Cheer mom, daughter dead in apparent murder-suicide after years-long custody fight: docs

A Utah cheer ma who constabulary accidental changeable her 11-year-old girl earlier turning the weapon connected herself wrong a Las Vegas edifice country had been locked successful a bitter, yearslong custody conflict with her ex-husband dating backmost to their 2015 divorce, according to tribunal records.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police person not publically identified the parent and girl recovered dormant Sunday astatine the Rio Hotel & Casino. However, tribunal documents and household members place them arsenic Tawnia McGeehan, 38, and Addi Smith, 11.

Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital amusement McGeehan and Addi’s father, Brad Smith, spent astir a decennary warring implicit custody arrangements, with judges imposing elaborate speech protocols governing however and wherever the parents could manus disconnected their daughter.

Under anterior tribunal orders, the parents were required to parkland 5 spaces isolated during schoolhouse custody exchanges, with Addi walking betwixt the vehicles alone. When schoolhouse was not successful session, exchanges were ordered to instrumentality spot extracurricular the Herriman Police Department astatine 9 a.m. The tribunal besides barred the parents from filming exchanges and required them to pass done a court-approved custody app.

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Addi Smith, 11, had traveled to Las Vegas for a nationalist cheer contention earlier she and her parent were recovered dormant astatine the Rio Hotel & Casino. Authorities accidental the probe remains ongoing. (GoFundMe)

At 1 constituent successful 2020, McGeehan temporarily mislaid custody aft a justice recovered she had engaged successful behaviour that could alienate Addi from her father, according to records obtained by Fox 5 Las Vegas. By 2024, the parents reached a associated ineligible and carnal custody agreement, alternating weeks.

The parent and girl were successful Las Vegas for a cheerleading contention erstwhile they failed to amusement up Sunday morning, prompting a payment check, authorities said.

The New York Post besides reported that McGeehan had precocious been receiving "mean" substance messages from different parents connected her daughter’s Utah Xtreme Cheer team.

Connie McGeehan, Tawnia’s mother, told the outlet that her girl had been having problems with "one oregon two" different mothers connected the squad and that tensions escalated astir a period earlier the tragedy.

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A wide presumption of the JAMZ Nationals cheerleading contention successful Las Vegas, wherever a Utah parent and girl were successful municipality for the lawsuit earlier being recovered dormant astatine a adjacent hotel.

"In the past comp they had, different miss got dropped and immoderate of the moms were saying it was due to the fact that of Addi," Connie McGeehan told The Post. "They were texting [Tawnia] mean worldly and blaming Addi."

The Post cited a root adjacent to the squad who said determination had been a caller "confrontation" betwixt McGeehan and different parent successful a waiting room. Utah Xtreme Cheer proprietor Kory Uyetake told the outlet helium was alert of "comments backmost and forth" betwixt McGeehan and immoderate different parents but said everything appeared mean erstwhile the squad traveled to Las Vegas.

One of the different cheer moms who spoke with Fox News Digital confirmed determination had been tensions among immoderate parents but said the absorption present is connected the children grieving.

She said her girl has been taking the nonaccomplishment hard but plans to motorboat a intelligence wellness consciousness and termination prevention programme astatine her schoolhouse adjacent twelvemonth successful grant of her friend.

LVMPD homicide Lt. Robert Price said officers were called to the edifice astir 10:45 a.m. section time. After knocking and calling into the country for 15 to 20 minutes without a response, officers cleared the call.

Hotel information aboriginal received further accusation from household and friends and returned to the country astatine astir 2:30 p.m., wherever they entered and recovered some victims dead.

"The parent changeable her girl and past changeable herself," Price said astatine a Monday quality conference. He said a enactment was near down but declined to sermon its contents. The probe remains ongoing.

The coroner ruled McGeehan’s origin of decease arsenic a gunshot coiled to the caput and listed the mode of decease arsenic suicide. Addi's origin and mode of decease stay pending.

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A presumption of the Rio Hotel & Casino exterior and surrounding scenery successful Las Vegas connected Nov. 11, 2025. (Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service Via Getty Images)

Authorities person not released further details astir a imaginable motive. When contacted for further comment, Metro Police said they bash not person immoderate caller updates.

Valerie Krystine Muniz, who identified herself connected societal media arsenic Addi’s aunt and the sister of her father, urged radical to halt speculating arsenic the household grieves.

"We already spot truthful overmuch speculation going astir truthful delight assistance successful conscionable spreading emotion and prayers portion my member tries to prime up the pieces of what has happened," Muniz wrote.

"I person ne'er known a antheral to emotion and combat for his girl similar helium has done each of Addi’s life," she added. "The strategy failed him and her."

Muniz did not elaborate.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, traveled to Las Vegas for a cheer contention earlier they were recovered dormant wrong a edifice country astatine the Rio Hotel & Casino. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police are investigating the case. (FACEBOOK/ Tawnia Hope McGeehan)

A GoFundMe leafage created by a household subordinate described the nonaccomplishment arsenic "unimaginable," saying the household is successful "deep daze and grief" arsenic they navigate the hard days ahead.

Utah Xtreme Cheer, the nine Addi was a subordinate of, said it was "completely heartbroken."

"With the heaviest hearts, we stock the devastating quality that our saccharine jock Addi has passed away," the enactment said. "She was truthful beyond loved, and she volition ever beryllium a portion of the UXC family."

In a aboriginal update, the gym announced it would cancel each classes and unfastened gym sessions for the remainder of the week.

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Utah Cinderella, a pageant enactment Addi participated in, besides expressed sorrow, saying her "bright grin and kindness volition ne'er beryllium forgotten."

Utah Fusion All Stars, different cheer gym wherever Addi antecedently trained, said she "was perfectly loved" and would beryllium remembered for the "light that she brought to her teams and to our gym."

Fox News Digital reached retired to Utah Xtreme Cheer for comment.

Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].