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

[sls314]

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.

I'm not sure why she bought the gun. However, the family member she lived with said that she purchased the gun over a year ago, and no one in the household knew she had it.

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

Connie, who has a seven-bedroom home in Salt Lake City, said Tawnia and Addi had been living with her and other family members for some time.

Connie said she wasn’t aware Tawnia owned a gun, let alone carried it interstate.

“[We’ve since learned] she bought it over a year ago,” she said.

 

[Athos65]

I'm not sure why she bought the gun. However, the family member she lived with said that she purchased the gun over a year ago, and no one in the household knew she had it.

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

Connie, who has a seven-bedroom home in Salt Lake City, said Tawnia and Addi had been living with her and other family members for some time.

Connie said she wasn’t aware Tawnia owned a gun, let alone carried it interstate.

“[We’ve since learned] she bought it over a year ago,” she said.

I am on the fence about the wisdom of owning a weapon on the sly while living in someone else's home. If it's your own home and you're the head of household, that's one thing. But this is a woman who is going through a divorce, has a young child, is suddenly in her mother's home and acquires a gun.

This is a conversation people who share a space, especially family, should have openly. "I am thinking of doing this, is that ok with you?" I, for one, would expect to be told, and would also expect to be apprised of how the weapon will be stored, etc.

Poor family. This is just not a good story from any angle.

 

[SimplyCass]

So she had lost custody of her before. But won her back at some point. Makes me wonder if she thought she was going to lose her again. No excuse to do what she did but people can react terribly when backed into a corner. Sound's like step Mom also caused Issues.

(RSBM) can I get a source on this?

 

[SpicyFruit]

(RSBM) can I get a source on this?

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

"Years of legal battles preceded tragedy​

Court documents obtained by FOX5 show McGeehan and her ex-husband, Brad Smith, had been involved in a custody dispute since Addi was a toddler.

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.

By 2024, McGeehan and Smith had reached an agreement. The court awarded joint legal and physical custody with one week on and one week off."