Christopher Tapp, Idaho Falls man wrongfully convicted of murder, dies in accident
Christopher Tapp, the Idaho Falls man who was imprisoned for more than 20 years after being wrongfully convicted of murder, died Sunday, the Idaho Innocence Project told the Idaho Statesman.
Tapp, 47, suffered an accident in Las Vegas that resulted in a head injury, and he passed away “peacefully at a hospital with his family by his side,” East Idaho News reported.
Tapp was wrongfully convicted for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge in Idaho Falls in 1998. He was released after serving 21 years in prison in 2017 following concerns that his confession had been coerced. In 2019, new evidence matched Dodge’s neighbor Brian Leigh Dripps to the DNA found at the crime scene.
In August, Tapp’s wife, Stacy Tapp, died in a car accident.
After Tapp’s release, Tapp became involved in the Idaho Innocence Project, an organization that seeks to prevent and fight wrongful convictions. He led its policy group that lobbies for changes in law, said Greg Hampikian, Idaho Innocence Project director. Hampikian called both the wrongful conviction and his early death the “two tragedies” of Tapp’s life.
Tapp’s exoneration inspired legislation he helped craft, sponsored by Sen. Doug Ricks, R-Rexburg, and Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, that compensated Idahoans who are wrongfully convicted of crimes — $62,000 for every year of wrongful incarceration, or $75,000 for every year wrongfully on death row. Gov. Brad Little signed the Idaho Wrongful Conviction Act into law in March 2021.
“The mission to help other people who were in his position really gave him meaning and purpose later in his life in terms of work,” Hampikian said.
Idaho Falls agreed to pay Tapp $11.7 million in a settlement last year after he sued the city. The Post Register reported that the city also agreed to send an official apology letter to Tapp and host “a full discussion with thought leaders on interrogation techniques” as part of the settlement.
“Shortly after he’s compensated, both Stacy and him are gone,” Greg Hampikian, Idaho Innocence Project director, told the Statesman by phone. “It’s so supremely tragic and ironic. It’s hard to wrap your head around. The lesson for me is we have to prevent these wrongful convictions.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2023 at 11:18 AM.
