Cheer mom, daughter dead in apparent murder-suicide after years-long custody fight: docs
A Utah cheer mom who police say shot her 11-year-old daughter before turning the gun on herself inside a Las Vegas hotel room had been locked in a bitter, yearslong custody battle with her ex-husband dating back to their 2015 divorce, according to court records.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have not publicly identified the mother and daughter found dead Sunday at the Rio Hotel & Casino. However, court documents and family members identify them as Tawnia McGeehan, 38, and Addi Smith, 11.
Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show McGeehan and Addi’s father, Brad Smith, spent nearly a decade fighting over custody arrangements, with judges imposing detailed exchange protocols governing how and where the parents could hand off their daughter.
Under prior court orders, the parents were required to park five spaces apart during school custody exchanges, with Addi walking between the vehicles alone. When school was not in session, exchanges were ordered to take place outside the Herriman Police Department at 9 a.m. The court also barred the parents from filming exchanges and required them to communicate through a court-approved custody app.
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At one point in 2020, McGeehan temporarily lost custody after a judge found she had engaged in conduct that could alienate Addi from her father, according to records obtained by Fox 5 Las Vegas. By 2024, the parents reached a joint legal and physical custody agreement, alternating weeks.
The mother and daughter were in Las Vegas for a cheerleading competition when they failed to show up Sunday morning, prompting a welfare check, authorities said.
The New York Post also reported that McGeehan had recently been receiving "mean" text messages from other parents on her daughter’s Utah Xtreme Cheer team.
Connie McGeehan, Tawnia’s mother, told the outlet that her daughter had been having problems with "one or two" other mothers on the team and that tensions escalated about a month before the tragedy.
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"In the last comp they had, another girl got dropped and some of the moms were saying it was because of Addi," Connie McGeehan told The Post. "They were texting [Tawnia] mean stuff and blaming Addi."
The Post cited a source close to the team who said there had been a recent "confrontation" between McGeehan and another mother in a waiting room. Utah Xtreme Cheer owner Kory Uyetake told the outlet he was aware of "comments back and forth" between McGeehan and some other parents but said everything appeared normal when the team traveled to Las Vegas.
One of the other cheer moms who spoke with Fox News Digital confirmed there had been tensions among some parents but said the focus now is on the children grieving.
She said her daughter has been taking the loss hard but plans to launch a mental health awareness and suicide prevention program at her school next year in honor of her friend.
LVMPD homicide Lt. Robert Price said officers were called to the hotel around 10:45 a.m. local time. After knocking and calling into the room for 15 to 20 minutes without a response, officers cleared the call.
Hotel security later received additional information from family and friends and returned to the room at approximately 2:30 p.m., where they entered and found both victims dead.
"The mother shot her daughter and then shot herself," Price said at a Monday news conference. He said a note was left behind but declined to discuss its contents. The investigation remains ongoing.
The coroner ruled McGeehan’s cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head and listed the manner of death as suicide. Addi's cause and manner of death remain pending.
Authorities have not released additional details about a possible motive. When contacted for further comment, Metro Police said they do not have any new updates.
Valerie Krystine Muniz, who identified herself on social media as Addi’s aunt and the sister of her father, urged people to stop speculating as the family grieves.
"We already see so much speculation going around so please help in just spreading love and prayers while my brother tries to pick up the pieces of what has happened," Muniz wrote.
"I have never known a man to love and fight for his daughter like he has done all of Addi’s life," she added. "The system failed him and her."
Muniz did not elaborate.
A GoFundMe page created by a family member described the loss as "unimaginable," saying the family is in "deep shock and grief" as they navigate the difficult days ahead.
Utah Xtreme Cheer, the club Addi was a member of, said it was "completely heartbroken."
"With the heaviest hearts, we share the devastating news that our sweet athlete Addi has passed away," the organization said. "She was so beyond loved, and she will always be a part of the UXC family."
In a later update, the gym announced it would cancel all classes and open gym sessions for the remainder of the week.
Utah Cinderella, a pageant organization Addi participated in, also expressed sorrow, saying her "bright smile and kindness will never be forgotten."
Utah Fusion All Stars, another cheer gym where Addi previously trained, said she "was absolutely loved" and would be remembered for the "light that she brought to her teams and to our gym."
Fox News Digital reached out to Utah Xtreme Cheer for comment.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.