A father and son say Chris Tapp was at their house around the night of Angie Dodge’s murder

It was an emotional day for those who know Christopher Tapp personally.

A father and son said Tapp was at their house on the night he was accused of the murder of Angie Dodge.

“We love him. We’ve missed him. Glad to see him,” Mike Hope said.

People with tears of joy gathered on the front lawn of the Bonneville County Court House, on Wednesday. He was greeted with open arms and kisses from everyone.

Many people had the chance to hold Tapp for the first time in 20 years. Some even had to reintroduce themselves to him because it had been so long.

That is exactly what happened when Tapp saw Mike and Jason Hope. Mike Hope said the night Tapp was accused of Angie Dodge’s murder, Tapp was actually at Mike’s house. He tried to convince police but he had no luck.

“He used to come over to our house and play computer games all the time. We was pretty sure that, that night that he was accused of this, we thought he was at our house playing games, so I donated the hard drive on my computer to see if his name was on there for high scores,” Mike Hope said.

He said he does not know if the F.B.I. ever found Tapp’s name on the high score list.

Mike Hope said someone should pay for Tapp having to waste away half his life in prison. He also does not believe was not at the crime scene at all.

“I think it’s just horribly, horribly wrong. He was offered a deal if he would have just pleaded guilty to part of it and then he was convicted of the whole thing. He was lied to. I don’t even know if he was there at all. I can’t even say that he would be there. He wasn’t that kind of kid,” Mike said.

Mike and Jason watched in awh as Tapp walked out of the Bonneville County Court House, shaking hands and hugging people he has not seen before. They waited until after the swarm of interviews to approach him.

At first, Tapp did not recognize the two, but after a few seconds Chris Tapp and Jason Hope hugged each other tightly, followed by a hug from Mike Hope.

Overwhelmed with emotions, Mike’s son, Jason Hope, has been friends with Tapp for about 25 years. He said he is drawing to a close of an emotional and painful part of his life.

He believes restitution costs should be given to Tapp.

Jason said he is also ready to move on with his good friend.

“Absolutely. Without a doubt, inequitably,” Jason Hope said. “Very happy he’s out. I can’t wait to talk to him in private.”

“I’m just heartbroken over the whole thing because he was a really good kid. He was one of my kids,” Mike Hope said.