Theres nothing to point the finger of suspicion at anybody. June 14, 2011 at 5:20 pm EDT. She was only eight-years-old when she disappeared. Cherrie Mahan's Mother Still Searching 35 Years After Disappearance Watch on Cherrie Mahan's mother is still searching, KDKA's John Shumway reports. Janice and her husband Leroy were in their home at the top of the hill waiting for Cherrie to get home so they could take her to a play date with friends. According to children on the bus, the van had been following behind the bus, and had murals of a snow capped mountain and skier wearing red and yellow clothing on both sides. Required fields are marked *. This is not over. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were . She believes that incident and the disappearance are related, and that "friends" of her alleged rapist (Cherrie's unnamed biological father) were responsible for Cherrie's disappearance. And I didn't care what happened.". She was approximately 100 to 150 yards along a dirt driveway from her family's residence on Cornplanter Road in Cabot, Pennsylvania at the time she disappeared. Police said that girl may now be a woman living in a small Michigan community. Get WPXI Headlines On Your Phone, iPhone, More McKinney said the father knew a biker gang she felt was dangerous, but she doesn't know if they were violent. A thorough search of Butler County was bolstered by an estimated 250 local volunteers, although these searches failed to locate the child. This is a pivotal missing person case because it was the first to feature a circulated flier with the child's photo. What I hope what people get from this piece is people actually see the pain she's living through," says Trp. When it became clear that Cherrie was not just playing with friends somewhere, Janice and Leroy contacted police. The police have said that unless the case veers in a different direction for some reason, Cherrie . The short walk should have only taken a few minutes but Cherrie Although existing laws had determined Cherrie Mahan could have been declared legally dead seven years after her disappearance, Mahan's mother only pe*ioned to have her daughter legally declared deceased in 1998. The van was parked on a corner and Cherriehad to turn at that corner and then walk up a hill to her house. The skier of the mural was wearing red and yellow clothing and was depicted skiing down the mountain. She was my life". "To forgive somebody that I didn't know because I was killing myself.". TIMELINE: Events Surrounding The Disappearance Of Cherrie Mahan. Over the She was in the Its very Cherrie Ann Mahan was born in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, on August 14, 1976. Cherrie's picture wasdistributed and featured on milk cartons. Tipsters can remain anonymous. Cherrie Mahans Disappearance Haunts Her Mother 35 Years Later Trib Live premonition.4, The case gradually went cold. Her name is Cherrie Mahan, and she went missing here in Cabot, Pennsylvania in 1985. The van would later be described as a 1970s-era Dodge (possibly a 1976 model) with a distinctive mural depicting a skier traversing a snowcapped mountain painted on the side. just tell he was numb, said Kathleen Yates, a neighbour. In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. ", Trp. Mahan was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers, beige boots, and Cabbage Patch earmuffs. How Did Cherrie Mahan Disappear 50 Feet From Her Front Door? That afternoon, her mother, Janice McKinney, had promisedtobring her to a friend's house. Long says they may not even realize it. 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 Mahan only had to walk around the corner and go up her 150-foot driveway to make it home where her parents were waiting for her. Addressing the media following the conclusion of these legal proceedings, Janice McKinney stated: "When people die, you have a body. I want to see it, I want to know what happened. Copyright Disappeared Blog; All Rights Reserved /. Cherrie got off the bus that day in her grey coat, denim skirt, white leotard, blue leggings, and Cabbage Patch ear muffs. Children on the bus that day told police they saw a conversion van with a skier painted on the side. Cherriewas officially declared dead in November 1998. Unfortunately, a thick fog fell across Winfield Township and the It was the 22ndof February, 1985, when Janice Its a kidnapping. I can't begin to imagine the pain. It was February 22, 1985, when a school bus dropped Mahan off at her stop on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township. Cherries ears are pierced, and she has a dog bite scar on her left arm. forthcoming weeks, firefighters and helicopters assisted in the daunting search She shared with us that Cherrie was the result of rape when Janice was 16. Major Cherrie Mahan Update: Her Mother Believes She Knows Who Took Her Child, https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/02/18/mother-police-still-searching-for-butler-county-girl-cherrie-mahan/, https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/video/4452856-cherrie-mahans-mother-still-searching-35-years-after-disappearance/. I watched an interview from Soft White Underbelly. There were some leads in the years that followed. And that day I was not," she says. Missing in Pennsylvania: Unsolved Cases from the Keystone State, Killers in the Classroom: Case Studies of School Rampage Shooters. PA - PA - Cherrie Mahan, 8, Cabot, 22 Feb 1985 - Websleuths Fisher, Bonnie S.; Lab, Steven P. (2010). but to no avail. At the time of her disappearance, Cherrie attended Winfield Elementary School, where she was regarded as a popular, bright and happy child. Cherrie's case has never been solved. and to this day she feels Cherrie's biological father knows . 