Found Deceased NV - Mother and young daughter: Tawnia McGeehan and Addi Smith missing in Las Vegas after not arriving for cheer competition. February 14, 2026

[keek]

Although court documents may not tell the whole story, there is documentation that the courts did find problematic behavior from the mom:

Docs reveal longtime custody dispute after mother, daughter found dead in Las Vegas hotel

A mother shot and killed her 11-year-old daughter before turning the gun on herself in a Las Vegas hotel room over the weekend in an apparent murder-suicide, police said.

www.fox5vegas.com

McGeehan temporarily lost custody of Addi in 2020 after the court determined she had acted in ways that could alienate the child from the father. Documents also revealed she had committed domestic abuse in front of Addi and said McGeehan’s ability to co-parent was in serious question.

It was clear re the mother and look what 'the mother did'. Enough said. IMO

 

[georgiajean]

Custody battles can be so ugly. And it does not excuse this person for what they did (killing their child).

I do wonder where the truth was in the years of custody issues. Anger and hurt can cause people to be adamant about "winning" instead of putting the child's needs first. No child needs to see their parents at war constantly.

I wonder what caused the parents to split up originally?
When did the new wife enter the picture?

 

[Detectivediva]

For those of you questioning why no one seemed to notice the gunshots, a silencer could have been used.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

For those of you questioning why no one seemed to notice the gunshots, a silencer could have been used.

I learnt on this site that a silencer doesn't silence a gunshot sound enough to not be heard.

 

[Detectivediva]

I learnt on this site that a silencer doesn't silence a gunshot sound enough to not be heard.

Admittedly so, but it certainly would help.

 

[websleuth314]

Exclusive | Utah dance mom ‘spiraled’ after getting ‘mean’ texts from another parent before murder-suicide: sources

“There’s one or two ladies that she never got along with and it got really bad a month ago,” Connie McGeehan, 61, told The Post.

nypost.com

Tawnia McGeehan, 38, had been having problems with “one or two” other women with daughters in the Utah Xtreme Cheer (UXC) team, of which her daughter, Addi Smith, was a part, according to her mother.

“There’s one or two ladies that she never got along with, and it got really bad a month ago,” Connie McGeehan, 61, claimed to The Post.

“In the last comp they had, another girl got dropped and some of the moms were saying it was because of Addi. They were texting [Tawnia] mean stuff and blaming Addi.

 

[airportwoman]

I am struck by the fact that two shots were reportedly fired, and they went unnoticed. I don't know if this speaks to the fact that the hotel itself is noisy, that the floor where the room is located was empty when it happened, or that people assumed it was a movie or some other banging noise coming from the room.

I'm thinking the "mother" may have used a silencer.

 

[icerink47]

The fact that the car was still in the hotel parking lot is very concerning. That suggests they didn’t plan to go far, if at all. I hope LE is pulling camera footage from the hotel and surrounding areas.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

At first, I was thinking this act to be an act of premeditated vengeance. Learning more and more, I see more of the troubled woman.
This new added speculation of nastiness do add additional spotlight on the competitiveness of mothers of these pre-teen girls....
We've seen movies of this stuff. And I really hope it does not become front and center in this sad sad story.
moo.

I do wonder why she bought a gun "a year ago".

 

[Sarahlou]

Disgusting. The poor girl, had her whole life ahead of her. Nobody has the right to take that away.

 

[Athos65]

I'm thinking the "mother" may have used a silencer.

I am uncomfortable with the use of "mother"...granted, Ms. McGeehan committed a heinous act taking her daughter's life, but it seems up to that point, while struggling with depression and mental issues, she was close to the child.

Who knows, really, what was happening to Ms. McGeehan? Who knows, really, what any of us are experiencing or how well or poorly we manage our struggles? There is the inevitable fact that she murdered her child, and that is unforgivable. We can "backseat drive" and say "she should've " this, or that, or the other, but we were not inside her head or within her circumstances.

None of us are born knowing how to be mothers. It is an ongoing process; my youngest is in his 30s, and I'm still learning. And, mind you, I was not very young when he was born. A mother is, ultimately, a human being who enters this relationship with a child (whether by giving birth, adopting, fostering, voluntarily, by accident...so many factors) while carrying with her the frailties, concerns, fears, strengths, experiences of her lifetime until that moment. If she had some sort of trauma, regardless of the joy she felt in her mothering experience, that's in there as well.

