Chris Tapp, Idaho Falls man wrongfully convicted of murder, dies at 47
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Christopher Tapp, a local man who served 20 years in prison for crimes he did not commit, died Sunday in Las Vegas.
Tapp, 47, suffered an accident that resulted in a head injury, according to a family spokeswoman. He passed away peacefully at a hospital with his family by his side.
“It breaks our hearts to announce that Chris Tapp has entered the gates of heaven,” she said.
The Idaho Falls man was wrongfully convicted in 1997 for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge. He tried multiple times to appeal the conviction and it was later discovered his DNA did not match DNA at the crime scene. He was eventually released from prison in 2017 and exonerated in 2019 when investigators arrested 54-year-old Brian Dripps.
From the archives: Chris Tapp speaks with East Idaho News days after being released from prison
Tapp sued the city of Idaho Falls and the Idaho Falls Police Department and was awarded $11.7 million last year as part of a settlement. He and his mother, Vera Tapp, received an apology from Mayor Rebecca Casper and a promise that the city will do better moving forward.
RELATED | Tapp walks free after 20 years: ‘I never thought this day would come’
Tapp’s death comes less than three months after his wife, Stacy Tapp, died in a car crash. They were in the middle of divorce proceedings.
Funeral arrangements are pending.