and asks that the presumption of innocence guaranteed all Americans be respected.”
Christopher Tapp allegedly offered drugs to Rodimer’s stepdaughter
According to People, Christopher Tapp, Daniel Rodimer, and Rodimer’s stepdaughter, name and age unknown, were at a party at Resorts World, a Vegas Strip hotel, when Tapp allegedly offered Rodimer’s stepdaughter cocaine. When authorities were called to the scene, Tapp’s injuries were said to be caused by an accident. Tapp died later in the hospital.
But witnesses said they saw Rodimer knock Tapp to the ground and continue to punch him, and Tapp’s head was injured in the fall. Citing arrest documents, the Las Vegas Review-Journal says Rodimer confronted Tapp and said, “If you ever talk to my daughter again, I’ll f***ing kill you.”
Police also obtained a text message sent to Rodimer from a woman who was there that night. “I watched you murder somebody … let that sink in you psychopath,” one text said.
Daniel Rodimer was dressed as Ken
Daniel Rodimer allegedly murdered Christopher Tapp on Oct. 29, 2023, at a private Halloween party. According to News2LV.com, Rodimer came dressed as Ken from Barbie, and witnesses said they saw Rodimer go “angry Ken” during the attack. By November of that year, Tapp’s death, initially considered an accident, was ruled suspicious, and on March 6, 2024, a warrant was issued for Rodimer’s arrest.
Once in custody, Rodimer was expected to post $200,000 bail and appear in court on April 10. Born in New Jersey, Rodimer, 45, ran for the Nevada State in 2018 and for the U.S. House of Representatives twice: First in 2019, in Nevada, and then in 2021 in Texas. He lost all three elections.
