The stepmother of the Utah girl murdered by her own mother while they were on a trip to Las Vegas issued a desperate plea for help in finding the 11-year-old just hours before the bodies of the pre-teen and her mother were found in a hotel room.
In a Facebook post shared with Us Weekly, McKennly Smith shared a missing poster featuring a photo of both Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, 38, smiling widely.
“My daughter Addi and her mom [are] missing,” McKennly wrote in the heartbreaking post. “Please share post and call or text with any information thank you!”
Little did McKennly know Addi was already dead — shot to death by her own mother on Saturday, February 14, while the two were staying at the Rio Hotel and Casino. McGeehan then died by suicide, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
According to investigators, no other hotel guests reported hearing gun shots.
The mother and daughter were in Las Vegas for a cheerleading competition. When Addi failed to show up for the competition on Sunday, February 15, others on her team started to worry about her and McGeehan.
Mom, Daughter Die in Murder-Suicide While in Vegas For Cheer Competition
Police knocked at their hotel room door that morning and cleared the scene when they got no response. However, hotel workers continued to field calls from loved ones in Utah, and cheer moms on the ground, to check in on the pair.
Security staff eventually opened the door four hours later, making the gruesome discovery.
McGeehan had been embroiled in a bitter custody dispute over Addi with her ex-husband, Brad Smith, that dragged on for nine years. During that time, she lost custody of Addi when a judge determined she took deliberate actions to try to alienate the girl from her father. The parents, though, had ironed out a coparenting agreement in recent years which split physical custody of Addi.
McGeehan left behind a note behind which police found in the room. Investigators have not disclosed the note’s contents.
Addi was a member of the Utah Xtreme Cheer (UXC) team.
Reports are now suggesting that McGeehan may have been on the receiving end of some vicious texts sent by other cheer moms.
Girl Killed by Mom During Cheer Trip Was at Center of Bitter Custody Battle
McGeehan, according to the New York Post, had been having issues with some of the other women who have daughters on the team.
“There’s one or two ladies that she never got along with and it got really bad a month ago,” said Tawnia’s mother, Connie McGeehan, speaking to the Post. “In the last comp[etition] 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. Cheer was her and Addi’s life. I think something happened the day before [they died] that made her spiral.”
Kory Uyetake, the UXC team owner, explained to the Post he was aware there had been “comments back and forth” between Tawnia and some of the other moms, but said all seemed normal Saturday, after the team traveled from Utah to Nevada for the competition.
Connie added that Tawnia also struggled with depression but noted that things seemed to be improving, after regaining custody of Addi.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
