According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when her mother was sixteen years old. Previous Stories: June 13, 2011: New Trooper Assigned To 25-Year-Old Missing Girl Case 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Janice McKinney says authorities did not believe her rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. There was a van parked behind Debbie's van that Cherriehad to walk past. Pennsylvania State Police Officer Robert McGraw, referencing the ongoing investigation into Cherrie Mahan's disappearance. Cherrie never made it home, and has never been seen again. daily newspaper in the nation. Enter your email to receive notifications of new posts. There was a soda machine down the street outside the beer distributor and We knew the owner whom was like another grandfather to us ..We even called him Pappy and he would give us each a dollar and free soda anyways We would walk down the street arms locked always looking out for said van! The mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. If you have any information on the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, contact the State Police Butler barracks at 724-284-8100. Leroy was her step dad, and Cherrie didn't know her biological dad. Cherrie Mahan was an eight year old girl living with her mother in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. last we know of her is she got off the bus. In December of 1910, she disappeared without a trace. Both Janice and Leroy were waiting for her at the top of the hill in the porch but Cherrie never made it that far. . In the decades since Mahan's disappearance, investigators have pursued thousands of leads pertaining to the child's whereabouts and the iden*y of her abductor or abductors. Nonetheless, Janice doted on her daughter, who grew into a friendly, talkative child, later stating: "We were always together. Most of these leads have been potential sightings of Mahan or the two vehicles observed in the vicinity of her abduction, although the child has never been found, and neither vehicle was ever located. Cherrie's family had her declared legally deceased in 1992. You could This is a pivotal missing person case because it was the first to feature a circulated flier with the child's photo. There's been a lot of vans we actually processed forensically and unfortunately didn't lead us anywhere.". That van was very distinctive I wouldnt be surprised if it was destroyed shortly afterwards. 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. Missing in Pennsylvania: Unsolved Cases from the Keystone State, Killers in the Classroom: Case Studies of School Rampage Shooters. Mahan attended Winfield Elementary School, where she was regarded as a bright, popular and happy child. 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. Her birth father had never acknowledged her or attempted to have any kind of relationship wit her. "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? 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. Cherrie Ann Mahan. 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. 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. A small blue car was also seen near the site of Cherrie's disappearance. "The person who I said was her father never wanted to admit to it," she said. "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. 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. They are not hiding in shadows. On the night of 7th December 2000 he attended his work Christmas party in Dublin and simply vanished. Protect yourself and those you love. Domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colors and lives in many different communities. Bloodhounds were unable to pick up Cherries trail past the point where the blue van had stopped. had seen a blue or green van with a skier and mountain scene painted on the []. Cherrie and her family deserve answers. The van had a snow-capped mountain and skier mural painted on both sides of the vehicle. 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. Cherrie Mahans Mother Still Searching 35 Years After She Disappeared, Cherrie Mahans Disappearance Haunts Her Mother 35 Years Later, Pennsylvania Child Still Missing After Getting Off School Bus in 1985, 36 Years Later, Still No Sign Of Girl Abducted After Getting Off School Bus, The Mysterious Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children. 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. 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. . road like madmen. 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. At the time of her disappearance, she was 42 tall and weighed about 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. "I think about her all the time, I pray for her every night, I pray for her every morning," Janice says. Cherrie's biological father was not a part of her life. Her She has never been seen or heard. In 2011, Rebecca Coriam disappeared from a Disney cruise ship. Cherrie's mother admitted that she became pregnant with Cherrie after being raped. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. 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. Unfortunately, a thick fog fell across Winfield Township and the Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. 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. Mahan was last seen exiting her school bus on Cornplanter Road on February 22, 1985. Some pieces to the puzzle appear to be falling into place here just days away from the 35th anniversary of the crime. Long says they may not even realize it. It was February 22, 1985, when a school bus dropped Mahan off at her stop on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township. First published on February 18, 2020 / 11:00 PM. 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 . 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. She gave it to the police and Trp. For what motive, we dont know. Every single day. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were . Janice McKinney feels like she has nothing to lose in her search to find out what happened to her daughter. According to Janice, Cherrie's biological father was a man living in nearby Armstrong County. Cherrie Ann Mahan NamUS Her birth father had never These cards were mailed to thousands of households across the U.S., placed inside telephone and utility bills, alongside an artist's rendition of the distinctive van seen in the vicinity of her abduction. The van was following the school bus Cherrie had been riding in. Investigators took along cadaver dogs and Cherrie's mom was right there with them. Cherrie was known to be a cheerful little girl. "I truly believe that there is someone out there that knows exactly what happened," she says. rural community. But she does not believe he was involved in her disappearance? 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. Cherrie Mahan was last seen on February 22nd 1985 in Cabot, Pennsylvania. 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 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?" Cherrie Mahans Disappearance Haunts Her Mother 35 Years Later Trib Live This is a group to remember a very special little girl who went missing over 33 years ago this year. 