Cherries biological father has never been charged in connection with her disappearance and maintains his innocence. Cherries name is pronounced Cherry like the fruit and not as shah-ree like the spelling Cherie. 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.". 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 . Mahan accompanied her mother to the bus stop located approximately fifty feet from the base of the uphill driveway to their home. A local songwriter even wrote a song for Cherrie and several ", by Chilling Crimes Her case info. 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. Mahan was last seen exiting her school bus on Cornplanter Road on February 22, 1985. On the night of 7th December 2000 he attended his work Christmas party in Dublin and simply vanished. Here are the exact passages from the article: "Janice believes there is a connection between her rape, Cherries birth, and eight years later her disappearance I do, I believe that but I cant prove anything, she says. Witnesses came forward to say they saw ablue van in the New Kensington area traveling back to the Mount Pleasant area in Westmoreland County. The Disappeared Blog is a true crime blog dedicated to covering the stories of the missing and to their loved ones. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Its very We grew up together. Two of the children were Debbie's children and she gave a lift to another child who lived near her house. Last updated September 23, 2021; age-progression updated. A man makes video interviews of homeless people. 5-year-old Regina Mae Armstrong was abducted from outside her babysitter's apartment in broad daylight. for Missing and Exploited Children.7. Cherries ears are pierced, and she has a dog bite scar on her left arm. . According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when her mother was sixteen years old. 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. Location: Winfield Township, Pennsylvania The fliers also contained a description of the van following the school bus. WINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - Almost 35 years later, Cherrie Mahan's mother still lives in Butler County, and she wants to know what happened to her daughter. There's been a lot of vans we actually processed forensically and unfortunately didn't lead us anywhere.". Not him personally but the people that he knows yes., Police are aware of McKinneys suspicions and have told her the man is adamant in his denials. Mahan alighted her bus with three friends at approximately 4:10 p.m. before her friends entered a car driven by the mother of one of the girls, Debbie Burk, that had followed the school bus. The three children who were with Cherrie got into Debbie's van. Trp. Copyright Disappeared Blog; All Rights Reserved /. According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when she was 16 years old. ", "Does she miss me, does she want me, does she know me? Let her walk." What I hope what people get from this piece is people actually see the pain she's living through," says Trp. Cherriewas the first missing child to be featured in the program. The only thing Trp. "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? Required fields are marked *. 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. It was the 22nd of February 1985. 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. 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. Her stepfather reported her missing when he couldnt locate her. Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold was a wealthy socialite and heiress. Oh my God, its Cherrie! His family have no solid clues and no sightings to pin their hopes on, and no idea if they will ever see. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its every mothers dream to have a child graduate, go on to college and get married. acknowledged her or attempted to have any kind of relationship wit In 2011, Rebecca Coriam disappeared from a Disney cruise ship. Everything! That afternoon, her mother, Janice McKinney, had promisedtobring her to a friend's house. No arrests have ever been made in her case and no suspects have been identified in the case. personal computer for volunteers to keep track of addresses. Eventually the FBI was called in to assist in the search yet no clues turned up. based on something somebody claimed to have seen around the time of Cherries Long will say about suspects: Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.. Cherrie Mahan's trust fund was given to her younger brother, Robert, who was born four years after Mahan's disappearance. Mahan's mother, Janice McKinney, has stated her conviction her daughter's disappearance can still be solved. The big news is Cherrie's mother says she believes she knows who took her. Long says they may not even realize it. 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?" That afternoon like usual Cherrie was seen climbing off the Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. "I truly believe that there is someone out there that knows exactly what happened," she says. The van was parked on a corner and Cherriehad to turn at that corner and then walk up a hill to her house. Get The Latest News Sent To Your Email! Even if someone does not know the full details of what happened, they know something and must come forward. The van was seen following the school bus that Cherrie got off of that day. The skier of the mural was wearing red and yellow clothing and was depicted skiing down the mountain. Cherrie Mahan And Then They Were Gone In 1985, a bright, spunky 8-year-old girl got off the bus in Butler County, Pennsylvania. They are not hiding in shadows. The police have said that unless the case veers in a different direction for some reason, Cherrie . The location of Cherrie Mahan, and the circumstances regarding her disappearance remains unknown. Local, state and national agencies helped in the investigation. And police are hoping in there somewhere, they'll find the answer to Cherrie's disappearance. Authorities believe that Cherrie was kidnapped and possibly murdered afterwards. I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life.". 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. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were . And even harder, she says she had to find a way to forgive her own mother's guilt. The woman said she believes she saw the van witnesses said Mahan entered the day she disappeared at a high school track meet. alongside around 250 volunteers. Cherrie has pierced ears. Cherrie's family had her declared legally deceased in 1992. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. Children who were on the bus with Cherrie told police that a 1976 blue Dodge van was following the bus that day: It had a skiing scene, a mountain and a skier, painted on the side.. They donated the life insurance policy they received to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and put a car accident settlement she had received into a trust fund for her brother. 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. ", But like all the other leads Trp. "I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life," Janice says. The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes It was February 22, 1985, when a school bus dropped Mahan off at her stop on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township. Long says, "It gave us hope that this really was Cherrie, so we looked at pictures with the family and we also took fingerprints and ultimately it was discovered that it was not Cherrie. The longer it goes If the good Lord feels shell be better off with him, Police immediately launched an intense search to locate Mahan. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. Cherrie was born on August 14, 1976, and her mother Janice was only sixteen when Cherrie was born. Last seen: February 22, 1985 Missing Since 02/22/1985 Missing From Cabot, Pennsylvania Classification . Finally found a replay of it and then the link online and it's a potentially MAJOR update. 36 Years Later, Still No Sign Of Girl Abducted After Getting Off School Bus WPXI This was the last time that she was seen. just tell he was numb, said Kathleen Yates, a neighbour. 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 . 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. Theres no trace of her at the No one should have to live with those unanswered questions. Cherrie Mahan was born on August 14, 1985, to 16-year-old mother Janice Mahan. The Disappearance of Fredrick Valentich "It's like your heart has been snapped half and it will never go back together again," she says. Other children on the bus and a neighbour told police that they Mahan's stepfather, LeRoy McKinney, overheard the school bus slowing to a halt near his home. The couple lived in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, with their 8-year-old daughter, Cherrie Mahan. Pennsylvania Child Still Missing After Getting Off School Bus in 1985 NBC News But s. Pennsylvania State Police continue to receive tips and updates relating to Mahan's disappearance. transferred to her brother.6 This is not over. The family and friends of the family were questioned andJanice and LeRoy were given lie detector tests but nothing helped the investigation and the case went cold. We almost hit Leroy. Some witnesses believed the van was painted black shortly after Cherrie went missing. I believe her name is pronounced like Sherry, at least that's what I've always heard. This is a group to remember a very special little girl who went missing over 33 years ago this year. The big news is Cherrie's mother says she believes she knows who took her. ", 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 . but to no avail. After KDKA's report of a new revelation from Cherrie's mother, KDKA's John Shumway reports police received dozens of new tips. June 14, 2011 at 5:20 pm EDT. She chatted with her friends until they all went their separate ways. "Not him personally but the people that he knows yes. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. "The person who I said was her father never wanted to admit to it," she said. rural community. Debbie Burk, a mother who lived near Cherrie's family, told the Associated Press in 1985 that she always sat . ", Janice's reaction: "There are very mean people out there that try to get into the story I guess.". Learn how your comment data is processed. She was carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream colored top. At this event, stories and memories of Cherrie are shared. "That's what gave me peace in my life," she says. 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. At the time of her disappearance, Mahan was eight years old. She was last seen getting off the school bus about 100 yards from home. Janice reportedly had a very close and loving relationship with Cherrie, who was described as a talkative and sweet young girl. 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. 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. When Janice met Leroy, he looked after and loved Cherrie. However, Mahan's horrifying disappearance changed everything. . She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. According to Janice, Cherrie's biological father was a man living in nearby Armstrong County. I want to see it, I want to know what happened. The van was following the school bus Cherrie had been riding in. She alighted this bus with three friends at approximately 4:10:p.m. before her friends entered a car driven by the mother of one of the girls, Debbie Burk, who had followed the school bus in her own car. Cherrie got off the bus that day in her grey coat, denim skirt, white leotard, blue leggings, and Cabbage Patch ear muffs. She has never been seen or heard. There are predators everywhere. 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? If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan please contact the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons Unity at (412) 284-8100. Over the years, there have been frenzied moments of hope. Lacking any conclusive evidence to the contrary, investigators have not discounted the possibility Mahan may still be alive. 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. Authorities believe Cherrie was kidnapped, though no person if interest has ever been named in her case. You kiss the face, you put them in the ground, and you say goodbye that's something I never had. Description above from the Wikipedia article Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. and Leroy McInney heard the school bus coming up the road just as they did 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. May 26, 2020, "It take two people to make a lie work:the person who tells it, and the one who believes it.". Status: Still Missing; declared legally dead in 1998. Cherrie, circa 1985; Age-progression to age 44 (circa 2020); Sketches of van possibly involved. "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. Somebody would have known who was driving a van with that design on both sides at the time. "It's heart breaking for anybody. 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. Burk was the last individual to see Mahan. The elementary school became a But At the time of her disappearance, she was 4'2" tall and weighed about 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. 