LAS VEGAS – A protracted and acrimonious custody battle preceded the deaths of a Utah mother and her 11-year-old daughter in what Las Vegas authorities have ruled a murder-suicide at the Rio Hotel & Casino on . The Clark County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Tawnia McGeehan, 34, of West Jordan, Utah, and her daughter, Addilyn Smith.
The deaths occurred after McGeehan and Addilyn were reported missing following their last confirmed sighting on at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Police responded to a welfare check at the Rio on morning, initiating a sequence of events that culminated in the discovery of their bodies. The coroner has officially determined McGeehan’s death to be a suicide, while the cause and manner of Addilyn’s death remain pending further investigation.
Court records reviewed by KUTV reveal a decade-long legal struggle between McGeehan and Bradley Smith over the custody of Addilyn. Divorce proceedings were initiated in 2015 and finalized in 2017 in Utah County’s 4th District Court. However, the legal battles continued, culminating in a significant modification of the divorce decree in , which established a week-on, week-off joint legal and physical custody arrangement.
The May 2024 order detailed specific protocols for the exchange of Addilyn between her parents. Exchanges were mandated to occur at the child’s school during the academic year, or at the Herriman Police Department when school was not in session. The order also included stipulations designed to minimize conflict during these transitions, requiring parents to park five stalls apart and prohibiting the recording of the child. A provision allowed either parent to assume overnight care if the other was unable to facilitate scheduled parent-time.
However, earlier court rulings paint a picture of a far more fraught relationship. In , a judge granted Smith temporary sole physical custody, citing concerns about McGeehan’s behavior. The court found that McGeehan had engaged in conduct suggestive of parental alienation and had allegedly committed domestic abuse in Addilyn’s presence. The judge also questioned McGeehan’s co-parenting abilities and ordered supervised visitation at her expense.
Further legal actions included a order directing McGeehan to explain why she should not be held in contempt of court for allegedly failing to cover insurance costs and denying Smith court-ordered visitation. The court warned of potential sanctions, including a possible 30-day jail sentence. The case file demonstrates a pattern of repeated motions for temporary orders, custody modifications, and even a request to move the case venue in early 2015, highlighting the sustained intensity of the dispute.
The Salem Police Department in Utah confirmed that Addilyn Smith was the niece of one of its sergeants, describing her death as a “devastating incident.” Addilyn was also a member of two competitive cheerleading teams, Utah Xtreme Cheer and Utah Fusion All-Stars, both of which paused activities following the news of her death. Friends had circulated a missing person’s flyer after McGeehan and Addilyn failed to appear at a cheer competition in Las Vegas.
Beyond the family court proceedings, Smith’s public record includes a DUI conviction in 2023, several traffic offenses, and outstanding child support liens from 2015 and 2024. A trespassing charge from 2013 was ultimately dismissed.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The incident underscores the tragic consequences that can arise from protracted and emotionally charged custody disputes, and raises questions about the support systems available to families navigating such challenging legal battles.