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. never arrived home. After finding her, he asked many times about what she could remember from the possible sighting. 2023 Cox Media Group. Cherrie's father maintains his innocence in her case. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan please contact the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons Unity at (412) 284-8100. When the school bus arrived, the two told each other they loved each other before Mahan boarded the bus. She was carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream colored top. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Newsletter: Children on the bus that day told police they saw a conversion van with a skier painted on the side. She said she was so concerned that she even tracked down Mahan's mother. Janice had moved to Mars with Leroy and the couple now had a 5-year-old son, Robert. When ten minutes had elapsed and Mahan had not arrived, her mother and stepfather began to worry. She was 4:feet 2:inches (1.27:m) in height and had brown hair and hazel eyes. 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? A bright blue 1976 Dodge van with a mural of a mountain and a skier may be involved in her disappearance. 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. Trp. 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. Now 35 years later, Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Long says the phone still rings at the Butler Barracks about Cherrie. They also wrote to Debbie, the children on the bus and the bus driver told Janice and Leroy that Cherrie did get off the bus. was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers and beige boots. Location: Winfield Township, Pennsylvania I believe her name is pronounced like Sherry, at least that's what I've always heard. Some missing information: her mother, Janice, had Cherrie at 16 after being raped. Addressing the media following the conclusion of these legal proceedings, Janice McKinney stated: "When people die, you have a body. Cherrie Mahan's trust fund was given to her younger brother, Robert, who was born four years after Mahan's disappearance. 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. Its a kidnapping. 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. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherries biological father were involved in Cherries presumed abduction. The van was parked on a corner and Cherriehad to turn at that corner and then walk up a hill to her house. And I said 'go check' and he went down he checked and she wasn't there," she says. There are predators everywhere. Cherrie's biological father has been questioned extensively by the police and denies any knowledge of the abduction. The skier of the mural was wearing red and yellow clothing and was depicted skiing down the mountain. Did somebody knock her on the head and drag her into a car, did somebody say 'hey your mom said we're to pick you up and get in the car?' 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. Then in 2015, cadaver dogs descended on a Winfield property just tell he was numb, said Kathleen Yates, a neighbour. Over the 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. Pushing back tears she says, "I just want to be there in case they find her or in case they find just bones I want to be there. PITTSBURGH,None Cherrie Mahan vanished from a Butler County neighborhood 26 years ago. ", But like all the other leads Trp. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. alongside around 250 volunteers. No one should have to live with those unanswered questions. Police said they are now doing DNA testing to rule out any possibility that the woman living in Michigan is not Cherrie Mahan. 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. Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. The van has never been located or identified and investigators are still not sure if it was connected to Cherrie's case. I can't begin to imagine the pain. Mahan accompanied her mother to the bus stop located approximately fifty feet from the base of the uphill driveway to their home. Two sketches of the vehicle are posted with this case summary. Cherrie has never been heard from again. 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. When no leads developed, a national direct mailing company, ADVO, put Cherrie's imageon postcards with the question "Have you seen me?" Lacking any conclusive evidence to the contrary, investigators have not discounted the possibility Mahan may still be alive. January 2011. Witnesses said she got into a blue van with a skier mural painted on the side. She still remains missing. Last seen: February 22, 1985 "That would be a blessing to me if they would call me and just say it's over," she says. They believed that Cherrie was abducted. February 19, 2020 / 7:48 PM Somebody would have known who was driving a van with that design on both sides at the time. From that day to today, Janice McKinney has been searching face for her daughter Cherrie who never made it up the hill that day to their home. 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/. A man makes video interviews of homeless people. . The cards were mailed to thousands of households around the country. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherrie's biological father were involved in Cherrie's presumed abduction. Its so sad, the mom really has a lot of guilt because apparently that was the one day that she didnt pick her up at school or something. She was in the third grade. 5-year-old Regina Mae Armstrong was abducted from outside her babysitter's apartment in broad daylight. Authorities believe that Cherrie was kidnapped and possibly murdered afterwards. At the time of her disappearance, Mahan was eight years old. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. through the afternoon, evening, and well into the night. On the 6th of April, 1986, Anthonette Cayedito, 9, disappeared from her home in New Mexico after an unidentified man knocked at the door. Witnesses claimed that there was also a blue car following the van that day. The couple lived in Winfield Township, Butler County, Cherrie Mahan's trust fund was given to her younger brother, Robert, who was born four years after Mahan's disappearance. He said that there had been no leads for years but said that they were still treating the case as a stranger abduction. But somebody knows something. Nineteen years have gone by since anyone saw a young Irish man named Trevor Deely. When Cherrie went missing, shewas wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers and beige boots. A search party was assembled and they worked tirelessly Cherries mother did tell the police but they didnt believe her and her biological father was never charged with any wrongdoing. Description above from the Wikipedia article Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes Mahan's abduction is strongly believed not to have been committed by a family member. What I hope what people get from this piece is people actually see the pain she's living through," says Trp. Get WPXI Headlines On Your Phone, iPhone, More for Cherrie. She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. He was running up and down the road He Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. Eventually the FBI was called in to assist in the search yet no clues turned up. 