Utah ‘cheerleader Mom’ Suspected Of Killing Daughter, 11, Was Involved In Bitter Custody Fight, Documents Reveal

A mother suspected of killing her 11-year-old cheerleader girl earlier turning her weapon on herself had antecedently been locked successful a bitter custody conflict pinch her ex-husband, according to tribunal documents.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were recovered dormant successful nan Rio Hotel & Casino successful Las Vegas, after travelling to nan metropolis for a cheerleading competition.

“At immoderate clip past night, nan mother changeable her girl and past changeable herself,” Lieutenant Robert Price told reporters connected Sunday evening. “This is simply a sad and tragic incident, and our hearts spell retired to nan family.”

But tribunal papers seen byThe New York Post authorities that McGeehan had spent years fighting for custody of Addi, amid her divorcement from Brad Smith, her erstwhile husband.

Eventually, she was granted a split-custody agreement, though nan position were strict.

Both parents were ordered to stay successful their vehicles while handing complete Addi astatine her school. Each car was required to beryllium astatine slightest 5 spaces apart, pinch nan youngster having to locomotion betwixt them herself.

When schoolhouse was not successful session, nan handover of Addi betwixt her 2 parents would return spot astatine nan Herriman Police Department successful Utah astatine 9 americium each Monday.

Disagreements betwixt nan brace were to beryllium resolved by email, pinch nan court stating that emergency mediation sessions would beryllium required for larger-scale decisions.

Documents seen by Fox 5 besides alleged that McGeehan temporarily mislaid custody of Addi successful 2020, aft a tribunal ruled that she had acted successful a measurement that could alienate her girl from her father.

In 2021, McGeehan revenge a impermanent restraining bid against Addi’s stepmother, claiming that she had been filming custody exchanges. She suggested this violated nan position agreed upon by nan mates successful court.

Eventually, McGeehan and Smith reached an statement successful 2024 for associated custody connected a one-week-on, one-week-off basis.

Addi was reported missing connected nan greeting of February 15, 2026, by her cheer squad, Utah Xtreme Cheer, aft some she and her mother had grounded to look astatine a squad meeting.

When nan squad requested a use check, cops raced to nan Rio Hotel & Casino to find nan pair.

However, erstwhile neither Addi nor her mother answered nan door, officers from nan Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department wished they lacked capable grounds to participate nan room.

Eventually, information unit astatine nan edifice entered nan room astatine 2.30 p.m. that aforesaid Sunday. Inside, they recovered some Addi’s and McGeehan’s bodies alongside a note.

Cops person yet to disclose nan note’s contents.

The investigation is presently moving connected nan belief that nan mother changeable her girl dormant connected Saturday nighttime earlier turning nan weapon connected herself.

“Anytime that you are dealing pinch immoderate type of kid death, it’s sad,” Lieutenant Robert Price told reporters. “It’s a tragedy; our hearts spell retired to nan family.”

Police opportunity that nan victim’s family and her cheer squad person been informed, arsenic tributes to Addi flood successful online.

“With nan heaviest hearts, we stock nan devastating news that our saccharine jock Addi has passed away,” Utah Xtreme Cheer wrote precocious connected Sunday evening. “We are wholly heartbroken.

“No words do nan business justice,” nan tribute continued. “She was truthful beyond loved, and she will ever beryllium a portion of nan UXC family.”

Emily Morgan, Addi’s erstwhile cheer coach and nan proprietor of Utah Fusion All-Stars successful South Jordan, told KUTV that nan youngster had loved cheerleading and that her absence had near a “void.”

“She would study her part, and she took a batch of pridefulness successful what she was doing,” Morgan added. “As a coach, that’s nan dream.

“And because of that attitude, I ever knew she was going to spell acold successful this experience.”

On Monday evening, Addi’s neighbors successful Utah began tying bluish ribbons astir thoroughfare lights successful a show of support for nan precocious pre-teen.

“We want them each to cognize that we're reasoning astir them and attraction for them,” Alison Johnson, 1 of Addi’s neighbors, told KSL.com. “It was conscionable absolute daze and disbelief.”

Another neighbor, Rob Hoch, told KSL.com that it was “going to beryllium difficult not to spot her around.”

The Independent has contacted Utah Xtreme Cheer and nan LVMPD for further comment.

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