A Las Vegas hotel room became the tragic final chapter in a decade-long battle, claiming the lives of a mother and her eleven-year-old daughter. Tawnia McGeehan and Addi Smith were found Sunday at the Rio Hotel & Casino, victims of a heartbreaking act that stemmed from years of escalating conflict.
Court records reveal a relentless custody dispute between McGeehan and Addi’s father, Brad Smith, beginning with their divorce in 2015. The fight wasn’t simply about time with their daughter; it was a meticulously controlled exchange, dictated by court orders designed to minimize contact and conflict.
The protocols were stark. During school exchanges, parents were ordered to park five spaces apart, forcing young Addi to walk between vehicles alone. When school wasn’t in session, the designated meeting point was the Herriman Police Department, a chillingly neutral location for a deeply personal handover. Communication was restricted to a court-approved app, and filming exchanges was forbidden.
The tension reached a breaking point in 2020 when McGeehan temporarily lost custody, accused of behavior that could alienate Addi from her father. Though a joint custody agreement was eventually reached in 2024, alternating weeks between parents, the underlying animosity clearly remained.
They traveled to Las Vegas for a cheerleading competition, a weekend meant to be filled with youthful energy and excitement. But when they failed to appear Sunday morning, a welfare check revealed the devastating truth. Authorities discovered a note, the contents of which remain private, alongside the two victims.
Beyond the legal battles, a shadow of conflict followed Addi into her extracurricular life. Her mother reportedly received hurtful messages from other parents on the Utah Xtreme Cheer team, escalating tensions that had been simmering for weeks. A recent confrontation in a waiting room hinted at the pressure building around Addi and her mother.
One mother described how blame was unfairly placed on Addi when a teammate was dropped during a routine, triggering a wave of accusatory texts directed at Tawnia. The cheer community, while aware of the “comments back and forth,” believed everything appeared normal leading up to the trip.
Police arrived at the hotel room after repeated attempts to contact the occupants went unanswered. After nearly an hour, hotel security, alerted by concerned family and friends, entered the room to find the unimaginable. The mother had shot her daughter, then herself.
The coroner confirmed McGeehan’s death was a suicide, caused by a gunshot wound to the head. Addi’s cause and manner of death are still pending, as investigators continue to piece together the events leading to this tragedy.
Addi’s aunt, Valerie Krystine Muniz, pleaded for an end to speculation, urging people to offer love and prayers to her grieving brother. She expressed a profound sense of failure, stating that “the system failed him and her.”
The cheerleading community is reeling, with Utah Xtreme Cheer cancelling all classes and sessions in mourning. Addi is remembered as a beloved athlete, a bright light extinguished far too soon. Another organization, Utah Cinderella, echoed the sentiment, vowing to never forget her kindness and smile.
A family member initiated a GoFundMe campaign, describing the loss as “unimaginable” and the family’s grief as “deep.” As the investigation continues, the focus remains on supporting those left behind and understanding the forces that led to this heartbreaking outcome.
One fellow cheer mom, grappling with the loss, is planning a mental health awareness and suicide prevention program at her daughter’s school, hoping to honor Addi’s memory and prevent future tragedies.
