He lived in a nearby town and while police have ruled him out, Janice believes he's somehow involved. On Friday, February 22, 1985, the child was excited as her mother intended to take her on a play date when she returned from school. Theonly other piece of evidence police had was tire marks that had been left in the snow at the bottom of the hill.Nobody saw Cherrie get into a van or car and nobody saw anybody taking Cherrie. And I said 'go check' and he went down he checked and she wasn't there," she says. Mahan's mother has stated that prior to . Janice alleged that she was raped and as a result had Cherrie. After school Cherrie exited the school bus with three friends at approximately 4:10 pm. That afternoon, her mother, Janice McKinney, had promisedtobring her to a friend's house. Did she fall overboard or did something much more sinister happen? The woman in question denies that she is Mahan, but investigators said they have a lot of questions and interviews to do before making any determinations. Although investigators declined to release specific details as to this line of inquiry beyond stating the information sourced from an individual known to the child who had provided information with the potential to lead police to "a known specific actor or actors", a spokesman stated the information received had been "more specific" than any information investigators had received in many years. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children featured Mahan as the first missing child to be depicted upon postcards distributed nationwide alongside a headline reading, "Have You Seen Me?" In 2020, McKinney revealed her conviction that although she does not believe Cherrie's biological father was involved in her abduction, she believes individuals known to him were. about Cherrie. But somebody knows something. The vehicle has never been located or identified and its unclear if it was the vehicle used to abduct Mahan. Cherrie walked homealone. A local songwriter even wrote a song for Cherrie and several Authorities also sent letters to people who were incarcerated to ask whether they had heard anything about the missing girl from other inmates. Trp. about Cherries whereabouts. This is a group to remember a very special little girl who went missing over 33 years ago this year. Janice read the letter carefully. Her Just read another article about it this morning that said that. It is unknown if the car has anything to do with her case either. That van was very distinctive I wouldnt be surprised if it was destroyed shortly afterwards. In 2014 authorities received a tip that Cherrie was alive and living under a different name in Michigan, but DNA testing confirmed it was not her. On the 6th of April, 1986, Anthonette Cayedito, 9, disappeared from her home in New Mexico after an unidentified man knocked at the door. Cherrie, circa 1985; Age-progression to age 44 (circa 2020); Sketches of van possibly involved. Someday I'm gonna know.". CABOT, Pa. Feb. 22 marked 36 years to the day that an 8-year-old Butler County girl was abducted after getting off her school bus on Cornplanter Road in Cabot. When Cherrie went missing, she. daily newspaper in the nation. The Protect yourself and those you love. If you have any information on the circumstances surrounding Cherrie's disappearance, please call the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons unit at 724-284-8100. prisoners in the area, hoping that one of them would have some information Her friends got into a car driven by the mother of one of the girls, while Cherrie headed home on foot. There was a van parked behind Debbie's van that Cherriehad to walk past. She was last seen getting off the school bus about 100 yards from home. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Cherrie Mahan, age 8 (Photo provided by PA State Police) . Would love your thoughts, please comment. She just disappeared, he said.2. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life.". By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Again the links to this new info are here: Here's the article- https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/02/18/mother-police-still-searching-for-butler-county-girl-cherrie-mahan/, And the TV news segment video- https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/video/4452856-cherrie-mahans-mother-still-searching-35-years-after-disappearance/. