An Idaho murder case from 1996 is coming under new scrutiny with the help of the Idaho Innocence Project. On Friday, Aug. 24, NBC-Dateline will air “The Confession. A mother fights to free the man convicted in her daughter’s murder.”
The Emmy award winning program will showcase an all new one-hour special about Angie Dodge’s murder in her Idaho Falls apartment and the confession of Chris Tapp, who currently is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the crime. The show airs at 9 p.m. on KTVB Channel 7.
The Idaho Innocence Project believes that Tapp is innocent. Biology and criminal justice professor Greg Hampikian is working on DNA aspects of the case, which is being handled by Rick Visser, IIP assistant director and staff attorney. Several Boise State students also have assisted in research and investigation.
Wrongful Convictions Blog 
I was curious as to why more investigation has not been done on the “unknown” (killer’s) DNA! If it is indeed similiar the victim, why have male family members’ DNA not been tested? Horrible as it may be, incest does happen / on her call to her mother shortly before her death: “I’ve done something stupid”… may have been the start of a confession to such. It is not inconceivable that the murder was as a coverup. As well as the Dateline story/case was presented, it would have been good to know if this angle was pursued, (with such obvious DNA) and/or subsequently dismissed and what were the conclusions?
The way Dateline set up the case, I was expecting a surprise, so I went looking for one as I watched. Questions that came up for me: Did the detective also know the victim as well as the accused from his work as a school resource officer?, He was a young married man with children at the time. Was there any relationship between the victim, that might have been related to the victim’s confession, “‘I’ve done something really stupid.” Did anyone note the body language of the Mayor(det) as HE was being interviewed? He looked very uncomfortable. Was the then det. the only one who actually was in the room when the accused visited the crime scene for “recall purposes?” Did anyone notice that Mayor’s wife appears to be a large blonde woman, as was the victim? Just the creative process, enhancing the story I”m sure!
False Evidence Appearing Real! Also, speculation, not fact.
To Fay Livings post Sept 3, 2012, 9:23pm
Howdy
What is your source for “Did anyone notice that Mayor’s wife appears to be a large blonde woman, as was the victim?”
Thanks, Lyman
oh…the Mayor probably did do it…he was very uncomfortable, which is rare for a sociopath like him….usually people scratch each others backs…I think the Judge and him are sucking….never mind….but the citizens of Idaho are shear idiots to have elected him mayor….the mayor is the one who belongs in prison…people like him have no place in our society…none.
i want to thank you guys at the innocence project for helping n chris’s case. i also wanted to expres to u guys that I hope chris knows/feels that he has many people who knew him then who have never stopped believing in him. spending time talking with friends who care about him its funny what keeps coming up. with the girls its always his hugs. chin up and hang in there.
Test DNA on that detective the major with the suddenly funky memory. He’s guilty. Fuhriman is the guilty man.
What expert/professional investigator made the crime scene investigation?
How much time was spent investigating the scene, inside and out?
When was the crime scene turned over to the landlord?
Was all semen/pubic hair collected at the scene and from the victim the same donor?
Lyman
Of course the mayor says he’s guilty. He doesn’t want egg on his face. So instead of making himself look bad by admitting you coerced a confession out of an innocent man you say he’s guilty
I am sickened that they threw out the 20 hours of “questioning” WHAT??? This is beyond a classic false confession, I’m disgusted that they offered up all the crime facts to “jog his memory”. This was clearly a single offender, sexually motivated crime (very similar to the BTK killer). wow, the cops managed to destroy more lives than the real murderer!!!
Why is this chris not free yet and all this dna evidence is pointing to some killer that could still be out here in idaho thats scary!
Jared Fuhriman is completely without any intellectual depth. As a former detective he is a national disgrace. Idaho Fallls should be embarrased to have him as a janitor, let alone a mayor. He’s dispicable. He couldn’t find a murderer if he had a 8X10 photo of the killer. He couln’t get a real confession out of a 3 year old.
He’s not even a man. He disgust me, and everone else who watched “The Confession” Ha! That’s no confession.
There’s a killer out there who killed a girl. And Idaho Falls has a moron of a former detective who is now mayor and is too smug to care. I want to puke.
Chris Tapp couldn’t be convicted in a banana republic.
Dump that creep and ride him out of town.
I’m furious.
Thank you innocents project. If it wasn’t for you many people like Chris would have no hope.
I can not agree anymore with all the supportive comments for Chris Tapp and the families involved. I am a life long friend of Chris’ and his voice until he is free and able to scream from the roof tops on his on. His support is heard from all of us on a daily basis. Your support is not going unheard. He thanks you and wishes each of you to continue your support and never give up on him and finding the real killer! WRITE TO IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO ANd/Or F.B.I. DEMAND ANSWERS SOMEBODY KNOWS THE TRUTH…IT ONLY TAKES ONE PERSON TO FIND A KILLER….HELP US TO FIND ANSWERS! Thank you so much for your support. ~Chris’ Voice
Let former detective now mayor Jared Fuhriman know what you think of him: mayor@idahofallsidaho.gov
Is there anything we can do to help Chris? Write the Attorney General?, raise money for a DNA test?
