February 15, 2026, was supposed to be a regular day for Utah’s McGeehan family, who were looking forward to seeing Addi, their 11-year-old girl, perform at a cheer competition in Las Vegas.
But their lives took a devastating turn when the youngster failed to arrive at the scheduled event.
Her lifeless body was soon discovered at a nearby hotel following a welfare check, and investigators swiftly determined that her mother, Tawnia, who was also found deceased beside her, was responsible for the tragedy.
The mother and daughter, however, had no history of conflict and were instead described as being extremely close by a family member.
“Addi wanted nothing more than to spend time with her mommy. Tawnia loved that little girl with everything she had,” Connie McGeehan, Tawnia’s mother and Addi’s grandmother, recently said.
Tawnia McGeehan was painted as a loving and devoted parent
In a Thursday, September 17, interview with the New York Post, Connie said Tawnia and Addi were “always doing fun things” together, including visiting “the amusement park, swimming, movies, the arcade, the mall and so much more.”
Speaking specifically about her daughter, the grieving mother said, “I want more than anything for people to know how big of a heart she had.”
According to Connie, Tawnia “would do anything for anyone” and “she was the best mom” one could ever come across.
Authorities have speculated that Tawnia’s involvement in a nine-year-long custody dispute with Addi’s father, Brad Smith, may have led her to commit the unimaginable.
She was also described as being “severely depressed” over her numerous breakups.
Tawnia used a firearm to end both her and Addi’s lives.
An autopsy report also revealed earlier this week that both had multiple prescription medications in their systems at the time of their passing.
Tawnia left disturbing notes that led hotel staff and police to the crime scene
The first write-up that employees of Rio Hotel and Casino and detectives found was taped to a chair near the entrance of Tawnia and Addi’s room.
“Call 911 before walking in. Two d**d bodies and one is an 11-year-old,” it warned.
Another note contained a confession that Addi had been given a cocktail of medicines during her final hours and that “she slept cuddled with” her mother.
Substances including quetiapine, an antipsychotic medication; gabapentin, an anticonvulsant used to treat seizure disorders; lorazepam, an anxiety medication; and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine, were all detected in the pre-teen.
Tawnia, meanwhile, had consumed the same medications alongside eszopiclone or zopiclone, a prescription sedative; the antidepressant citalopram or escitalopram; desmethyl loperamide; and more.
Her family told investigators that she had “past s**cidal ideations.”
A recently resurfaced video offered a glimpse into Tawnia and Addi’s happier times
In a June 2021 TikTok post shared by Connie, Addi can be seen wearing a rainbow cheetah-print shirt and a blue bow in her hair.
She grins and giggles alongside her mother as they exchange items they believe are each other’s go-tos.
“Your favorite drink, I got you chocolate milk,” Tawnia says, to which Addi adorably responds, “Yummy.”
The youngster then fetched an unidentified drink for her mom, saying she couldn’t find Dr Pepper.
Tawnia sounded elated nonetheless.
“This is where I go when I need to hear my daughter and granddaughter’s voices,” Connie captioned the post.
The grieving elderly also recalled fond memories she shared with Addi
Connie said she and her husband loved taking Addi on “little adventures,” including hikes and a yearly tradition of catching crawfish at a lake.
“She loved that so much,” she said.
Reminiscing about more joyful time she spent with her granddaughter, Connie said Addi loved looking at the cotton-candy clouds and often made her look at the sky, too.
For the McGeehan family, every day has been a struggle since police found the mother and daughter departed.
“I cannot even begin to describe the huge hole this has left in our lives,” Connie said, adding that the release of the autopsy results especially made her feel like she was sent back to day one of the nightmare.
“She doesn’t sound like ‘the best mother’ to anyone with rational thoughts,” a netizen said
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