The Clark County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report for Tawnia McGeehan and her 11-year-old daughter Addilyn “Addi” Smith has been made public, seven months after the mother and daughter were found dead inside a room at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The report, obtained by TMZ and News 3 Las Vegas in September 2026, confirmed that McGeehan, 34, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The coroner ruled her death a suicide. Addi died from a gunshot wound to the head. The coroner ruled her death a homicide.
The findings add significant new detail to a case that first gained national attention in February 2026. Toxicology testing revealed that both McGeehan and her daughter had multiple medications in their systems. Officers who entered the hotel room documented prescription bottles belonging to McGeehan, an open package of THC cannabis gummies, over-the-counter sleep medication, broken and empty gabapentin capsules, a clear cup containing white residue, cartridge casings on the floor, and a Ruger handgun.
A handwritten note found inside the room stated that Addi had been “very medicated” before the shooting. A separate note had been placed on the outside of the hotel room door, reading: “Call 911 before walking in. Two dead bodies and one is an 11-year-old.”
The mother and daughter had traveled from Utah to Las Vegas for the JAMZ Nationals cheerleading competition. Addi performed with her team, Utah Xtreme Cheer, on February 14, 2026. The bodies were discovered the following day after Addi’s father, Bradley Smith, called police requesting a welfare check when neither responded to calls or messages.
This article covers every verified aspect of the case, from the autopsy and toxicology findings to the nine-year custody battle, the reported bullying from other cheer parents, the 911 call sequence, and the community response.
What the Autopsy and Toxicology Reports Revealed
The Clark County Medical Examiner’s report confirmed the causes and manners of death and documented the substances found both at the scene and in the systems of both the mother and daughter.
Cheerleader Mother-Daughter Murder-Suicide: Weed Gummies, Prescription Bottles Found at Scene https://t.co/vwhc0GzCQC
— TMZ (@TMZ) September 14, 2026
Official Cause and Manner of Death
| Person | Cause of Death | Manner of Death |
|---|---|---|
| Tawnia Hope McGeehan, 34 | Gunshot wound to the head | Suicide |
| Addilyn “Addi” Smith, 11 | Gunshot wound to the head | Homicide |
The medical examiner did not list the medications found in either person’s system as contributing to the cause of death. Both deaths were attributed solely to gunshot wounds.
Items Found Inside the Hotel Room
Responding officers documented the following inside the room at the Rio Hotel and Casino:
- Multiple prescription medication bottles belonging to Tawnia McGeehan
- An open package of THC cannabis gummies
- Bottles of over-the-counter sleep medication
- Broken and empty gabapentin capsules
- A clear cup containing white residue near a trash can
- Cartridge casings on the floor
- A Ruger handgun
- Two handwritten notes inside the room (one stating Addi had been “very medicated”)
- One handwritten note on the outside of the room door
Toxicology Results for Tawnia McGeehan
| Substance | Common Medical Use |
|---|---|
| Quetiapine | Antipsychotic; treats depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia |
| Diphenhydramine | Antihistamine with sedative effects; found in OTC sleep aids |
| Gabapentin | Treats nerve pain, seizures, and sometimes anxiety |
| Lorazepam | Benzodiazepine; treats anxiety and insomnia |
| Eszopiclone or zopiclone | Prescription sleep medications |
| Citalopram or escitalopram | SSRI antidepressants; treat depression and anxiety |
| Desmethylloperamide | Metabolite of loperamide (OTC anti-diarrheal) |
| Cannabinoids | Presumptively detected (consistent with THC gummies found at scene) |
| Caffeine | Presumptively detected |
Toxicology Results for Addi Smith (Age 11)
| Substance | Common Medical Use |
|---|---|
| Quetiapine | Antipsychotic |
| Diphenhydramine | Sedating antihistamine |
| Gabapentin | Nerve pain and seizure medication |
| Lorazepam | Anti-anxiety benzodiazepine |
The presence of four prescription-grade medications in the child’s system is consistent with the note found at the scene stating that Addi had been “very medicated” before her death. Whether any of these medications were legitimately prescribed for Addi has not been addressed in the publicly available portions of the report.