My opinion, and I agree its value and soundness is debatable, is based on experience. My mother was mentally ill from childhood, and it impacted all her children; some of us turned out mentally healthy, and some of us didn't. We have all, in one or another way, inadvertently, even without realizing, repeating patterns we experienced. Some of us caught it in time, and some of us remain oblivious.

I grieve this child because she was an innocent, but I also feel for a young woman who obviously, perhaps while cycling through feelings she couldn't control and had not sought help for, reached the moment when her child's life was expendable. Even her mom didn't know it was as bad as this, and she had obviously shared with her mother her concerns and her difficulties with other cheer moms.

Some people can find their way out of the darkness, some people generate their own darkness, and others can't escape it. That a child's life has been cut tragically short because of her mother's mental health issues (because that is what it was, ultimately, that caused this...along with a gun she shouldn't have had) is inexcusable.

This is just my opinion, of course. I, personally and on this Ash Wednesday, cannot erase the entire endeavor of her life with Addi. What she did was horrible. That she did it in a spirit of evil and hate for her child, I doubt...I hope it's not true.

 

[Athos65]

Disgusting. The poor girl, had her whole life ahead of her. Nobody has the right to take that away.

No, that's absolutely true. That it was her mom who did it makes it even worse. I agree there is not a thing about this that isn't horrible.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

This case seems to be slow on the uptick here on WS. But social media is ablaze over it.

With all the accusations of the ongoing trauma in their lives, this case with such a black and white ending will be showing lots of "ugly gray" .

I am glad to see that Nate Eaton is covering it, and I always feel he is always fair and responsible in his coverage. He covers so much in those Western states.

We just have to give this story some time to sort itself out....... I am hoping we will see more coming out of East Idaho News.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

It seems mothers who do this get more empathy than fathers who do this. Something to think about, IMO.

 

[Athos65]

It seems mothers who do this get more empathy than fathers who do this. Something to think about, IMO.

I agree there seems to be a double standard, but I am a woman and I can identify with mothers better than with fathers. I've experienced the same highs, lows, the same expectations that are often put on us so it's easier to look at it from the perspective of a woman's life.

I remember one case, over 25 years ago and in CA, when a father killed his son and then himself. The particulars were very specific: the son was a teenager or adult with ASD, and we (my husband and I) were shocked and appalled that this would happen.

Fast-forward to now, and our experiences with the difficulties, lack of support, etc. that come with raising a child and then caring for an adult with ASD. Unless you make a concerted effort to find your peace and make your way through the complexities of the situation, it would be fairly easy to "break". While before we couldn't understand the distress the father was under that would lead to such actions, now we can see better how it would be overwhelming.

It's the good ol' "walk a mile in the person's shoes", and I've walked miles in women's shoes, in parents of I/DD individuals' shoes, etc. so I can try (and not always succeed at) empathy.

But, yes, you are correct. The forgiveness and empathy are more readily extended to mothers in these scenarios...though Susan Smith I still have trouble with all these many years later.

 

[SpicyFruit]

This case seems to be slow on the uptick here on WS. But social media is ablaze over it.

With all the accusations of the ongoing trauma in their lives, this case with such a black and white ending will be showing lots of "ugly gray" .

I am glad to see that Nate Eaton is covering it, and I always feel he is always fair and responsible in his coverage. He covers so much in those Western states.

We just have to give this story some time to sort itself out....... I am hoping we will see more coming out of East Idaho News.

my algorithm has been picking up so many small stories about this so I have seen so many little "news" updates. It's hard to know what is true though. I have not shared any of the so called reporters because I am unsure if they are legit or not. I have been waiting for something from bigger MSM or LE. I would love to see a better timeline.

 

[Athos65]

I would love to see something more than the social media angle. There is more that was happening in this woman's life. Aside from the custody case, the mean moms...what made her feel she needed a weapon?

1) When did they arrive in LV and checked into the hotel?
2) Were more people participating in the competition staying at the same hotel?
3) When were they last seen by the rest of the group and what happened during that interaction?

My children were never into this sort of activity; we were never the family that traveled for competitions, etc. The oldest was a theater nerd, and competitions that were out of town he navigated with the chaperones, always keeping us informed. We were not, regrettably, in a position to go with him, and he was a teenager already.

Is there anyone here who can give a clearer picture of how these meets work? I am sure that, as with professional conferences, there are sign ins, getting-to-know-you gatherings, meetings to discuss schedules for training, etc. At some point, something happened that this was triggered.

