New Details Reveal 9-Year Custody Battle Behind Las Vegas Cheer Tragedy

A Cheer Competition Weekend That Ended in Tragedy

What was supposed to be a weekend filled with routines, team photos, and competition instead ended in tragedy inside a Las Vegas hotel room.

11-year-old Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, 38, were found deceased at the Rio Hotel & Casino after failing to appear at a scheduled cheer competition.

Authorities have stated the case is being investigated as a murder-suicide, with preliminary information indicating the mother shot her daughter before taking her own life. A note was found in the room, though its contents have not been released.

What Happened in Las Vegas

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded Sunday morning at approximately 10:45 a.m. to a welfare check at the Rio Hotel.

Officers, along with hotel security, attempted to contact the occupants of the room by knocking and calling. There was no response, and the call was initially cleared.

As concern continued throughout the day, hotel staff received repeated requests to check on the mother and daughter.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., security returned to the room. After several more attempts to make contact, they entered.

Inside, they discovered two deceased individuals.

Security exited immediately and contacted 911. Police returned, secured the scene, and homicide detectives began their investigation.

A Weekend That Never Happened

For many families in the cheer world, competition weekends are not simple trips.

They involve months of preparation, financial commitment, and emotional investment — including competition fees, travel, hotel stays, uniforms, and training.

This weekend was supposed to be one of those moments.

A team waiting. A performance planned. A child ready to take the floor.

That moment never came.

New Details: A 9-Year Custody Battle

Newly surfaced court records reveal that this tragedy followed nearly a decade of custody conflict between Addi’s parents after their 2015 divorce.

The custody arrangement was highly structured, reflecting ongoing tension between both parties.

• Custody exchanges required the parents to park five spaces apart, with Addi walking between vehicles alone.
• When school was not in session, exchanges took place outside a police department.
• The parents were instructed to avoid one another at school events.
• All communication was required to go through a court-approved app.
• Disputes had to be handled through a structured process involving email, mediation, and professional input.

The court granted McGeehan decision-making authority, while allowing Smith the ability to challenge decisions through the legal system.

For Addi, this meant growing up within a long-term custody conflict that required constant structure and separation.

A Child at the Center

For nearly nine years, Addi lived between two parents navigating a deeply strained relationship.

Custody exchanges, restricted communication, and court involvement became part of her normal life.

Situations like this place children in the middle of circumstances they cannot control — often carrying emotional weight that is not always visible from the outside.

A Community in Mourning

Utah Xtreme Cheer confirmed Addi’s passing in a statement, describing her as deeply loved and an important part of their team.

Teammates, coaches, and families across the country have responded with shock and heartbreak.

Memorials have begun forming as the cheer community comes together to support one another and honor her memory.

What Remains Unknown

While new details have emerged, there are still unanswered questions.

• The full sequence of events inside the hotel room
• The contents of the note found at the scene
• Any additional contributing factors leading up to that night
• Final forensic confirmation of the timeline

Authorities have not released further details at this time.

Ongoing Investigation

This case remains under active investigation.

Officials have stated that additional information will be released as it becomes available.

As more details emerge, the understanding of what led to this tragedy may continue to evolve.