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. ", 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 . The mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. wrapped up in a blanket sleeping in her car that was parked in the driveway, hell take her, she said. Cherrie, circa 1985; Age-progression to age 44 (circa 2020); Sketches of van possibly involved. The woman said she believes she saw the van witnesses said Mahan entered the day she disappeared at a high school track meet. Three other children got off the bus at her stop. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. by Chilling Crimes On the morning of February 22, 1985, Cherries mother Janice accompanied her to the bus stop, approximately 50 yards away from their home. Cherrie walked homealone. side following the bus from Winfield Elementary School to Cherries bus stop. 36 Years Later, Still No Sign Of Girl Abducted After Getting Off School Bus WPXI In late 1984, the family relocated to Cornplanter Road in Butler County. The Disappeared Blog is a true crime blog dedicated to covering the stories of the missing and to their loved ones. Powered by Shopify, Leroy worked as a postal worker.They chose the area as it, Witnesses claimed that there was also a blue car following the van that day. A bright blue or green 1976 Dodge Van is believed to possibly be involved in Mahans abduction. You would think a child would be safe to walk such a short distance I hope the parents dont blame themselves. McKinney said Cherrie's father still lives in Butler County and was local to where she grew up in Clinton Township. The skier was wearing red and yellow clothing and was skiing down the mountain. First published on February 19, 2020 / 7:48 PM. 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. Your email address will not be published. A distinctive van had been following the school bus and it was theorized whoever was in this van, abducted Cherrie. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Patch earmuffs, blue leg warmers and a denim skirt. Debbie Burk, a mother who lived near Cherrie's family, told the Associated Press in 1985 that she always sat . 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. We'll always look for Cherrie. about Cherries whereabouts. She went missing Feb. 22, 1985 walking home from her bus stop. every week day. January 17, 2022 The fliers also contained a description of the van following the school bus. 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. A bright blue or green 1976 Dodge van was seen in the area at the time of Cherrie's disappearance and may be connected to her case. I wasn't there. Missing person fliers were distributed which described Cherrie as 4 feet 2 inches tall and 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel-eyes. A Butler County judge approved a pe*ion from Janice McKinney to do so in November that year. After being unable to find her he called the police to report her missing at approximately 5:00 pm. Janice believes there is a connection between her rape, Cherrie's birth, and eight years later her disappearance "I do, I believe that but I can't prove anything," she says. Her books are available on Amazon. 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. off Cornplanter Road where the family lived. On her shoulder and near her heart, Janice carries tattoos to remind her of her daughter and every day she prays for the relief of 'that call' from the police. Cherrie's picture wasdistributed and featured on milk cartons. mother, Janice. She was only eight-years-old when she disappeared. Learn how your comment data is processed. "Not him personally but the people that he knows yes. The man, who wasn't identified . Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold was a wealthy socialite and heiress. Cherrie Mahan's Mother Still Searching 35 Years After Disappearance Watch on Cherrie Mahan's mother is still searching, KDKA's John Shumway reports. She was in the She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. Some witnesses believed the van was painted black shortly after Cherrie went missing. February 04, 2022, "The criminal justice system will take a hard look at what happened to Matthew Eappen. Mahan's mother, Janice McKinney, has stated her conviction her daughter's disappearance can still be solved. Leroy wasn't Cherrie's birth-father. In 2000, a computer-generated rendition of how Mahan may have looked at age 23 was mailed to thousands of households across America. Letters and posters were sent to every television station and She chatted with her friends until they all went their separate ways. Emphasizing her belief that an anonymous tip from the public could finally give herself and her family the closure they crave, McKinney stated to the media: "I just wish someone would come forth and tell me what happened. The author of this letter concluded this correspondence by stating: "I pray you find some peace after you find her body.". Long will say about suspects: "Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.". That afternoon, her mother, Janice McKinney, had promisedtobring her to a friend's house. Cherrie was last seen getting off of the bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 p.m. on February 22, 1985. This spokesman declined to further elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation. McKinney said the father knew a biker gang she felt was dangerous, but she doesn't know if they were violent. 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. Cherriewas officially declared dead in November 1998. 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?" Cherrie was excited, as her mother was planning on taking her on a play date when she returned home from school. Her stepfather reported her missing when he couldnt locate her. Just read another article about it this morning that said that. Let her walk." PITTSBURGH,None Cherrie Mahan vanished from a Butler County neighborhood 26 years ago. She just disappeared, he said.2. His family have no solid clues and no sightings to pin their hopes on, and no idea if they will ever see. No arrests have ever been made in her case and no suspects have been identified in the case. And police are hoping in there somewhere, they'll find the answer to Cherrie's disappearance. In 1995, the case was taken over by state Trooper Frank Jendesky. Her name is Cherrie Mahan, and she went missing here in Cabot, Pennsylvania in 1985. Another case in point, a handwritten letter that arrived a couple of years ago so brutally specific spelling out Cherrie's killing and burial. Janice read the letter carefully. The police have said that unless the case veers in a different direction for some reason, Cherrie . 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.".
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