The trip to Las Vegas was supposed to be an ordinary weekend for 11-year-old Addilyn “Addi” Smith, a Utah cheerleader who had traveled with her mother for a major compeтιтion. Instead, the young athlete never made it to the event, and the search for her and her mother ended with one of the most disturbing discoveries at a Las Vegas H๏τel this year. Addi and her 34-year-old mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ inside their room at the Rio H๏τel & Casino on Feb. 15, 2026. Months later, newly released coroner records have provided a detailed look at what investigators found inside the room and what forensic testing revealed about their final hours.

McGeehan and Addi had traveled from Utah to Las Vegas on Feb. 13 for the cheerleading tournament, where Addi was scheduled to compete with Utah Xtreme Cheer. When the 11-year-old failed to appear, members of her cheer community became concerned. Family members also could not reach the pair. A welfare check was requested, sending Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers to the H๏τel. Officers knocked and attempted to make contact but initially received no response. Later, H๏τel personnel returned to the room and entered, discovering the mother and daughter ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

What investigators found inside made the scene even more disturbing. A chair had been positioned directly in front of the entrance, and a handwritten message instructed anyone approaching the room to call 911 before entering. The note warned that there were two ᴅᴇᴀᴅ bodies inside and specifically stated that one was an 11-year-old child. Investigators then found Addi and McGeehan together on one of the beds, both having suffered fatal gunsH๏τ wounds. A Ruger handgun was found with McGeehan.

According to the Clark County coroner’s findings, Addi’s death was classified as a homicide while McGeehan’s was classified as a suicide. The medical evidence established gunsH๏τ wounds as the causes of death. The newly released toxicology results also showed that both had multiple substances in their systems, including prescription medications and cannabinoids. Investigators documented prescription bottles, empty medication capsules, sleep aids, THC gummies and other items inside the room.

One handwritten note reportedly stated that Addi had been “very medicated” before her death. The toxicology findings provided additional forensic information, but authorities did not classify the deaths as drug overdoses. The gunsH๏τ wounds remained the official causes of death. The records therefore offer more information about what investigators found without establishing that the medications themselves caused the tragedy.

The investigation also examined McGeehan’s personal history. According to the coroner’s report, her family reported a history of severe depression and previous suicidal thoughts. Court records also show that McGeehan and Addi’s father, Bradley Smith, had been involved in a lengthy custody dispute. The legal battle included changes in custody over several years, and records indicate that the parents eventually had a joint custody arrangement. Authorities have not publicly identified one definitive motive that explains the killings.

The sequence of events before the discovery has also become clearer through previously released 911 records. Addi’s father contacted authorities after he could not reach his daughter and former wife. Her cheer team had also become alarmed after the young athlete failed to appear for the compeтιтion. Those calls ultimately led authorities toward the H๏τel room where the mother and daughter were found.

For Addi’s teammates, the tragedy began with an empty place at a compeтιтion. For investigators, it became a homicide investigation followed by a detailed forensic examination. And for the public, the newly released records have revealed a series of chilling details that were not known when the deaths first made headlines. Yet despite the additional evidence, some questions surrounding McGeehan’s final decisions remain unanswered.

Source: https://nypost.com/2026/09/16/us-news/disturbing-way-cheerleader-11-was-found-ᴅᴇᴀᴅ-after-utah-dance-mom-killed-her-in-murder-suicide-at-H๏τel/