ADDILYN “ADDI” SMITH, 11, NEVER MADE IT TO HER CHEER COMPETITION — NEW RECORDS REVEAL HER FINAL HOURS
ADDILYN “ADDI” SMITH, 11, NEVER MADE IT TO HER CHEER COMPETITION — NEW RECORDS REVEAL HER FINAL HOURS
Addilyn “Addi” Smith was just 11 years old — a talented young cheerleader remembered for her bright personality, willingness to help others and love for the sport she had worked so hard to pursue.
What was supposed to be a special trip to Las Vegas for a cheer competition instead became a heartbreaking tragedy that continues to haunt the people who knew her.
Addi and her mother, 34-year-old Tawnia McGeehan, were staying at the Rio Hotel & Casino in February when they failed to appear at the competition.
Concern quickly spread among family members and Addi’s cheer coaches.
Her father, who was in Utah, contacted police after being told that neither Addi nor her mother had shown up. Newly released 911 calls reveal just how quickly the people around Addi became worried about her safety.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Addi’s father told a dispatcher that he had spoken with both of them the previous day and that everything had appeared normal.
A cheer coach also called 911, explaining that neither Addi nor her mother was answering messages. The coach later called back and said he believed Addi could be in “imminent danger.”
Police and hotel security eventually went to the room.
The two were found dead inside.
Authorities said McGeehan had killed Addi before taking her own life. A handwritten note was later found in the room warning anyone entering to contact emergency services first.
NEW RECORDS REVEAL MORE ABOUT THE ROOM
A newly reported coroner’s account has provided additional details about what investigators found.
According to PEOPLE, the report said Addi had been “very medicated” before her death. Investigators also found medication-related items and other substances inside the room.
The newly released information offers more insight into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, but it does not erase the central heartbreak for those who knew Addi.
SHE WAS MORE THAN A HEADLINE
Before the tragedy, Addi was simply a young girl doing what she loved.
Her coaches remembered her as someone who was always willing to step in and help her team.
Coach Seth Wayman told the Salt Lake Tribune that whenever the team needed someone for a position, Addi was often the girl who would volunteer.
She was also remembered for being unafraid to try something new.
Her cheer community described her as deeply loved and said she would always remain part of the Utah Xtreme Cheer family.
Another Utah cheer organization remembered Addi for the smile and positive energy she brought to her teams.
Those who knew her have emphasized the child behind the heartbreaking headlines — a daughter, teammate, friend and young girl with a future that should have stretched far beyond that weekend in Las Vegas.
QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN
The tragedy also came after years of family and custody disputes involving Addi’s parents, according to court records reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Those records documented disagreements over custody, child support and other family matters. Some records were sealed, making aspects of the family’s circumstances difficult to establish publicly.
Addi’s grandmother later said she believed additional information would eventually provide a clearer picture of what happened, while authorities continued to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
But for the people who loved Addi, the most important part of her story is not the investigation.
It is the life she had before it.
She was 11.
She had a team.
She had dreams.
And she had people who were waiting for her to walk through the doors of that competition.
Instead, they were left waiting for answers — and mourning a young girl whose life mattered far beyond the tragedy that ended it.