Complete Timeline of the Tawnia McGeehan and Addi Smith Case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Tawnia McGeehan and Bradley Smith divorce |
| 2015 to 2020 | Years-long custody proceedings over daughter Addi |
| 2020 | Court awards sole custody to Bradley Smith; order states McGeehan was “subjecting the child to behavior that is on the spectrum of parental alienation” and had “committed domestic abuse in the presence of the minor child” |
| 2021 | McGeehan files for a temporary restraining order seeking supervised visitation with Addi |
| 2024 | Court modifies the divorce decree; joint legal and physical custody awarded with alternating weeks; exchanges required at Addi’s school or at a police station when school is not in session |
| January 2026 | Reports of escalating tensions between McGeehan and other cheer parents; another girl is dropped during a routine, and some parents blame Addi; McGeehan receives “mean” text messages |
| February 14, 2026 (Saturday) | Tawnia and Addi travel to Las Vegas for the JAMZ Nationals cheer competition; Addi performs with Utah Xtreme Cheer that day |
| Late February 14, 2026 | Police believe McGeehan shot Addi and then herself at the Rio Hotel and Casino |
| February 15, 2026, approx. 10:43 a.m. | Bradley Smith calls LVMPD dispatch requesting a welfare check at the Rio Hotel, 3700 W. Flamingo Road |
| February 15, 2026 | Hotel security knocks with no response; officers arrive, knock, and call into the room without success |
| February 15, 2026 | Officers call Bradley back; he says he does not believe Addi is in danger and she “should be safe with her mom”; officers clear the call |
| February 15, 2026 | Hotel security continues searching; discovers the note on the outside of the room door |
| February 15, 2026 | Police and hotel staff enter the room; find McGeehan and Addi deceased in a bed with gunshot wounds |
| February 16, 2026 | Utah Xtreme Cheer posts tribute: “We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved.” |
| February 17, 2026 | Fox News Digital reports on the custody history using court documents |
| February 19, 2026 | Connie McGeehan (Tawnia’s mother) tells the New York Post about “mean” texts from other cheer parents |
| February 25, 2026 | LVMPD releases 911 call audio |
| February 27, 2026 | Additional police dispatch details released |
| September 14, 2026 | Clark County Medical Examiner report made public; toxicology results reveal medications in both systems; scene evidence documented |
The Nine-Year Custody Battle Between McGeehan and Bradley Smith
The legal conflict between Tawnia McGeehan and Bradley Smith over their daughter spans nearly a decade and is central to the broader context of this case. Court records reviewed by Fox News Digital, the New York Post, and multiple other outlets reveal a custody dispute marked by escalating court interventions.
The couple divorced in 2015. Over the following five years, custody proceedings resulted in a series of changing arrangements. By 2020, the situation had reached the point where a judge awarded sole custody to Bradley Smith. The court order included specific language: it stated that McGeehan was “subjecting the child to behavior that is on the spectrum of parental alienation” and had “committed domestic abuse in the presence of the minor child.”
In 2021, McGeehan filed for a temporary restraining order to receive supervised visitation with Addi.
By 2024, a new court order modified the divorce decree again. This time, both parents were awarded joint legal and physical custody with alternating weeks. The order included a notable stipulation: custody exchanges were to occur at Addi’s school when classes were in session, and at a police station when school was not in session. The requirement of a police station as a neutral exchange location indicates the court recognized a significant level of conflict between the parents.
McGeehan’s mother, Connie, later told reporters that the resolution of the custody battle had been helping to lift Tawnia’s lifelong depression. The 2024 order represented the first time in years that McGeehan had stable, equal access to her daughter.
Addi’s aunt, Valerie Krystine Muniz (Bradley Smith’s sister), posted a message after the deaths urging the public to stop speculating. She wrote: “I have never known a man to love and fight for his daughter like he has done all of Addi’s life. The system failed him and her.”
The Reported Bullying From Other Cheer Parents
In the days following the murder-suicide, reports surfaced that McGeehan had been subjected to sustained hostility from other parents on Addi’s cheerleading team.
Connie McGeehan provided the most detailed account to the New York Post. She described a pattern of tensions that had intensified in the weeks before the Las Vegas trip.
“There’s one or two ladies that she never got along with, and it got really bad a month ago,” Connie said. “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.”
She continued: “Cheer was her and Addi’s life. I think something happened the day before [they died] that made her spiral.”
A separate source confirmed to the Post that McGeehan had been involved in a heated confrontation with another cheer parent in a team waiting room prior to the Las Vegas trip.
Law enforcement has not publicly commented on whether the bullying allegations were part of their investigation, and the claims have not been independently verified beyond the family’s statements and the separate source’s confirmation. What the reports describe is an environment in which interpersonal conflict among parents in competitive youth sports may have contributed to the emotional deterioration of someone already managing significant mental health challenges.
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How the 911 Call and Welfare Check Unfolded
The LVMPD released 911 call recordings and dispatch records in late February 2026 that documented the sequence of events leading to the discovery of the bodies.
The chain of events began at approximately 10:43 a.m. on Sunday, February 15, 2026, when Bradley Smith called dispatch from Utah. He requested a welfare check on his daughter and ex-wife at the Rio Hotel on 3700 West Flamingo Road.
He told the dispatcher that no one in Las Vegas had heard from either of them, that he could not reach them by phone, and that his last conversation with them the day before had been normal. He noted that McGeehan was taking a prescription medication but said he did not believe she had problems with illegal drugs or alcohol or that she had a gun.