Donna
To: Whom it may concern, my name is Sahmantha, “Sahm” & I’m writing to you in re: of the recent Dateline episode about Chris Taft. From everything I saw it sure seemed to me that he was completely railroaded into a false confession and I was wondering, when and if Chris was ever given his Miranda rights warning. Because if he wasn’t given it until way after the so called confession then how can that “confession” ever be admitted into court legally? If he was free to leave those interviews “at any time he wanted” as the former detective, now, quite unfortunately, the Mayor, stated then apparently Chris was never Mirandized which I would think should legally be enough to get “The confession” thrown out! I hope and pray I’m correct, because I very strongly believe he’s innocent, and was completely targeted by those cops. It’s no wonder we have so many innocent people in prison, and so many guilty running around out here. The system can never ever work with dishonest people like those cops, and the system already has enough problems without dishonest people. Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU ALL DO. YOU ARE HEROES!!! God Bless and I hope and Pray Chris Taft gets home soon. Thank You very much, Very Sincerely, Sahm
To: Whom it may concern; I’m writing in regards to the Chris Tapp case. I was wondering if during those many many hours of the police “Hypothetically Interrogating” Chris if they ever read him his Miranda rights warning, because if the former Detective, now Mayor, (how unfortunate), says “Chris was free to leave anytime he wanted.” Then I would think he was never Mirandized, so doesn’t that mean the entire confession is NOT really admissible in court due to that one very important “Miranda” fact? I sure hope so, because I believe Chris was totally railroaded into that so called confession. Thank you for all you guys do. YOU ARE TRUE HEROES!!
I pray that Chris gets to go home as soon as possible and thank you all again!!!
God Bless & take care, very sincerely,
S Cannon
How is the town feeling about their mayor these days? Surely there are questions being asked by the town of his STILL standing and denying he did anything wrong. I can understand making the mistake he made originally but to not admit it in public to his own town would make me want nothing more than to get him out of office
Yet another reason to never, ever, talk to the police. Especially if you are innocent.
A horrible miscarriage of justice. The mayor as well as the police are full of shit. They know but won’t fess up to a mistake. Shame on them. Hope for your release soon Chris. The law in this case are slime an they know it.
This is a no brainer. She is innocent and this is America in the 21st century. Linda stop thinking only of yourself. What you are doing is harming an innocent person just as you were once an innocent person harmed by
self serving individuals. The only difference is you now have the chance
to stop the hurt. There is overwhelming evidence Sarah is innocent. No one will think any less of you if you now accept the evidence of her innocence. She now even deserves an apology and the longer this goes on without her being exonerated the more guilt is being laid upon your shoulders. Prove that you are a religious person that cares about your fellow man and do the right thing.
Regarding the posted comments from “Teddy”, dated 07/13/2014 … the “Dateline” story that aired on 07/11/2014 “One Summer night” that featured the story of Linda LaBrene (VIctim) and Sarah Pierce (accused) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWKmDxx2-y4
Teddy, is it possible you have the Dateline stories mix up?
Dateline story : “The Confession”
This jared Fuhriman is a disgrace as a detective if thats what you want to call him and a mayor please this garbage dont even belong in any office. Chris Tapp was railroaded buy this POS he should be fired now and sued for everything he has and be charged for giving false statements and perjury hes am ass hole
jared Fuhriman knew and kill her and blamed in on chris … please get his DNA and you will find your killer…
A true injustice. Just seeing the footage of the interrogation of asking Mr. Tapp if he hypothetically did these things and drawing conclusions from it was the most underhanded and coerce piece of police work I have ever witnessed. He should be in prison. Not Chris Tapp. He’s more criminal than a murderer. I hope he feels good about how he railroaded a man with no physical evidence. What an atrocity! And he became mayor. What a horrible embarrassment to the citizens of this Idaho town. I can’t believe after the airing of those interviews that something was not done. No wonder Angie’s mom wanted to put her fist through the screen. It was clear and outright coercion of this young man.
The “detective” who is now the mayor of the town was CLEARY DISTURBED during his sit down with Dateline. His bodylanguage was screaming GUILT ! While it seems as though the department will NOT review a cleary FLAWED case I wonder who will look into the victims phone records. If she was alluding to a “mistake she made” when speaking to her mother then she was looking to unload something that was bothering her. Her phone records may hold the key to a business deal gone bad- a relationship she realized was not what she thought – maybe money -OR allowing someone SEEDY into her inner circle and realizing it too late. Check those records and trace those number and look for those disposable phones GOD willing the killer bought it at a place where it can be traced. I will continue to pray that GOD leads you to that monster, bring her mother closure and release that innocent young man.