This article was written by Nate Eaton of East Idaho News.
The trial for the man accused of killing Angie Dodge will be moved from Bonneville County to Bannock County.
In an order filed Tuesday, District Judge Joel Tingey granted Brian Dripps’ defense attorneys’ motion to change venue. Dripps, 54, is charged with first-degree murder and rape for the 1996 crime.
“The Court having reviewed the record, and good cause appearing, the motion is granted,” Tingey wrote. “The trial in this matter will be transferred to Bannock County. All other proceedings shall remain in Bonneville County.”
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Dripps was arrested in 2019 after investigators were able to match his DNA to forensic evidence left at the crime scene. While being interrogated, police say he confessed to killing Angie Dodge at her I Street apartment on June 13, 1996.
Christopher Tapp was originally convicted for the crimes and sentenced to serve 20 years to life in prison. He tried multiple times to appeal the conviction and his DNA was not found at the crime scene. Tapp was ultimately released from prison in 2017 and exonerated in 2019 when investigators arrested Dripps.
Dripps has been at the Bonneville County Jail since May 2019 but in August, his attorneys asked that he be released because of COVID-19 concerns. Tingey ruled against the motion and Dripps remains incarcerated.
His trial is set to begin June 8 if a plea agreement is not reached. Dripps is scheduled for his next court appearance on Nov. 4.
