New toxicology findings add details to the February deaths of 11-year-old Addilyn Smith and her mother at the Rio Hotel & Casino.
LAS VEGAS — Newly obtained coroner records provide additional details about the February death of 11-year-old Utah cheerleader Addilyn Smith, who authorities say was killed by her mother inside a Las Vegas hotel before the woman died by suicide.
Addilyn and her mother, 34-year-old Tawnia McGeehan of Utah, were found dead Feb. 15 inside a room at the Rio Hotel & Casino. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said evidence at the scene led detectives to determine that McGeehan killed her daughter before taking her own life. The Clark County coroner later classified Addilyn’s death as a homicide and McGeehan’s as a suicide.
Coroner records obtained by Oxygen and other news organizations show several prescription and over-the-counter medications were detected in Addilyn’s blood. Investigators also documented prescription medication containers, sleep aids and cannabis products inside the hotel room. The records provide additional context about the scene but do not establish why the medications were present or, by themselves, explain the motive for the killing.
The newly reported documents say investigators believed Addilyn had been heavily medicated before her death. Because the case involves the killing of a child and a subsequent suicide, authorities and news organizations have released some details about the scene that are graphic. The medical examiner determined that the fatal injury, rather than the substances detected during toxicology testing, caused Addilyn’s death.
The mother and daughter had traveled from Utah to Las Vegas for a cheerleading competition. Concern grew when they failed to appear for the event and relatives and members of the cheer program could not reach them. Las Vegas police said a request for a welfare check was received at about 10:43 a.m. Feb. 15 for the pair, who were staying in the 3700 block of West Flamingo Road.
Patrol officers and hotel security personnel went to the room and repeatedly knocked and called inside but received no response. Police said the information available to officers at that time did not indicate either person was in immediate danger, and officers cleared the call. Family members and others continued asking hotel security to check on the pair as the day progressed.
Security personnel decided to enter the room at about 2:27 p.m. and found McGeehan and Addilyn unresponsive, according to Las Vegas police. Medical personnel responded, and both were pronounced dead. Investigators also found a handwritten warning near the room entrance directing whoever entered to contact emergency services. Police initially confirmed finding a note but did not publicly disclose its contents.
Previously released 911 records show Addilyn’s father and members of her cheer program had expressed growing concern before the bodies were discovered. Her father told a dispatcher that the mother and daughter had failed to appear at the scheduled competition and were not answering messages. A coach later contacted authorities and raised concerns that Addilyn could be in danger.
The case also brought renewed attention to a long-running custody dispute involving Addilyn’s parents. Records reviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal and local television stations show McGeehan and Addilyn’s father had been involved in court proceedings over custody and visitation for years. Some portions of the case were sealed, and the exact custody arrangement in effect when Addilyn died was not clear from the publicly available records reviewed by those outlets.
Addilyn was a member of Utah Xtreme Cheer. After her death, the organization said she was deeply loved and would remain part of the team’s community. Other Utah organizations connected to Addilyn and her family also publicly expressed condolences after news of the deaths became known.
The September release of additional coroner information has clarified the toxicology findings and circumstances documented inside the hotel room but has not produced a publicly confirmed motive. Las Vegas police previously said the deaths were investigated by the department’s Homicide Section, while the coroner’s findings formally classified Addilyn’s death as a homicide and her mother’s death as a suicide.
Author note: Last updated September 16, 2026.