A handwritten warning found at the entrance of a Las Vegas H๏τel room has emerged as one of the most haunting details in the deaths of Utah mother Tawnia McGeehan and her 11-year-old daughter, Addilyn Smith. The pair were found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at the Rio H๏τel & Casino on Feb. 15 after traveling from Utah for a cheerleading tournament. The latest coroner records released in September have revealed new information about the scene and the forensic investigation that followed.

According to investigators, a chair had been positioned immediately in front of the room’s entrance. A handwritten message attached to the chair warned anyone approaching to call 911 before going inside and stated that two ᴅᴇᴀᴅ bodies were in the room, one of them an 11-year-old child. The warning was among several pieces of handwritten material investigators recovered from the scene.

Inside the room, investigators found Addi and her mother lying together on a bed. Both had suffered fatal gunsH๏τ wounds. McGeehan was found with a Ruger handgun, and the coroner ultimately classified her death as a suicide. Addi’s death was classified as a homicide. The official causes of death were gunsH๏τ wounds.

The scene contained additional evidence that became significant after toxicology testing. Prescription bottles, empty medication capsules, sleep aids and THC gummies were among the items investigators documented. The toxicology reports showed that both McGeehan and Addi had multiple substances in their systems. The findings included prescription medications and cannabinoids, although the coroner did not conclude that either died from an overdose.

One of the handwritten messages reportedly indicated that Addi had been “very medicated” before the shooting. That detail became particularly significant because the forensic report later confirmed the presence of several substances in her system. However, investigators’ official conclusions remained focused on the fatal gunsH๏τ injuries. The toxicology evidence adds context to the scene but does not independently establish why McGeehan made the decision to kill her daughter.

The events leading to the discovery began when Addi did not appear at the cheerleading tournament. Her team expected her to compete, and concern grew when she failed to arrive. A welfare check was requested, and officers went to the Rio. Initial attempts to make contact were unsuccessful. Later, H๏τel security entered the room and discovered the bodies.

Investigators also examined McGeehan’s background. The coroner’s report references a history of severe depression and previous suicidal ideation reported by family members. Court documents separately reveal years of custody litigation involving Addi’s parents. These circumstances have been reported as part of the case’s background, but authorities have not publicly declared a single motive connecting all of those factors directly to the killings.

The newly released records therefore provide something that the first reports could not: a detailed look inside the room and at the evidence collected there. They reveal the handwritten warning, the medication evidence, the firearm and the official forensic conclusions. But perhaps the most difficult question remains outside the documents entirely — what happened during the final hours before Addi was supposed to walk onto the compeтιтion floor?

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/