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherrie's biological father were involved in Cherrie's presumed abduction. So we will work as quickly as we can to get those answers," said Lt. Steve Ignatz. Pennsylvania, with their 8-year-old daughter,Cherrie Mahan. May 26, 2020, "It take two people to make a lie work:the person who tells it, and the one who believes it.". Cherrie Ann Mahan (August 14, 1976 - disappeared February 22, 1985; declared legally dead November 5, 1998) was an eight-year-old American girl who disappeared on February 22, 1985, after disembarking a school bus approximately fifty feet from the base of the driveway to her home in rural Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. TIMELINE: Events Surrounding The Disappearance Of Cherrie Mahan. Cherrie's father maintains his innocence in her case. Leroy was her step dad, and Cherrie didn't know her biological dad. Cherrie Mahan And Then They Were Gone In 1985, a bright, spunky 8-year-old girl got off the bus in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Long says, "We actually followed up on to the point we were investigating people outside of the commonwealth, the FBI got involved and helped us out. There was an intensified nationwide campaign to find missing children and photographs of Cherrie were featured on spaghetti boxes and tucked inside telephone and utility bills. Janice later married a Vietnam veteran named LeRoy McKinney, who willingly accepted Mahan as his stepdaughter. Clothing: But It wasn't until sometime after that track meet that the woman said she learned about the Mahan case. Let her walk." February 19, 2020 / 7:48 PM When Janice met Leroy, he looked after and loved Cherrie. personal computer for volunteers to keep track of addresses. The 1985 Disappearance of School Girl Cherrie Ann Mahan ~ True Crime Diva, The Mysterious Disappearance Of Cherrie Mahan Explained - Celeb 99, The Town That Got Away With Murder Ken Rex McElroy, The Unsolved Murder of Regina Mae Armstrong, Lost at Sea The Disappearance of Rebecca Coriam. The state police in butler are waiting for your call. Her birth father had never ", Janice's reaction: "There are very mean people out there that try to get into the story I guess.". Nineteen years have gone by since anyone saw a young Irish man named Trevor Deely. Get The Latest News Sent To Your Email! Cherrie Ann Mahan (disappeared February 22, 1985; declared legally dead November 5, 1998) was an eight-year-old American girl who disappeared on February 22, 1985 after disembarking a school bus approximately fifty feet from the base of the driveway to her home in rural Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. According to Chilling Crime, Mahan, along with three other children, exited the bus at approximately 4:10 p.m. Debbie Burk was parked in her van at the bus stop, waiting for her two children and another child who she had agreed to drive home. Police began to speak to people in the area, the children who were on the bus and the bus driver to try to locate Cherrie. Missing in Pennsylvania: Unsolved Cases from the Keystone State, Killers in the Classroom: Case Studies of School Rampage Shooters. Blue incolor with the mural on both sides. New Trooper Assigned To 25-Year-Old Missing Girl Case, 25 Years Later, Search Continues For Missing Girl, Get WPXI Headlines On Your Phone, iPhone, More, Bride killed, groom critically injured after wedding reception when drunken driver hits golf cart, 1 person killed in shooting in McKeesport, Man charged in connection to death of woman hit by truck in Oakland, Its getting worse: Community seeking answers from Pittsburgh leaders in light of recent violence, Many Dollar Bank customers missing hundreds of dollars due to ATM skimming. An unidentified small blue car was also observed near the bus stop that day, but it is unknown if it had anything to do with her case. It was such anunusual van. And instead of picking her up on the way home, she was waiting at home instead. Janice said: We heard the bus come and after five or tens minutes and Leroy said maybe she fell down, do you want me to go check? Is she alive, is she not alive, is she okay, is she not okay, is she with somebody are they taking care of her, are they not taking care of her? The residents of Skimore watched as the town bully was shot dead in broad daylight. More recently, a woman called the nursing home where Janice works claiming to be Cherrie. The van has never been located or identified and investigators are still not sure if it was connected to Cherrie's case. Her mother believes Cherrie's biological father or someone he knows had something to do with Cherrie's disappearance. Cherrie's biological father was not a part of her life. Location: Winfield Township, Pennsylvania The Disappeared Blog is a true crime blog dedicated to covering the stories of the missing and to their loved ones. At around 4.10pm that day, the 22nd of February, Cherrie got off the bus, the stop closest to her house, with three friends. ", Police are aware of McKinney's suspicions and have told her the man is adamant in his denials. "It's like your heart has been snapped half and it will never go back together again," she says. Mahan's local community raised $39,000 as a reward for Mahan's safe return, with a local business also pledging an additional $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of her abductor or abductors. While she had accepted that her daughter had most likely been Other children on the bus and a neighbour told police that they This line of inquiry failed to generate any significant leads. Upon being reported missing police searched the area around Cherries home for days, with the assistance of helicopters, bloodhounds, and 250 volunteers. The mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. been abducted. Cherrie Ann Mahan The Charley Project, Cherrie Mahans Mother Still Searching 35 Years After