LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Daniel Rodimer, the former congressional candidate accused of fatally injuring a man at a Halloween party in Las Vegas, pleaded not guilty to a murder charge Wednesday morning.
Rodimer denies all allegations laid out in a grand jury indictment filed last month, defense attorney David Chesnoff told Channel 13.
Chesnoff and Richard Schonfled, who are defending Rodimer in the criminal case, said they intend to file a petition to challenge the grand jury indictment charging their client with murder.
WATCH: Daniel Rodimer appears in court on Wednesday
Rodimer is accused of killing Christopher Tapp, a man from Idaho who was a sponsor of a Halloween party at Resorts World that Rodimer attended last October, according to grand jury testimony.
The party was hosted by racecar driver John Odom and sponsored by Tapp.
Cell phone video shown to a grand jury shows the Resorts World LED screen promoting the event. Both Odom and Tapp are seen in the video.
In the cell phone video, Rodimer is seen dressed up as Ken from the movie "Barbie," and his wife is dressed as Barbie.
A witness named Dani Lyons, a friend of Rodimer's stepdaughter, testified the two women were ingesting cocaine and alcohol at the party when Tapp offered them more cocaine.
She said they declined, but Rodimer saw a rolled up $100 bill on a table and tackled Tapp to the floor.
"I vividly remember him saying if you give my daughter any of that I will [expletive] kill you," Lyons testified.
A security manager at Resorts World testified that originally Odom told them Tapp slipped and fell on a pair of slippers.
A Metro homicide detective opened an investigation about a month after the Halloween party after family and friends of Tapp said his death was suspicious.
A Clark County medical examiner determined Tapp died from blunt force head trauma and ruled his death a homicide.
Tapp's family and attorney John Thomas drove from Idaho to attend Rodimer's initial arraignment.
"The public needs to know Chris has a voice," said Thomas. "We're here to support Chris and carry on his legacy."
Chesnoff said he and Schonfeld intend to vigorously defend Rodimer, who is next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 8 for a status check. Rodimer's trial is scheduled to start on Feb. 3, 2025.
