TV Drag Racer Sued for Not Aiding Dying Man Allegedly Beaten by Ex-Wrestler

Posted on: November 18, 2024, 03:51h. 

Last updated on: November 18, 2024, 03:51h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

The mother of a man who died after being attacked in a hotel room at Resorts World Las Vegas is suing the owner of a TV drag racing team who allegedly witnessed the incident.

John Odom, Christopher Tapp, Dan Rodimer, Resorts World
John Odom, above, failed to seek medical help for victim Chris Tapp, despite knowing he was severely injured, according to the lawsuit. Odom’s lawyer has denied his client was present when Tapp was injured. (Image: Daily Mail)

John Odom is a wealthy Idaho construction executive who owns Odom Racing, which competes in the Discovery Channel reality show Street Outlaws.

Odom was present at a 2023 Halloween party at Resorts World when Christopher Tapp was allegedly fatally beaten by Dan Rodimer, a former Nevada Republican congressional candidate and ex-wrestler. Rodimer has been charged with Tapp’s murder and pleaded not guilty in May.

No Medical Help

A civil suit filed in a Las Vegas court Thursday names Odom, Odom Racing, Resorts World Las Vegas, and Vegas Nights VIP, a concierge service that helped organize the party. It claims the defendants failed to call for medical help despite knowing that Tapp was severely injured.

Tapp, who spent two decades in prison in Ohio for a murder he did not commit, was pronounced dead in the hospital five days later.

Defendant John Odom was in the master bedroom when the attack occurred, and during the attack, two loud banging noises were heard by persons who attended the party,” the complaint said. “After the attack occurred, defendant John Odom and Daniel Rodimer exited the bedroom and defendant John Odom loudly said not to call security.”

The victim lay concussed in the bedroom for “a significant period of time” before security was finally contacted. When they arrived, Odom claimed Tapp slipped and fell. Medical personnel arrived 20 to 30 minutes later, according to the complaint.

Clark County Coroner’s Office later ruled the death as homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Prosecutors claim Rodimer attacked Tapp after he allegedly offered the former’s stepdaughter cocaine during the party.

Odom’s attorney William Carter told The Daily Mail in April that has client “was friends with Chris Tapp, but he wasn’t present when he fell or was pushed.”

Wrongful Conviction

In 2019, Tapp, 47, was exonerated for the 1996 rape and murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge in Idaho after the real perpetrator was identified using DNA evidence.

After serving 20 years in prison, he was awarded a settlement of $11.4 million by the City of Idaho Falls for wrongful conviction. With money to spend, Tapp then became one of Odom Racing’s major financial backers, according to The Daily Mail.

Odom has also spent time in the slammer. In 2002 he pleaded guilty to grand theft and writing bad checks for which he served seven years in prison.  

His ex-wife Trashelle made headlines in 2021 when she accused Trump aide Corey Lewandowski of making unwanted sexual advances to her during a charity dinner in Las Vegas.

Lewandowski, 50, was charged with battery and fined $1K, given community service, and ordered to undergo impulse-control counseling.