She Disappeared CBS Pittsburgh There were some leads in the years that followed. Her house was just fifty yards from the school stop and Debbie Burk, the mother of one of Cherrie's friends, saw Cherrie get off the bus and walk past her van. Wikipedia article Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Learn how your comment data is processed. Cherrie lived with her mother and stepfather, Leroy McKinney, in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. Mahan accompanied her mother to the bus stop located approximately fifty feet from the base of the uphill driveway to their home. There's been a lot of vans we actually processed forensically and unfortunately didn't lead us anywhere.". wrapped up in a blanket sleeping in her car that was parked in the driveway, road like madmen. At this event, stories and memories of Cherrie are shared. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Oh my God, its Cherrie! Well always look Required fields are marked *. And I said go check and he went down he checked and she wasnt there.. Cherrie's picture wasdistributed and featured on milk cartons. A man makes video interviews of homeless people. The longer it goes If the good Lord feels shell be better off with him, Janice says, "They were ecstatic. Cherrie's family had her declared legally deceased in 1992. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The tipster said she called a phone number listed on Mahan's missing person flier, but never heard back from anyone. Over the years, there have been frenzied moments of hope. He later recollected he had intended to walk down the 150-yard driveway to meet his stepdaughter before his wife said: "No, it's a nice day. Witnesses came forward to say they saw ablue van in the New Kensington area traveling back to the Mount Pleasant area in Westmoreland County. If you have any information on the circumstances surrounding Cherries disappearance, please call the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons unit at 724-284-8100. Cherrie's mother admitted that she became pregnant with Cherrie after being raped. The short walk should have only taken a few minutes but Cherrie "Without forgiveness, I was eating myself alive," she says. He was ruled out as a suspect when police confirmed he was in New York the day of Cherrie's disappearance. Bloodhounds were unable to pick up Cherries trail past the point where the blue van had stopped. Enter your email to receive notifications of new posts. In another follow up article just hours after the original the police spell out his person of interest status more explicitly: "John Shumway (local reporter) went back to the state police today about Cherries biological father. Earle traveled to Michigan to track down the source of the tip. These things run in my head every single day of my life.". The police were called and days of searches began. Cops have deemed said father a "person of interest" as well (see below), which is possibly a new revelation too. To understand the depth of this mother's despair you need to know this: "I got raped and had Cherrie when I was 16 years old and she was 'IT' for me. Its a kidnapping. "I think about her all the time, I pray for her every night, I pray for her every morning," Janice says. Her stepfather reported her missing when he couldnt locate her. At the time of her disappearance, Mahan was eight years old. She thought about suicide and even tried to jump out of the passenger door of her truck on Route 8. Debbie, the children on the bus and the bus driver told Janice and Leroy that Cherrie did get off the bus. It was the 22ndof February, 1985, when Janice Home Mysteries The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan. The author of this letter concluded this correspondence by stating: "I pray you find some peace after you find her body.". A Butler County judge approved a pe*ion from Janice McKinney to do so in November that year. And even harder, she says she had to find a way to forgive her own mother's guilt. WINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - On a sunny Feb. 22, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan got off her school bus on Cornplanter Road and headed to her driveway and her home. Since KDKA's report aired last night at 11, Trooper Jim Long says, "We've gotten a ton of tips, it's been very effective and as of now, we're still trying to work our way through them, cause even as we are speaking now, I would not be surprised if we got a couple more.". In December of 1910, she disappeared without a trace. Janice had moved to Mars with Leroy and the couple now had a 5-year-old son, Robert. Investigators quickly discounted any possibility Mahan had been kidnapped for a ransom; concluding the child most likely knew her abductor or abductors, although all family members were quickly eliminated as suspects. The big news is Cherrie's mother says she believes she knows who took her. Missing From: CABOT, PA. