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On April 25th, a Clark County grand jury officially voted to indict Daniel Rodimer, a former politician who ran to become a congressional candidate in Nevada.
Police believe the victim, identified as Christopher Tapp, and the suspect were both attending a party being hosted at a Resorts World hotel suite on October 29th.
During the party, Rodimer, who is also a former professional wrestler, allegedly attacked the victim. The incident started when Tapp reportedly offered Rodimer’s stepdaughter cocaine or another type of drug. Rodimer confronted Tapp, and the altercation became physical.
Later, Tapp passed away as a result of his injuries. According to the court’s indictment, Rodimer’s attack was “willful, deliberate, and premeditated.” He struck Tapp in the head before leaving the party. Four individuals testified in front of a grand jury, including a police officer and medical examiner. Another piece of evidence was discovered in the suspect’s cellphone. Authorities discovered text messages between Rodimer and his wife, Sarah Duffy. Police say that Duffy texted the suspect after the attack and said that she saw him “nearly” murder someone. In the text exchange, she also said she believed he would go to jail for attempted murder.
Once the indictment was made, Rodimer turned himself into police custody on March 6th. He was quickly released after posting $200,000 in bail. According to his attorneys, Rodimer knows he is completely innocent and looks forward to being vindicated in court.
Several witnesses at the party alleged that the suspect was “visibly upset,” but is that enough to prove a “willful and premeditated” intent to murder the victim? One of the most common defense arguments against murder charges is that the suspect acted without premeditation, malice, or forethought or while in a mentally incapacitated state. Unintentional homicide can still be considered a crime, but it isn’t the same thing as getting charged with murder.
Under the law in Nevada, murder is intentional and done with malice. Killing someone in a rage during an argument could potentially be considered involuntary manslaughter, but it’s typically not considered murder. Premeditation means that the suspect took actionable steps to murder the victim. Operating with malice means behaving in a way that willfully disregards the rights of another or behaving in a way without any just cause or excuse. Acting with intent means that the person must have acted with the specific intention of causing the death of the other person.
To defend yourself against murder charges, you can argue that your actions were not premeditated or intentional. There are also other potential defense strategies that might work better based on your circumstances, though. Are you currently in Las Vegas or a nearby area? If so, then our law firm can help.
Schedule an obligation-free call with our office now to discuss your situation in more detail and learn more about what defense strategy might work best in your situation.
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