Richy Maria Jacob
‘The Genetic Detective’ follows the trail of several cold cases that ultimately saw justice after CeCe Moore helped trace the killers using genetic genealogy. It has helped crack several cases wherein both the police investigators and the families had previously given up hope. What’s more is that it brings a level of accuracy that is quite unmatched, wherein certain wrongful convictions are made based on circumstantial evidence or coerced confessions.
Who is Christopher Tapp?
Christopher (Chris) Tapp, who was 20 years old at the time, was identified as a suspect in the rape and murder of Angie Dodge. Even though his DNA did not match the semen and hair sample collected from the crime scene, the Idaho Falls Police Department had a working theory that put him on the top of the list of suspects. Tapp was made to undergo several hours of interrogation, after which he confessed to being involved in the murder.
This confession tape later became the subject of much scrutiny as it allegedly bordered on being a coerced confession. In 1998, Christopher Tapp was sentenced to spend 40 years in prison for the rape and murder of Angie Dodge. Even though he recanted his confession and appealed the conviction, nothing really came of it. This is because, in 2001, the Idaho Supreme Court upheld the verdict. Subsequently, Tapp also filed numerous post-conviction relief petitions.
In March 2017, Tapp was released, almost 20 years after he was sentenced to prison. This is because, his attorney, John Thomas made an agreement with Daniel Clark, the Prosecuting Attorney, which stated that although the murder charge would remain, the rape charge would be dropped. It was also under the condition that Tapp would not appeal to his rights any further. As a result of this, he was resentenced to 20 years for the murder alone.
Everything changed when Brian Dripps was arrested and charged with the rape and murder of Angie Dodge. The victim’s mother even maintained the stance that Tapp had been wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit. In any case, months after the arrest of Dripps in 2019, Christopher Tapp was fully exonerated and declared innocent. Tapp broke down tears after hearing the verdict. Later, he said, “ I was able to tell my mom that my name is clean. That was the most important thing to me in this world.”
Later, Tapp submitted a notice about his intention to sue the Idaho Falls Police Department for forceful coercion. Following this, the Idaho Falls Police Department issued a statement, “ The Idaho Falls Police Department is proud of the work done in recent months that lead to the arrest of Mr. Dripps and additional information about the Angie Dodge case. The city has received notice of Mr. Tapp’s intent to file a lawsuit and will participate in the process moving forward.”
Where is Chris Tapp Today?
Christopher Tapp now lives with his wife, Stacy Tapp, and children in Idaho Falls. The family seems happy based on Tapp’s Facebook profile. Though Tapp sought to sue the Idaho Falls Police Department for coercion, which subsequently led to a wrongful conviction, details concerning the restitution charges have not been made public yet. In any case, it seems like Tapp is now able to find a renewed sense of happiness through his family, even though justice was denied to him for a long time.
Read More: Where is Brian Leigh Dripps Sr. Today?
