Cheerleading trip to Las Vegas ends in 'unimaginable loss' as court docs reveal Utah mom's dark past before murder-suicide

A Utah mother murdered her 11-year-old daughter in a Las Vegas hotel room, then committed suicide during a cheerleading competition trip, according to authorities.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that officers were dispatched for a welfare check of a mother and daughter at 10:43 a.m. Sunday at the Rio Hotel & Casino.

'There are no words for the loss we all feel. Our hearts are completely shattered for the family and friends of Addi.'

Police officers knocked on the hotel room door several times but did not get a response; they left the hotel because "there was no belief that either was in danger" based on the details at the time.

"As the day progressed, security personnel got additional requests to check on the mother and daughter," according to the press release.

Police said "security personnel" from the hotel entered the room at approximately 2:27 p.m., and they "located the two females unresponsive."

The news release said the mother and daughter were "both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds."

Both were pronounced dead at the crime scene when police arrived, according to the statement.

Police stated, "Based on the preliminary evidence at the scene, detectives were able to determine the mother shot her daughter before shooting herself."

Police Lt. Robert Price revealed there was a note left in the room but did not specify what the note said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Price added, "This is a sad and tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family."

According to KSNV-TV, the Clark County Coroner's Office confirmed the identities of the deceased as 34-year-old Tawnia McGeehan and 11-year-old Addilyn Smith — also known as Addi.

A spokesperson for the Rio Hotel & Casino told KTNV-TV, "We are aware of the incident that occurred at the resort."

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The New York Post, citing court documents from McGeehan's divorce, reported that the girl's parents "went through an ugly custody dispute" in 2015.

Court docs added that McGeehan and her ex-husband, Brad Smith, spent nine years fighting for custody of Addi after their divorce.

The couple were "ordered to park their cars five spaces apart during custody handovers at Addi’s school, and she was made to walk between the parents’ vehicles by herself," the Post reported.

When Addi didn't go to school, both parents went to the Herriman Police Department in Utah to exchange the child, according to court documents.

The Review-Journal in a separate story citing Provo District Court records reported that Addi's parents had "disputed about a number of things, including custody, child support, and where the girl would attend school."

The situation escalated in 2020 when a judge granted Smith sole custody of Addi after revelations that McGeehan had "committed domestic abuse in the presence of the minor child" and was "subjecting the child to behavior on the spectrum of parental alienation," court records said.

According to the Review-Journal, "A year later, the court required that McGeehan’s visits be supervised by friends and relatives."

The paper noted, "Much of the case file is sealed from public view, making it unclear which parent had physical custody of Addi at the time of her death."

Addi was a cheerleader for Utah Xtreme Cheer, which was "heartbroken" over the "devastating news."

Utah Xtreme Cheer released a statement:

With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away. We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved, and she will always be a part of the UXC family. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send them love as they navigate this unimaginable loss. We ask that you respect their privacy during this time. Addi, we love you tremendously.

The cheerleading group also noted that all classes and open gyms "will be cancelled for the remainder of the week" as they attempt to "navigate through this difficult time."

The Black Diamond Gym said on social media:

There are no words for the loss we all feel. Our hearts are completely shattered for the family and friends of Addi. The cheer world will never be the same, the hole in our hearts will never be filled, we are absolutely devastated by this loss. Addi was a longtime athlete of Fusion and current athlete of UXC, I can’t imagine what they are going through. We love you so much and are so sorry for your loss.

The Salem Police Department in Utah said in a press release that Addi was the niece of one of its sergeants.

"While the details of this loss are difficult to process, we are coming together as a department to support Sergeant Smith and his family during this unimaginable time," the statement read.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched by Addi's uncle to help pay for funeral expenses.

"My brother Brad is facing an unimaginable loss after his daughter Addi was tragically taken from our family," the crowdfunding page said.

"This heartbreaking event has left the family in deep shock and grief, struggling to come to terms with the sudden loss of Addi in such a way," the GoFundMe campaign stated.

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