Why travel and wait until you are in the room to do this? She could have done this anywhere along the way. This is what I'm thinking.

Of course, untried in these matters as I am, these are all opinions and questions I've been mulling over. I will gladly accept being told to sit in a corner and say nothing.

 

[SpicyFruit]

Mom has some interesting Threads replies her IG is tawnia.hope she mentions her daughter having a terrible experience with a haircut & the Dad & Step Mom. So what else was this child going through?

 

[Sleuthster]

I would love to see something more than the social media angle. There is more that was happening in this woman's life. Aside from the custody case, the mean moms...what made her feel she needed a weapon?

1) When did they arrive in LV and checked into the hotel?
2) Were more people participating in the competition staying at the same hotel?
3) When were they last seen by the rest of the group and what happened during that interaction?

My children were never into this sort of activity; we were never the family that traveled for competitions, etc. The oldest was a theater nerd, and competitions that were out of town he navigated with the chaperones, always keeping us informed. We were not, regrettably, in a position to go with him, and he was a teenager already.

Is there anyone here who can give a clearer picture of how these meets work? I am sure that, as with professional conferences, there are sign ins, getting-to-know-you gatherings, meetings to discuss schedules for training, etc. At some point, something happened that this was triggered.

Why travel and wait until you are in the room to do this? She could have done this anywhere along the way. This is what I'm thinking.

Of course, untried in these matters as I am, these are all opinions and questions I've been mulling over. I will gladly accept being told to sit in a corner and say nothing.

Two of my children played the bagpipes in middle and high school. we traveled for competitions about 6 or 7 times per year on weekends. Usually in our state of Florida and also went to Atlanta and NC once a year. The whole band went to Scotland every 4 years to compete. They both had their turn to go. When there father and I went with them the bands usually rented the whole floor at hotel. the kids would want to hang out at night, no comingling only same sex in rooms. adults took turns walking the halls lol to make sure they didnt sneak out. When they went without us we had no concern if they were safe or not. There was no bullying or hostilities among the parents because we had a common goal of keeping the kids safe and let them compete and have fun.
I don't understand if its true why people have to be mean to other parents. It's really sad but not an excuse to kill your child.

 

[SpicyFruit]

I would love to see something more than the social media angle. There is more that was happening in this woman's life. Aside from the custody case, the mean moms...what made her feel she needed a weapon?

1) When did they arrive in LV and checked into the hotel?
2) Were more people participating in the competition staying at the same hotel?
3) When were they last seen by the rest of the group and what happened during that interaction?

My children were never into this sort of activity; we were never the family that traveled for competitions, etc. The oldest was a theater nerd, and competitions that were out of town he navigated with the chaperones, always keeping us informed. We were not, regrettably, in a position to go with him, and he was a teenager already.

Is there anyone here who can give a clearer picture of how these meets work? I am sure that, as with professional conferences, there are sign ins, getting-to-know-you gatherings, meetings to discuss schedules for training, etc. At some point, something happened that this was triggered.

Why travel and wait until you are in the room to do this? She could have done this anywhere along the way. This is what I'm thinking.

Of course, untried in these matters as I am, these are all opinions and questions I've been mulling over. I will gladly accept being told to sit in a corner and say nothing.

A lot of this depends on the gym. Some gyms layout the entire plans for you, and some give you some grace to do your own thing here and there. My kids did competitive Cheer, our gym sent out expectations for practice times & team bonding but did not always tell us when we had to arrive or stay. Although some gyms do require you to stay at a specific hotel together and even arrive, not all do. But, you become almost like family in Allstar because you do travel so frequently (sometimes once a month). Anything from two moms with two daughters sharing a room to save, or traveling together, maybe booking flights together or driving together. If we did not have to stay in a specific hotel, we often booked hotels with several other teammates so the kids could get together, in the AM to get ready or in the afternoon to hang out. This is why I could see if they were not being accepted that they might feel down about it. They were brand new at this Gym too so I am sure there was already some hard times trying to fit in. I would say an example schedule would be
Saturday was Comp day so
Arrival Thursday
Friday practice sometimes twice at a local gym renting out mat space, or maybe a banquet room
Team bonding Friday at some point
Early Am Saturday up, get ready, head to venue HOURS before warm ups. I did look up the schedule for this competition and if I am correct on her team they competed really early in the morning (9ish I think it was), so their day would have started probably between 5am and 6am... arrival at venue between 6 and 7.

This is all just MOO