Hotel security went to the room, knocked, and received no response. Addi’s cheer coach had also requested a welfare check after Addi failed to appear for the scheduled 9:00 a.m. competition event.
Officers arrived, met with security, and attempted to make contact. They knocked and called into the room multiple times with no response.
When officers called Bradley back for additional information, he told them he did not believe Addi was in danger and that she “should be safe with her mom.” Based on that assessment, officers cleared the call and left the scene.
Hotel security continued searching the property. Eventually, they discovered the handwritten note on the outside of the room door. At that point, police returned and entered the room, finding McGeehan and Addi deceased in the same bed.
Who Was Addi Smith and How the Cheer Community Responded
Addilyn “Addi” Smith was 11 years old at the time of her death. She was a member of Utah Xtreme Cheer and had traveled to Las Vegas with her team and her mother for the JAMZ Nationals cheerleading competition, one of the largest annual cheer events held in the city.
Addi performed with her team on Saturday, February 14. It was the last competition of her life.
Utah Xtreme Cheer confirmed the deaths with an emotional Instagram post: “We are completely heartbroken. No words do the situation justice. She was so beyond loved.”
The response from the broader competitive cheerleading community was immediate and widespread. Teams, coaches, parents, and individual athletes shared condolences and memories of Addi across social media. The scale of the response reflected the interconnected nature of competitive youth cheerleading, where families spend extensive time together at practices, competitions, and travel events, forming bonds that extend well beyond the sport itself.
Understanding the Medications Found in Context
For readers unfamiliar with the specific medications identified in the toxicology results, the following table provides context about each substance’s typical medical application.
Medications Found in Tawnia McGeehan’s System
| Medication | Category | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Quetiapine | Antipsychotic | Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia |
| Diphenhydramine | Antihistamine | Allergies, sleep aid (sedating side effect) |
| Gabapentin | Anticonvulsant/nerve agent | Nerve pain, seizures, anxiety |
| Lorazepam | Benzodiazepine | Anxiety disorders, insomnia, seizures |
| Eszopiclone/zopiclone | Non-benzodiazepine hypnotic | Insomnia |
| Citalopram/escitalopram | SSRI antidepressant | Depression, generalized anxiety |
| Desmethylloperamide | OTC metabolite | Anti-diarrheal (Imodium metabolite) |
The combination of an antipsychotic, a benzodiazepine, an anticonvulsant, an SSRI, and prescription sleep medication in McGeehan’s system indicates she was receiving treatment for multiple mental health conditions, potentially including depression, anxiety, and chronic insomnia. Her mother, Connie, had previously described her as having a “lifelong struggle with depression.”
Four of these same substances, quetiapine, diphenhydramine, gabapentin, and lorazepam, were also found in 11-year-old Addi’s system. The autopsy report does not specify whether any of these medications were prescribed for Addi or whether they were administered by McGeehan prior to the shooting.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What happened to Tawnia McGeehan and Addi Smith?
Tawnia McGeehan, 34, shot her 11-year-old daughter Addi Smith and then herself at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on approximately February 14, 2026. The Clark County Medical Examiner ruled Addi’s death a homicide and McGeehan’s death a suicide. Both died from gunshot wounds to the head.
What did the autopsy reveal about the murder-suicide scene?
The autopsy and investigative report documented multiple prescription bottles belonging to McGeehan, an open package of THC cannabis gummies, over-the-counter sleep medication, broken gabapentin capsules, a clear cup with white residue, cartridge casings, and a Ruger handgun. Two handwritten notes were inside the room, and one note was placed on the outside of the door.
What drugs were found in Tawnia McGeehan’s system?
Quetiapine, diphenhydramine, gabapentin, lorazepam, eszopiclone or zopiclone, citalopram or escitalopram, desmethylloperamide, and presumptive traces of cannabinoids and caffeine.
Were drugs found in Addi Smith’s system?
Yes. Quetiapine, diphenhydramine, gabapentin, and lorazepam were found in the 11-year-old’s blood. A note at the scene stated she had been “very medicated.”
Why were Tawnia and Addi in Las Vegas?
They traveled from Utah for the JAMZ Nationals cheerleading competition. Addi was a member of Utah Xtreme Cheer and had performed on February 14, 2026, the day before the bodies were discovered.
Was there a custody battle?
Yes. McGeehan and Addi’s father, Bradley Smith, divorced in 2015 and spent nearly a decade in custody proceedings. Smith received sole custody in 2020 after a court found McGeehan had engaged in behavior “on the spectrum of parental alienation.” Joint custody was restored in 2024 with alternating weeks and police-station exchanges.
Were there reports of bullying from other cheer parents?
McGeehan’s mother, Connie, told the New York Post that Tawnia received “mean” texts from other cheer parents and that some blamed Addi when another girl was dropped during a routine. A separate source confirmed a heated confrontation between McGeehan and another cheer parent before the trip.
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Last Updated on September 15, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