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. abducted, she refused to let herself consider the fact that she could be deceased. Cherrie was excited, as her mother was planning on taking her on a play date when she returned home from school. Long says, "Unfortunately that letter as a whole hasn't been very fruitful at this point. When no significant leads developed and the child had been missing for three months, a national direct mailing company printed a photograph of Mahan on postcards accompanied by the question, "Have you seen me?" based on something somebody claimed to have seen around the time of Cherries Authorities believe that Cherrie was kidnapped and possibly murdered afterwards. and to this day she feels Cherrie's biological father knows . Your email address will not be published. McKinney has made statements over the years about possible suspects, including an acquaintance of Cherrie's biological father, who McKinney said raped her when she was 15 and has never been . When ten minutes had elapsed and Mahan had not arrived, her mother and stepfather began to worry. She was in the If nothing else, shell always be in our hearts, said her mother. The day Cherrie disappeared, Janice had the day off from work. Local, state and national agencies helped in the investigation. Some witnesses believed the van was painted black shortly after Cherrie went missing. His family have no solid clues and no sightings to pin their hopes on, and no idea if they will ever see. A Friday. She chatted with her friends until they all went their separate ways. She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. Mahan was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers, beige boots, and Cabbage Patch earmuffs. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. Pennsylvania Child Still Missing After Getting Off School Bus in 1985 NBC News "It's amazing after all these years we still get a lot of inquiries a lot of information, a lot of tips, sometimes we'll get a couple a week, other times it may go months and we don't hear anything," he says. Her books are available on Amazon. First published on February 18, 2020 / 11:00 PM. Long says, "There's been a lot of vans that we looked at. In 2000, a computer-generated rendition of how Mahan may have looked at age 23 was mailed to thousands of households across America. The question still remains: Who killed him? Cherriewas the first missing child to be featured in the program. Thirty-five years after her daughter 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan got off her school bus in rural Butler County and disappeared, Janice McKinney can tell you time does not heal the wound. No one should have to live with those unanswered questions. Janice says, "It's just what happened from the time she got off that bus to when she headed towards our driveway.". Now 26 years later, the details of the woman's story are emerging and police said they are looking into every new piece of information. In the early years, she turned to drugs to dull the pain and sold everything she had, "just to get another high because that pain was killing me, it was just killing me.". Missing Date: Fri, Feb 22 1985. "It's a torment, I've been tormented since the day she was taken. forthcoming weeks, firefighters and helicopters assisted in the daunting search A further line of inquiry investigators pursued dates from 2014, when investigators pursued a tip that Mahan was alive and living under an *umed name in Michigan. mother, Janice. Pennsylvania State Police continue to receive tips and updates relating to Mahan's disappearance. Leroy wasn't Cherrie's birth-father. In November of 2015 cadaver dogs were sent to search a property in Winfield based on a tip theyd received, but no sign of Cherrie was found. He interviewed a women, named Clover, who claims she was abducted as a child, and she looks a lot like this girl. Cherrie's picture wasdistributed and featured on milk cartons. They donated the life insurance policy to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and put a car accident settlement they had given to Cherri to her brother for a trust fund. Her mother, Janice Mahan, was just 16 at the time she gave birth to her daughter, which she later confessed had been a result of her being raped at age 15. Eight year old Cherrie Mahan was looking forward to finishing school for the weekend. 2023 Cox Media Group. When no leads developed, a national direct mailing company, ADVO, put Cherrie's imageon postcards with the question. Nobody went anywhere alone and I used to think my parents used it as a scare tactic, never realized it was true! If nothing else, she'll always be in our hearts.". ", Sign up to get the latest true crime stories, new product releases and more, Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more . Every single day. By this stage, it was around 4.30pm. Mahan was then observed to walk past a bluish-green van which had parked near the bus stop and turn a corner to walk the approximately 150-yard uphill driveway to her home. Cherrie Ann Mahan NamUS "It's very interesting and there are questions that have been posed and we need to find the answers. Last seen: February 22, 1985 The woman said she believes she saw the van witnesses said Mahan entered the day she disappeared at a high school track meet. Some agencies state she disappeared from Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. "And believe me, any parent who has dealt with an accidentthat guilt can kill ya.". to Cherrie or her disappearance. You could she kept the door unlocked every night in the hopes that it was a It was like the Earth opened up and she fell in, said her Cherrie has pierced ears. This spokesman declined to further elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. The heartbreaking disappearance of a third-grader has haunted a small Pennsylvania town for almost four decades, It sounds like a scene out of a movie: a beautiful little girl gets off her school bus, waves to her friends, and begins to make the short walk up her driveway alone. In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. Cherrie Mahans Disappearance Haunts Her Mother 35 Years Later Trib Live February 18, 2020 / 11:00 PM She never made it home. The skier was wearing red and yellow clothing and was skiing down the mountain. There were further and multiple sightings of avan. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Theres been through the afternoon, evening, and well into the night. Nonetheless, Janice doted on her daughter, who grew into a friendly, talkative child, later stating: "We were always together. We'll always look for Cherrie. Long will say about suspects: "Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.". Her friends on the bus notice a van with a mural painted on the side lurking in the background. ", by Chilling Crimes This is a pivotal missing person case because it was the first to feature a circulated flier with the child's photo. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); document.getElementById("ak_js_2").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); As a mother of 3 I cant even imagine this. just tell he was numb, said Kathleen Yates, a neighbour. In 2020, McKinney revealed her conviction that although she does not believe Cherrie's biological father was involved in her abduction, she believes individuals known to him were. Janice later married LeRoy McKinney who accepted Cherrie as his step-daughter. Cherrie Mahan's family and friends hold an annual remembrance dinner at a restaurant in East Butler on a date close to each anniversary of her disappearance. "If they have information and they've been holding it for all these years, that they see what this woman has been living with her entire adult life and come forward and give that information to us.". The Resource Center For Cold Case Missing Childrens Cases, Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance, Missing From: Cabot, Butler County, Pennsylvania, Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian Female, Brown hair, Hazel eyes, Cherrie previously broke her left arm below her shoulder hit the injury had healed by the time she disappeared, she has a dog bite scar on her left arm, Cherrie has a cowlick on the right side of her hair, and her ears are pierced, Clothing/Jewelry Description: A white leotard, a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, white stockings, blue leg warmers, beige soft ankle boots with no heals, Brown Cabbage Patch earmuffs, Cherrie was carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream colored top and was decorated with a blue and red heart. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. No arrests have ever been made in her case and no suspects have been identified in the case. She told John Shumway no one believed her claim of rape, and to this day she feels Cherrie's biological father knows something about who took Cherrie. Cherrie Mahan was born on August 14, 1985, to 16-year-old mother Janice Mahan. Cherrie Mahan's trust fund was given to her younger brother, Robert, who was born four years after Mahan's disappearance. Three other children got off the bus at her stop. A search of their driveway did not locate the child or any of her footprints upon the snow on the ground leading to her house, although they did discover a set of tire impressions in the driveway soil approximately fifty yards from their home. That's all I pray for, all the time, is just to know.". When Janine had a dream that she found Cherrie If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Missing Childrens Terms and Classifications. Patch earmuffs, blue leg warmers and a denim skirt. Cherrie Ann Mahan was born in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania on August 14, 1976 to mother Janice Mahan, who was just 16 years old when Cherrie was born. I can't imagine if that was my child. But she does not believe he was involved in her disappearance? Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Her left arm had previously been broken below her left shoulder, but had healed by the time of her disappearance. At the time of her disappearance, she was 4'2" tall and weighed about 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She went missing Feb. 22, 1985 walking home from her bus stop. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Mahan's mother, Janice McKinney, has stated her conviction her daughter's disappearance can still be solved.
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