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. Cherries family legally petitioned to have her declared legally deceased and the action was granted in 1992. Mahan's mother, Janice McKinney, has stated her conviction her daughter's disappearance can still be solved. And even harder, she says she had to find a way to forgive her own mother's guilt. Cherrie's father maintains his innocence in her case. 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. 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.She was declared legally dead in November 1998. The cards were mailed to thousands of households around the country. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. personal computer for volunteers to keep track of addresses. 36 Years Later, Still No Sign Of Girl Abducted After Getting Off School Bus WPXI searchers could barely see further than a few feet in front of them. She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. Last seen: February 22, 1985 "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. While she had accepted that her daughter had most likely been Cherrie was known to be a cheerful little girl. 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. Long. The residents of Skimore watched as the town bully was shot dead in broad daylight. The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan Morbidology According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when she was 16 years old. Despite the many tips authorities have received over the years, investigators have no new leads in her disappearance. Mahan was then observed to walk past a bluish-green, 1970s-era Dodge van with a distinctive mural depicting a skier traversing a snowcapped mountain . Caucasian female born on August 14, 1976 with brown hair and hazel eyes. About 10 minutes after the school bus stopped outside their home and she still hadnt returned, her stepfather went out to look for her. "I was gonna jump out, cause that car behind us was going to squish me like a bug and I didn't care," she says. Janice McKinney says authorities did not believe her rape allegation and Cherries biological father was never charged. daily newspaper in the nation. 2023 Chilling Crimes. Pennsylvania child Cherrie Mahan still missing after getting off school Patch earmuffs, blue leg warmers and a denim skirt. He said that there had been no leads for years but said that they were still treating the case as a stranger abduction. You kiss the face, you put them in the ground, and you say goodbye that's something I never had. New Kensington area traveling back to the Mount Pleasant area in Westmoreland County. Missing Since 02/22/1985 Missing From Cabot, Pennsylvania Classification . State Police Ask People With Information About Cherrie Mahan's "Not him personally, but the people that he knows, yes," she says. transferred to her brother.6 This is not over. Cherrie lived with her mother and stepfather, Leroy McKinney, in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It wasn't until sometime after that track meet that the woman said she learned about the Mahan case. January 17, 2022 []. When ten minutes had elapsed and Mahan had not arrived, her mother and stepfather began to worry. Cherries abduction remains unsolved. Some witnesses believed the van was painted black shortly after Cherrie went missing. But she does not believe he was involved in her disappearance? Pennsylvania State Police Officer Robert McGraw, referencing the ongoing investigation into Cherrie Mahan's disappearance. They combed through the farmland and fields May 26, 2020, "It take two people to make a lie work:the person who tells it, and the one who believes it.". Cherries biological father has never been charged in connection with her disappearance and maintains his innocence. Cherrie walked homealone. "It was very graphic and cruel to me," she says. We grew up together. You could Janice McKinney is holding out hope that after 35 years someone will have an attack of conscience and come forward with the tip police need. Cherrie's family had her declared legally deceased in 1992. More recently, a woman called the nursing home where Janice works claiming to be Cherrie. Police were notified within an hour of Cherrie getting off the bus. Cherrie was last seen wearing a white leotard, a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, white stockings, blue leg warmers, beige ankle boots, and brown Cabbage Patch earmuffs. February 22, 2010: 25 Years Later, Search Continues For Missing Girl. Major Cherrie Mahan Update: Her Mother Believes She Knows Who - Reddit Cherries mother Janice later revealed that Cherrie was conceived through rape, and later went on to believe people involved with Cherries father may be responsible for her disappearance. A small blue car was also seen in the area at the time of Cherries disappearance but its unknown is this vehicle was involved either. Up until that day, I was there every day to pick her up after school. Mahan was last seen exiting her school bus on Cornplanter Road on February 22, 1985. Shortly thereafter, they donated the $58,000 reward fund to the National Center A Friday. After finding her, he asked many times about what she could remember from the possible sighting. Debbie Burk, a mother who lived near Cherrie's family, told the Associated Press in 1985 that she always sat . First published on February 19, 2020 / 7:48 PM. Memories of Cherrie Mahan - Facebook Some pieces to the puzzle appear to be falling into place here just days away from the 35th anniversary of the crime. Her birth father had never acknowledged her or attempted to have any kind of relationship wit her. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. Now, 35 years later, Janice McKinney just wants to know. Cherrie's biological father was not a part of her life. Some witnesses believed the van was painted black shortly after Cherrie went missing. of the road. Theyare in our work places, our friendship groups and sometimes even our homes. Nonetheless, Janice doted on her daughter, who grew into a friendly, talkative child, later stating: "We were always together. That van was very distinctive I wouldnt be surprised if it was destroyed shortly afterwards. On February 22, 1985, Cherrie Mahan got off of her school bus only blocks from her home. Cherrie's picture wasdistributed and featured on milk cartons. off Cornplanter Road where the family lived. You would think a child would be safe to walk such a short distance I hope the parents dont blame themselves. Two of the children were Debbie's children and she gave a lift to another child who lived near her house. 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. There were further and multiple sightings of avan. Oh my God, its Cherrie! McKinney said Cherrie's father still lives in Butler County and was local to where she grew up in Clinton Township. Pennsylvania Child Still Missing After Getting Off School Bus in 1985 NBC News I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life.". . A bright blue or green 1976 Dodge Van is believed to possibly be involved in Mahans abduction. "It's heart breaking for anybody. When Cherrie went missing, she. Her friends got into a car driven by the mother of one of the girls, while Cherrie headed home on foot. and Leroy McInney heard the school bus coming up the road just as they did But a couple of years after Cherrie disappeared, Janice shook herself out of here spiral of self-destruction and learned what she hopes others will take to heart, the power of forgiveness. never arrived home. Leroy was her step dad, and Cherrie didn't know her biological dad. MicroComputers, a Pittsburgh company, donated a The only thing Trp. was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers and beige boots. There are predators everywhere. When 8-year-old Cherrie got off the bus that day, Janice says she didn't just evaporate. 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. Her case info. 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. Janice claimed that she'd been raped at the age of 15, but this didn't stop Janice being a good mother who doted on her daughter. Cherrie's photo is shown age-progressed to 44 years. It was described as having a snow capped mountain and skier mural painted on both of its sides. The police were called and days of searches began. This is a group to remember a very special little girl who went missing over 33 years ago this year. According to Janice, Cherrie's biological father was a man living in nearby Armstrong County. 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 . 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. Home Mysteries The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan. At the time of her disappearance, she was 42 tall and weighed about 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She believes that incident and the disappearance are related, and that "friends" of her alleged rapist (Cherrie's unnamed biological father) were responsible for Cherrie's disappearance. There was a van parked behind Debbie's van that Cherriehad to walk past. "Because I wasn't there that day. Cherrie Mahan was an eight year old girl living with her mother in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. By April, neighbours and family had raised $39,000 as a reward ", Janice's reaction: "There are very mean people out there that try to get into the story I guess.". to Cherrie or her disappearance. her.1. 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. She said she was so concerned that she even tracked down Mahan's mother. Janice read the letter carefully. Location: Winfield Township, Pennsylvania The van was seen following the school bus that Cherrie got off of that day. all about me: Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan - Blogger Two sketches of the vehicle are posted with this case summary. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherrie's biological father were involved in Cherrie's presumed abduction. Her books are available on Amazon. Only Leroy's strong arm and grip kept it from happening. for Missing and Exploited Children.7. Witnesses said she got into a blue van with a skier mural painted on the side. Blue incolor with the mural on both sides. A man makes video interviews of homeless people. Long will say about suspects: "Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.". The van has never been located or identified and investigators are still not sure if it was connected to Cherrie's case. She was declared legally dead in November 1998. . radio stations picked it up and played it on air hoping to generate some tips Previous Stories: June 13, 2011: New Trooper Assigned To 25-Year-Old Missing Girl Case Status: Still Missing; declared legally dead in 1998. He maintains his innocence in . 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. Now, in 2019, her mother told Target 11 Investigator Rick . Cherrie was then observed walking past a blue/green van that was parked near the bus stop, before turning the corner to walk up the driveway to her home. Nineteen years have gone by since anyone saw a young Irish man named Trevor Deely. A forensic team excavated a mount there but uncovered nothing related The day Cherrie disappeared, Janice had the day off from work. 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?" Let her walk." The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan - TPKs Stories It was such anunusual van. 