An 11-year-old Utah cheerleader was found dead alongside her mother inside a Las Vegas hotel room, with newly released autopsy reports revealing disturbing details about the scene.
Addilyn Smith and her 34-year-old mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were discovered with fatal gunshot wounds to the head at the Rio Hotel and Casino on February 15.
Investigators said Addilyn’s face was covered by a pillow that had been pierced by a bullet. Her body was found lying beside her mother’s on one of the beds.
The pair had traveled from their home in West Jordan, a suburb of Salt Lake City, for a cheerleading competition.
Addilyn Smith was with her mom in Las Vegas at the time of her death for a cheer competition. Facebook/Tawnia McGeehan
Father Raised the Alarm
Concern grew after Addilyn and her mother failed to appear at the competition.
Brad Smith, Addilyn’s father and McGeehan’s ex-husband, had reportedly been unable to reach them on February 14. The former couple had been involved in a custody dispute over their daughter for roughly nine years, according to court records.
When the mother and daughter also failed to attend the cheer competition the following morning, Smith and other families connected to Addilyn’s team became increasingly worried.
A welfare check eventually led police to the hotel room.
Officers found a semi-automatic pistol on McGeehan’s chest. Addilyn was wearing pajama clothes and socks, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, and had been wrapped in a blanket.
A handwritten note taped to a chair near the entrance reportedly warned anyone entering the room to call 911 first, stating that there were “two dead bodies” and identifying one as an 11-year-old.
Tawnia Hope McGeehan, 34, of Utah, killed herself after murdering her 11-year-old daughter, Addilyn Smith earlier this year. Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary
Toxicology Reports Reveal Multiple Substances
Newly released toxicology reports showed that both McGeehan and Addilyn had several substances in their systems when they died.
Addilyn’s report listed quetiapine, gabapentin, lorazepam and diphenhydramine. McGeehan’s report contained those substances as well as eszopiclone or zopiclone, citalopram or escitalopram, desmethyl loperamide and cannabinoids.
Caffeine was also apparently detected in both.
Despite the presence of the various substances, the official cause of death for both mother and daughter was their gunshot wounds.
According to another handwritten note, McGeehan claimed Addilyn had been “very medicated” before her death and said the girl had slept cuddled with her.
The note also indicated that McGeehan had deliberately left Addilyn’s phone open so that photographs and videos of the child could be accessed.
Tawnia Hope McGeehan with her daughter Addilyn Smith. The mom killed her daughter before taking her own life. Facebook/Tawnia McGeehan
Stuffed Animals Left on the Other Bed
Investigators described the hotel room as containing Addilyn’s stuffed animals, which had been placed on the other bed.
The room also contained luggage, a bag of food, prescription medication bottles bearing McGeehan’s name, an opened package of THC gummies, broken or empty gabapentin capsules and a clear cup containing white residue.
The newly released records stated that McGeehan had reportedly been struggling with depression amid relationship breakups and her ongoing custody dispute with Brad Smith.
Her family also told investigators that she had a history of severe depression treated with prescription medication and had previously experienced suicidal thoughts.
Tensions Within the Cheer Community
In the weeks before the deaths, McGeehan had reportedly experienced conflict with one or two other mothers whose daughters were also members of the Utah Xtreme Cheer team.
Her mother, Connie McGeehan, previously told The Post that Tawnia had received what she described as “mean” text messages from other parents.
According to Connie, tensions escalated after another girl was dropped from the team, with some parents allegedly blaming Addilyn.
“Cheer was her and Addi’s life,” Connie said, adding that she believed something had happened the day before the deaths that caused her daughter to spiral.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths remain documented in the autopsy and investigative reports, while the family continues to mourn Addilyn, a young cheerleader whose life ended during what was supposed to be a trip for a competition.
