‘Call 911 before walking in’: New details emerge in Rio mother-daughter murder-suicide

A Utah mother had sedatives and antidepressants in her system when she killed her 11-year-old daughter and then herself in an off-Strip hotel room, according to an autopsy report.

When investigators entered the room at the Rio on Feb. 15, they found a chair directly in front of the entryway. A handwritten note was taped to the chair that read: “Call 911 before walking in. Two dead bodies, and one is an 11-year-old.”

Police found Tawnia McGeehan, 34, and the girl, Addilyn Smith, lying together in one of the beds in the room. They both had gunshot wounds to the head.

McGeehan, whose death was ruled a suicide by the Clark County coroner’s office, was clutching a Ruger handgun.

Addilyn’s death was ruled a homicide. She wore a pajama shirt and shorts and was covered by a blanket, with a pillow over her face. Authorities said the two Utah residents were in town to attend a cheerleading competition.

When they didn’t show up for the tournament, friends and relatives called police and requested a welfare check.

According to a coroner’s office death investigator, the mother wrote in another note found on a desk in the room that her daughter also was “very medicated” beforehand and that she slept cuddled with her.

The girl’s toxicology report stated that she also tested positive for lorazepam, a depressant used for sedation and short term relief of anxiety, and quetiapine, an antipsychotic used to manage psychotic disorders including schizophrenia.

There were no medications in the room prescribed to Addilyn, according to the coroner’s office. Her father said she had no known medical issues, according to the autopsy report. Most of the report’s section about the girl’s medical history was redacted.

Investigators discovered several medication bottles prescribed to McGeehan on the room’s coffee table, along with an open package of THC cannabis gummies and a bottle of over-the-counter sleep aid. They also found broken, empty gabapentin capsules — used to prevent seizures and relieve pain — and a clear cup containing white powder in a trash can.

Both McGeehan and Addilyn tested positive for gabapentin.

Toxicology tests showed that McGeehan also tested positive for citalopram, an antidepressant. Citalopram is also used “off-label to treat anxiety, panic disorder and OCD,” according to the coroner. Like her daughter, McGeehan had lorazepam, along with multiple doses of diphenhydramine, also known as Benadryl, in her system.

Court records from Provo, Utah, revealed that McGeehan and Addilyn’s father, Bradley Smith, divorced in 2015 and had ongoing disputes through 2024 over custody, child support and schooling. In 2020, Smith was granted temporary sole custody after a judge modified the custody arrangement, saying that McGeehan had “committed domestic abuse in the presence of a minor child” and engaged in “behavior on the spectrum of parental alienation.”

The autopsy report indicated that she was “severely depressed over breakups and the custody battle” and had experienced suicidal thoughts.

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting the Lifeline network at 988. Live chat is available at 988lifeline.org. Additionally, the Crisis Text Line is a free, national service available 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.

Contact Akiya Leggio at aleggio@reviewjournal.com