By admin 
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Newly released records from the Clark County Coroner’s Office have revealed new details in the death of a Utah mother and her 11-year-old daughter found dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room back in February.
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Tawnia McGeehan, 34, and her 11-year-old daughter, identified as Addi Smith, were discovered deceased in their hotel room inside the Rio on Sunday, February 15.
McGeehan and her daughter had traveled from Utah to Las Vegas on February 13 to attend a cheerleading tournament where Smith was scheduled to participate with her team, Utah Xtreme Cheer.
After she failed to appear for the competition and family members could not reach the pair, officers conducted a welfare check at 11:44 a.m. The scene would later be cleared after receiving no response at the door.
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According to the coroner’s report, hotel security later entered the room to find a chair blocking the door with a handwritten note taped to it that said, “Call 911 before walking in. Two dead bodies and one is an 11-year-old.”
Both were pronounced dead at 7:15 p.m. The coroner’s office later ruled McGeehan’s death a suicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
According to the coroner’s report, investigators recovered additional notes that stated the child’s cell phone had been left open for photos and videos and indicated that the 11-year-old had been “very medicated” beforehand.
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Detectives recovered multiple prescription medication bottles bearing McGeehan’s name, over-the-counter sleep aids, THC cannabis gummies, empty gabapentin capsules, and a cup containing white residue in the trash.
A semi-automatic handgun was also recovered at the scene, according to the report.
Family members told investigators that McGeehan had suffered from severe depression and was experiencing significant distress over a prolonged custody battle with her ex-husband.
Court records show the pair had been locked in a custody battle since Smith was a toddler. McGeehan temporarily lost custody in 2020 over concerns regarding parental alienation and domestic conduct before reaching a joint custody agreement in 2024.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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