Where is Angie Dodges Mom Carol Dodge Now?
For every mother, losing her child is the biggest nightmare, and heartbreakingly, Carol Dodge was forced to live through that experience when her daughter, Angie Dodge, was found raped and murdered in her apartment. The brutal murder shocked the city of Idaho Falls in Idaho and left authorities perplexed as they tried their best to hone in on the perpetrator. ABC’s ’20/20 Stranger Than Fiction: The Murder of Angie Dodge’ chronicles the horrifying incident and shows how Carol’s contributions helped the police bring the actual perpetrator to justice. If you are intrigued by this case and want to find out where Carol Dodge is at present, we have you covered.
Who Is Carol Dodge?
A resident of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Carol lived a fairly quiet life with her children, Angie and Brent. In the summer of 1996, Angie, her eighteen-year-old daughter, had just graduated high school, and Carol was immensely proud of her. However, shortly after, Angie expressed a desire to move into her own apartment, which did not sit well with Carol. After all, she felt pretty protective of her daughter and was unsure about letting her go out into the world all alone. Nevertheless, after a lot of pleading, Carol ultimately gave in and allowed Angie to move out. However, she had no idea of the horrific tragedy that was awaiting Angie in her new apartment.
On June 13, 1996, Angie Dodge was found brutally raped and slain in her apartment. When authorities reached the crime scene, they found her lying in a pool of her own blood, partially dressed in a torn shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Moreover, numerous stab wounds were noticed all over the victim’s body while her throat was cut by the killer. Eventually, an autopsy determined the stab wounds to be the cause of death and affirmed that Angie was raped before her murder.
Where Is Carol Dodge Now?
The news of Angie’s death left Carol shaken, but she refused to give up and began investigating the murder on her own. In fact, the show revealed that Carol would often call up authorities or land up at the police station unannounced in order to learn about new developments. Moreover, she was also disappointed as it took quite a bit of time before the police could hone in on a suspect. Surprisingly, authorities soon began suspecting one of Angie’s acquaintances named Christopher Tapp and took him to the station for interrogation and polygraph tests. Although Tapp kept insisting on his innocence and had nothing to connect him to the crime, he was ultimately convicted for the rape and murder of Angie Dodge.
Initially, Carol believed that Tapp was responsible for the murder, although she knew that there was another assailant as the DNA evidence from the crime scene did not match the one convicted. However, once she went through Christopher Tapp’s interrogation tapes, she was convinced of his innocence and was determined to get him justice. Thus, once Tapp was exonerated of the rape charge and released from prison in 2017, Carol convinced authorities to reopen the case and finally helped them hone in on one Brian Leigh Dripps Sr. through several DNA testing methods. Unsurprisingly, Brian’s DNA was a perfect match to the one extracted from the crime scene, and once he confessed to the rape and revealed that he had no idea if he killed Angie, the police were able to convict him of the crime. Subsequently, Tapp was acquitted of all charges.
At present, Carol Dodge still resides in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with her son, Brent. Although she mentioned that she misses Angie every single day, Carol started the non-profit organization, 5 for Hope, in her memory, through which she helps solve other cold cases like that of her daughter. Carol revealed that she finds peace by supporting the families of other victims, and from the looks of it, she has been slowly fighting the demons of her past in order to build a brighter future.
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