LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Attorneys for ex-Congressional candidate and former wrestler Daniel Rodimer are appealing his case to the Nevada Supreme Court.
Rodimer is facing a murder charge after being accused of fatally injuring a man at a Halloween party at Resorts World in 2023.
During the party, court documents state Rodimer went into a bathroom and confronted Christopher Tapp, accusing him of giving his stepdaughter cocaine. A witness told police they heard Rodimer yell at Tapp, heard two loud bangs, and what sounded like a fight.
Witnesses stated Tapp's face was swollen and there was a large mark on the left side of his neck. A witness stated he was concerned that Tapp was trying to fall asleep and that it's not good if that person had a history of concussions. That's when they called for help.
Tapp was taken to Sunrise Hospital where he died from his injuries a few days later.
Police were notified about the suspicious death 17 days after Tapp passed away after his friends and family expressed concerns.
According to a Clark County Coroner's Office report, Tapp's death was ruled a homicide and his cause of death was due to blunt force trauma to the head. The report states radiologists found evidence of multiple brain bleeds.
Police identified Rodimer as the suspect in this case and issued a warrant for his arrest. Rodimer turned himself in later that night.
WATCH: Witness states ex-pro wrestler Daniel Rodimer tackled man to the floor
When testifying before a grand jury, Dr. Stephanie Yagi from the Clark County Coroner's Office told the grand jury that an external examination was conducted on Tapp and she came to the conclusion he had suffered blunt head trauma. No autopsy was done but Yagi said if she knew a physical altercation took place, she would have conducted one.
That is just one of several issues that Rodimer's attorney, David Chesnoff, is bringing up in his appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.
According to a write of mandamus, Chesnoff also argued that the state failed to properly instruct the grand jury about the credibility of a key witness.
As far as the witness, it was a friend of Chesnoff's daughter who was drunk and on cocaine at the time of the alleged attack.
"The State then elicited entirely irrelevant and highly prejudicial hearsay testimony," the document reads in part.
The third issue that was brought up was allowing a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective to share the following statement, which Chesnoff argues is an opinion and not a fact.
STATE: "...is it fair to say that as a result of the witness interviews conducted, you determined that this was not a slip and fall?"
DETECTIVE: "Yes."
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Due to these issues, Chesnoff states Rodimer's constitutional rights have been violated.
A District Court ruled that evidence presented to the grand jury did not unfairly prejudice the Defendant, which prompted the appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court.
The document states that Chesnoff is asking the Nevada Supreme Court to dismiss the complaint and charges against Rodimer.
According to court dockets, the Nevada Supreme Court has not set a future hearing date or indicated a timeline for when they could hand down a ruling. District court records show that a status check has been scheduled for July 17, 2025.