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. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. 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. frustrating. Some agencies state she disappeared from Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. When Cherrie went missing, she. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. The family and friends of the family were questioned and, 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. The short walk should have only taken a few minutes but Cherrie 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? off Cornplanter Road where the family lived. "It was very graphic and cruel to me," she says. Her left arm had previously been broken below her left shoulder, but had healed by the time of her disappearance. 2023 Chilling Crimes. I can't imagine the pain her mother must wake up with every day.". PITTSBURGH,None Cherrie Mahan vanished from a Butler County neighborhood 26 years ago. The child's mother has stated that she doesn't believe Cherrie's biological father kidnapped her, but that people "known to him . She was in the third grade. CABOT, Pa. Thirty-four years ago, on Feb. 22, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan got off the school bus in Cabot but never made it home. Cherriewas officially declared dead in November 1998. third grade. When 8-year-old Cherrie got off the bus that day, Janice says she didn't just evaporate. Four of the attendees of this annual dinner are close friends of Mahan, who have each publicly stated the disappearance of their friend has had a profound impact on their lives, and that becoming mothers themselves has increased their empathy for Janice McKinney's sense of loss. If nothing else, she'll always be in our hearts.". After finding her, he asked many times about what she could remember from the possible sighting. Theres nothing to point the finger of suspicion at anybody. I can't imagine if that was my child. The terrain around her home was extensively searched with the *istance of bloodhounds and helicopters, and investigators conducted house to house inquiries. In 1995, the case was taken over by state Trooper Frank Jendesky. 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. Mahan's abduction is strongly believed not to have been committed by a family member. State police said they are now tracking a possible sighting of the girl that happened months after she vanished. Long says, "There's been a lot of vans that we looked at. John Shumway went back to the state police today about Cherrie's biological father. had seen a blue or green van with a skier and mountain scene painted on the She was only eight-years-old when she disappeared. Dedicated to covering the stories of the missing, Updated May 14, 2022; Posted May 14, 2022, Name: Cherrie Ann Mahan He lived in a nearby town and while police have ruled him out, Janice believes he's somehow involved. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. 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. radio stations picked it up and played it on air hoping to generate some tips Witnesses claimed that there was also a blue car following the van that day. A thorough search of Butler County was bolstered by an estimated 250 local volunteers, although these searches failed to locate the child. Cherrie was known to be a cheerful little girl. In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. Cherrie lived with her mother and stepfather, Leroy McKinney, in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. She thought about suicide and even tried to jump out of the passenger door of her truck on Route 8. 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 biological father has been questioned extensively by the police and denies any knowledge of the abduction. January 25, 2022, "The effects of abuse are devastating and far reaching. 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. She said she was so concerned that she even tracked down Mahan's mother. "There was nobody that was a stranger to her," her mom says, "Like if you said her name she thought you knew her. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. 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. 4. every week day. The man, who wasn't identified . When the school bus arrived, the two told each other they loved each other before Mahan boarded the bus. searchers could barely see further than a few feet in front of them. for Cherrie. By April, neighbours and family had raised $39,000 as a reward And that day I was not," she says. 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. Get WPXI Headlines On Your Phone, iPhone, More There were further and multiple sightings of avan. "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. Leroy was her step dad, and Cherrie didn't know her biological dad. Pennsylvania, with their 8-year-old daughter,Cherrie Mahan. 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. Letters and posters were sent to every television station and Janice McKinney feels like she has nothing to lose in her search to find out what happened to her daughter. On 22 February, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan hopped off her school bus in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. Debbie was the last known person to see Cherrie and she claimed she waited until Cherrie walked past her vanbefore she drove off. I can't begin to imagine the pain. Long says, "Unfortunately that letter as a whole hasn't been very fruitful at this point. By this stage, it was around 4.30pm. Cherrie Ann Mahan. Those tips have prompted them to renew their call for anyone else with even small bits of info who were in the Cabot, Butler County, PA area that February 22, 1985 or who know information about the case to come forward with their information: Contact the State Police Butler barracks at 724-284-8100 with any info. It was described as having a snow capped mountain and skier mural painted on both of its sides. PITTSBURGH,None Cherrie Mahan vanished from a Butler County neighborhood 26 years ago. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherries biological father were involved in Cherries presumed abduction. 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 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. There have been many tips and leads, but Cherrie's case remains unsolved. ", Police are aware of McKinney's suspicions and have told her the man is adamant in his denials. no ransom note, said Lt. Francis Walton of the state police.
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