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 only thing Trp. acknowledged her or attempted to have any kind of relationship wit Nobody went anywhere alone and I used to think my parents used it as a scare tactic, never realized it was true! 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. 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. Cherrie, as you may know, is an 8-year-old girl who disappeared shortly after getting off her school bus on February 22, 1985 from Butler County, Pennsylvania. By this stage, it was around 4.30pm. Cherrie Ann Mahan - The Resource Center For Cold Case Missing Children If you have any information on the circumstances surrounding Cherries disappearance, please call the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons unit at 724-284-8100. Its every mothers dream to have a child graduate, go on to college and get married. 8 year old Cherrie Mahan was last seen exiting her school bus near her home in Winfield Township, Pennsylvania on February 22, 1985. Authorities also sent letters to people who were incarcerated to ask whether they had heard anything about the missing girl from other inmates. Cherrie and her family deserve answers. every week day. Cherrie's mother admitted that she became pregnant with Cherrie after being raped. Some agencies state she disappeared from Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. However, none of their efforts led to any new or useful information. hell take her, she said. On the morning of February 22, 1985, Cherries mother Janice accompanied her to the bus stop, approximately 50 yards away from their home. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Another person saw Cherrie walk past the van which was seen parked at the side She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. ", The pain of the unknown has been hard to handle from the start. Leroy wasnt Cherries birth-father. But "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? Cherrie Ann Mahan NamUS "It's like your heart has been snapped half and it will never go back together again," she says. Cherrie's mom doubts the van was even involved. Cherrie was last seen getting off of the bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 p.m. on February 22, 1985. Appeals as to sightings of the distinctive bluish-green Dodge van produced eyewitnesses who informed investigators they had seen a vehicle matching this description in New Kensington, traveling in the direction of Mount Pleasant. Please enter valid email address to continue. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She was approximately 100 to 150 yards along the dirt driveway from her familys residence on Cornplanter Road. Cherriewas the first missing child to be featured in the program. Witnesses claimed that there was also a blue car following the van that day. 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. for Cherrie. 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/. In November of 1998 Cherrie was declared legally dead, and her family set up a trust fund in Cherries name that could be transferred to her younger brother Robert who was born four years after her disappearance. Trp. Bloodhounds were unable to pick up Cherries trail past the point where the blue van had stopped. Add Us To Your Page! She was last seen wearing a gray coat, blue denim skirt, blue leg warmers, and . ", by Chilling Crimes Would love your thoughts, please comment. His family have no solid clues and no sightings to pin their hopes on, and no idea if they will ever see. Other witnesses stated they had seen a blue car following this van, and that the van was repainted black one or two weeks after Mahan's disappearance. bus and heading down the hill towards her driveway. 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. for Cherries safe return.3 Local businesses pledged another $10,000 for information We also went to a property that the letter mentioned.". Despitethe unique appearance of the van and mural, no van has ever been seized in connection with Cherries disappearance and there has never been a main person of interest. Cherrie was excited, as her mother was planning on taking her on a play date when she returned home from school. ", 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 . She was wearing Cabbage 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. The van had a snow-capped mountain and skier mural painted on both sides of the vehicle. Cherrie never made it home, and has never been seen again. frustrating. Psychic Sisters Suzanne and Jean Vincent give detailed psychic Impressions as to what has happen to Cherrie Mahan, Abducted from Butler County February 22 19. So she reached deep in her faith and found a way to forgive whoever was involved in Cherrie's disappearance. Just read another article about it this morning that said that. When Cherrie Mahan was abducted, investigators had little to go on, but they have investigated numerous leads over the years. When Cherrie went missing, shewas wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers and beige boots. The Disappeared Blog is a true crime blog dedicated to covering the stories of the missing and to their loved ones. Debbie, the children on the bus and the bus driver told Janice and Leroy that Cherrie did get off the bus. Police and psychics step up efforts to find who took Cherrie Mahan 38 Janice says, "They were ecstatic. Cherrie Mahan - Disappeared Long says, "Unfortunately that letter as a whole hasn't been very fruitful at this point. Cherrie and her family deserve answers. Like the possible sightings of women who could have been Cherrie in Michigan and New Jersey, both were ruled out. disappearance. In 2000, a computer-generated rendition of how Mahan may have looked at age 23 was mailed to thousands of households across America.
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