Tawnia McGeehan Utah mom may have killed herself and pre-teen daughter, Addi Smith at Las Vegas hotel room ahead of youth cheer competition following gruelling 9 year divorce and bitter custody battle with ex husband, Bradley Smith.
A Utah mother who killed herself and her pre-teen daughter at a Las Vegas hotel room after having travelled for a cheer competition meet had spent years warring in custody battle with her ex husband.
Tawnia McGeehan, 38, of West Jordan, Utah had traveled with her 11-year-old daughter, Addi Smith to partake in that weekend’s cheer competition with her daughter’s team, Utah Xtreme Cheer.
After arriving Saturday for the meet, the mother and daughter were last seen alive later that evening just after 8p.m., only to fail to turn up for the actual completion on Sunday.
Ongoing divorce and bitter custody battle with ex husband
A welfare request led to the LMVD later that Sunday finding the two females deceased, each from the result of gunshot wounds. While addressing press, LVMPD Homicide Lt. Robert Price stated that investigators believe the mom shot her daughter then self at some point, Saturday night. Price added that a note was found as part of the investigation, but he was not at liberty to elaborate on its contents.
The tragedy led to a torrent of disconcert on the internet as social media commentators speculated as to what may have prompted the mother to take not only her own life but that of her daughter, Addi as well?
A report from the dailymail alluded to ongoing pressing issues related to her former husband, Bradley Smith.
Notes the outlet, ‘McGeehan had endured an exceptionally bitter custody battle with her ex-husband that they were ordered to park five spots apart during custody handovers for their daughter.’
Had there been recent revisions in custody case involving daughter Addi Smith?
Noted further the nypost citing 2024 divorce documents: ‘Court papers reveal McGeehan and her ex-husband, Brad Smith, spent a bitter nine years fighting for custody of Addi following their divorce — but the killer mom appeared to retain much of the control over her daughter, according to 2024 docs.’
Under their split custody arrangement, the court played a hand in orchestrating every detail of how the young girl was handed off between the parents after visits at their respective homes.
The couple was ordered to park their cars a full five spaces apart during custody handovers at Addi’s school, and she was made to walk between the parents’ vehicles by herself.
The parents were further warned never to film the custody handovers, and to stay away from one another at Addi’s school events.
The court instructed they attempt to resolve any issues that arise around parental decisions via email first, while deferring to “support professionals” including Addi’s teachers, pediatrician or therapist.
If they are unable to come to an agreement via email, both parents must attend a mediation session.
Murder-suicide motive
It appeared that the tragic murder-suicide was ultimately to some degree the result of ongoing stress, conflict and a mental health breakdown related to an ongoing custody battle with her ex.
Perhaps most vexing is why the mother chose to kill herself and her daughter at what ought to have been one of the highlight’s of a young girl’s life? Images shared on social media showed Addi as a rising star.
Other questions included why did the mother choose to take their lives in Las Vegas of all places and the evening prior to another meet? And what had she written in her suicide note and had she referenced her ex husband or even blamed the former partner for her demise?
Reflected one user on a Reddit thread: ‘The sad thing is that her daughter was probably her world too. Occasionally this kind of thing is done by an abusive partner to get back at their ex spouse one last time. But usually it’s a case of an extreme mental health episode and easy access to a deadly weapon. She probably loved her daughter very much and in her illness genuinely thought it was an act of love.
Stated another, ‘Cheer mom here, comps are extremely stressful, expensive and overstimulating. Could have pushed her to edge with current mental health issues. Not excusing it at all, cause my kids are my world, and what keeps me going.’
Reflected another, ‘This is my question. Why in Vegas? Why at the cheer competition? It doesn’t make sense. At. All. I’m heartbroken and have so many questions about this investigation.’
