Trp. was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers and beige boots. 2023 Chilling Crimes. Just read another article about it this morning that said that. Janice alleged that she was raped and as a result had Cherrie. Last updated September 23, 2021; age-progression updated. He was ruled out as a suspect when police confirmed he was in New York the day of Cherrie's disappearance. Cherries abduction remains unsolved. Cherrie's mother admitted that she became pregnant with Cherrie after being raped. The young married couple moved to Winfield Township and Leroy worked as a postal worker.They chose the area as itwas a quiet area and they thought it was the perfect place for Cherrie to grow up as there were many children who played outdoors and everyone felt so safe that they left their doors unlocked. Leroy wasnt Cherries birth-father. So did somebody know her? 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. ", Police are aware of McKinney's suspicions and have told her the man is adamant in his denials. First published on February 19, 2020 / 7:48 PM. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. She never made it home. 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. Gone in the Blink of an Eye: The Cherrie Mahan Story : Missing411 - Reddit That van was very distinctive I wouldnt be surprised if it was destroyed shortly afterwards. But The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan - TPKs Stories Cherrie Mahan - Chilling Crimes Psychic Investigators Profile Missing Cherrie Mahan Abducted - YouTube 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/. 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. kept saying, My little girls gone. On the morning of February 22, 1985, Cherries mother Janice accompanied her to the bus stop, approximately 50 yards away from their home. After KDKA's report of a new revelation from Cherrie's mother, KDKA's John Shumway reports police received dozens of new tips. Everything! "It's heart breaking for anybody. headquarters and a local grocer donated food for those assisting in the search. She was wearing Cabbage 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. 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. Debbie Burk, a mother who lived near Cherrie's family, told the Associated Press in 1985 that she always sat . According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when her mother was sixteen years old. The elementary school became a She was 4:feet 2:inches (1.27:m) in height and had brown hair and hazel eyes. Cherrie Mahan's Mother Still Searching 35 Years After Disappearance Watch on Cherrie Mahan's mother is still searching, KDKA's John Shumway reports. We grew up together. Last seen: February 22, 1985 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. And in the follow up they mention that after this new report initially aired on local TV in the past few days, the local cops said they have received DOZENS of new tips in the past few days. She was in the Cherries ears are pierced, and she has a dog bite scar on her left arm. The Disappearance of Fredrick Valentich Janice McKinney feels like she has nothing to lose in her search to find out what happened to her daughter. After being unable to find her he called the police to report her missing at approximately 5:00 pm. Mahan's mother has stated that prior to . Cherrie Mahan And Then They Were Gone In 1985, a bright, spunky 8-year-old girl got off the bus in Butler County, Pennsylvania. had seen a blue or green van with a skier and mountain scene painted on the Other children on the bus and a neighbour told police that they 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. third grade. Her case info. Using investigative research combined with primary audio, Morbidology takes an in-depth look at true crime cases from all across the world. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cherrie Mahan was last seen on February 22nd 1985 in Cabot, Pennsylvania. Nineteen years have gone by since anyone saw a young Irish man named Trevor Deely. Cherries family legally petitioned to have her declared legally deceased and the action was granted in 1992. Copyright Disappeared Blog; All Rights Reserved /. When Janice met Leroy, he looked after and loved Cherrie. She was only eight-years-old when she disappeared. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. 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. 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. Shortly thereafter, they donated the $58,000 reward fund to the National Center We drove down the "What a person might think may be insignificant, that may be the piece that we're looking for," he says. The couple lived in Winfield Township, Butler County, 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. Investigators took along cadaver dogs and Cherrie's mom was right there with them. Tipsters can remain anonymous. Gone in the Blink of an Eye: The Cherrie Mahan Story This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. "Not him personally, but the people that he knows, yes," she says. It was like the Earth opened up and she fell in, said her Janice says, "It's just what happened from the time she got off that bus to when she headed towards our driveway.". Enter your email to receive notifications of new posts. Leroy wasn't Cherrie's birth-father. The children on the bus, and the bus driver told Janice and Leroy Cherrie did get off the bus. But somebody knows something. Blue incolor with the mural on both sides. After school Cherrie exited the school bus with three friends at approximately 4:10 pm. Cherrie's biological father has been questioned extensively by the police and denies any knowledge of the abduction. 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. Target 11: Police Seek DNA In Cherrie Mahan Case - WPXI Upon being reported missing police searched the area around Cherries home for days, with the assistance of helicopters, bloodhounds, and 250 volunteers. The skier of the mural was wearing red and yellow clothing and was depicted skiing down the mountain. They believed that Cherrie was abducted. Now, 35 years later, Janice McKinney just wants to know. abducted, she refused to let herself consider the fact that she could be deceased. 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 . We almost hit Leroy. Nobody went anywhere alone and I used to think my parents used it as a scare tactic, never realized it was true! road like madmen. Two of the children were Debbie's children and she gave a lift to another child who lived near her house. She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. Then in 2015, cadaver dogs descended on a Winfield property Cherrie got off the bus that day in her grey coat, denim skirt, white leotard, blue leggings, and Cabbage Patch ear muffs. 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia. If nothing else, she'll always be in our hearts.". He interviewed a women, named Clover, who claims she was abducted as a child, and she looks a lot like this girl. 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. Now 35 years later, Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Long says the phone still rings at the Butler Barracks about Cherrie. every week day. "It's like your heart has been snapped half and it will never go back together again," she says. side following the bus from Winfield Elementary School to Cherries bus stop. 15 Mysterious Disappearances That'll Never Be Solved - TheRichest State Police Ask People With Information About Cherrie Mahan's by Chilling Crimes no ransom note, said Lt. Francis Walton of the state police. Like the possible sightings of women who could have been Cherrie in Michigan and New Jersey, both were ruled out. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The bright blue or green 1976 Dodge van that was seen at the bus stop at the time Cherrie went missing may be connected to her case, though the van or person driving it has never been identified. Pennsylvania Child Still Missing After Getting Off School Bus in 1985 NBC News Mahan was last seen exiting her school bus on Cornplanter Road on February 22, 1985. The man, who wasn't identified . On the 6th of April, 1986, Anthonette Cayedito, 9, disappeared from her home in New Mexico after an unidentified man knocked at the door. Unfortunately, a thick fog fell across Winfield Township and the Earle traveled to Michigan to track down the source of the tip. Learn how your comment data is processed. The individual named in this letter was a woman who had been adopted as a child and was unsure of her precise origins, although DNA testing later confirmed this woman was not Mahan. 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. 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? She was carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream colored top. Long will say about suspects: Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.. Local, state and national agencies helped in the investigation. When ten minutes had elapsed and Mahan had not arrived, her mother and stepfather began to worry. Cherrie Mahan was an eight year old girl living with her mother in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. all about me: Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan - Blogger Its very Janice later married a Vietnam veteran named LeRoy McKinney, who willingly accepted Mahan as his stepdaughter. And instead of picking her up on the way home, she was waiting at home instead. 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 shared with us that Cherrie was the result of rape when Janice was 16. A bright blue 1976 Dodge van with a mural of a mountain and a skier may be involved 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 . Police said they are now doing DNA testing to rule out any possibility that the woman living in Michigan is not Cherrie Mahan. Cherrie was excited, as her mother was planning on taking her on a play date when she returned home from school. 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 mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. By this stage, it was around 4.30pm. 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. Pennsylvania child Cherrie Mahan still missing after getting off school National Center for Missing and Exploited Children case file pertaining to Cherrie Mahan, charleyproject.org webpage pertaining to Cherrie Mahan, doenetwork.org webpage pertaining to Cherrie Mahan. 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. Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. When she failed to arrive home, her stepfather went looking for her and called police when he failed to find her. Cherrie Mahan - Disappeared Cherrie and her family deserve answers. Debbie was the last known person to see Cherrie and she claimed she waited until Cherrie walked past her vanbefore she drove off. 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.". PITTSBURGH,None Cherrie Mahan vanished from a Butler County neighborhood 26 years ago. for Cherrie. However, Mahan's horrifying disappearance changed everything. So we will work as quickly as we can to get those answers," said Lt. Steve Ignatz. Status: Still Missing; declared legally dead in 1998. About 10 minutes after the school bus stopped outside their home and she still hadnt returned, her stepfather went out to look for her. Cherrie Mahan was born on August 14, 1985, to 16-year-old mother Janice Mahan. But she does not believe he was involved in her disappearance? Over the Have You Seen Cherrie Mahon? - KILLERS, KREEPS, AND OTHER KRAZY STUFF And I said 'go check' and he went down he checked and she wasn't there," she says. Somebody would have known who was driving a van with that design on both sides at the time. She was declared legally dead in November 1998. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. By April, neighbours and family had raised $39,000 as a reward Cherrie Ann Mahan The Charley Project, Cherrie Mahans Mother Still Searching 35 Years After She Disappeared CBS Pittsburgh There's been a lot of vans we actually processed forensically and unfortunately didn't lead us anywhere.". . At this event, stories and memories of Cherrie are shared. "I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life," Janice says. 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. That afternoon like usual Cherrie was seen climbing off the And even harder, she says she had to find a way to forgive her own mother's guilt. Someday I'm gonna know.". If you have any information on the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, contact the State Police Butler barracks at 724-284-8100. Janice later married LeRoy McKinney who accepted Cherrie as his step-daughter. Even if someone does not know the full details of what happened, they know something and must come forward. Home Mysteries The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan. He was running up and down the road He Two sketches of the vehicle are posted with this case summary. . Both Janice and Leroy were waiting for her at the top of the hill in the porch but Cherrie never made it that far. Janice McKinney says authorities did not believe her rape allegation and Cherries biological father was never charged. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Some pieces to the puzzle appear to be falling into place here just days away from the 35th anniversary of the crime. Theres no trace of her at the Cherrie got found you know. They also wrote to TIMELINE: Events Surrounding The Disappearance Of Cherrie Mahan. A forensic team excavated a mount there but uncovered nothing related Authorities also sent letters to people who were incarcerated to ask whether they had heard anything about the missing girl from other inmates. I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life.". Authorities believe Cherrie was kidnapped, though no person if interest has ever been named in her case. 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. 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. A man makes video interviews of homeless people. 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. ", "Does she miss me, does she want me, does she know me? May 26, 2020, "It take two people to make a lie work:the person who tells it, and the one who believes it.". The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes she kept the door unlocked every night in the hopes that it was a Mobile: At the time of her disappearance, she was 4'2" tall and weighed about 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Required fields are marked *. 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! She would drive Robert to and from school, and even walks him into the building. Cherrie was born on August 14, 1976, and her mother Janice was only sixteen when Cherrie was born. Mahan's disappearance is one of the most infamous unsolved missing child cases in the United States. What I hope what people get from this piece is people actually see the pain she's living through," says Trp. daily newspaper in the nation. McKinney said the father knew a biker gang she felt was dangerous, but she doesn't know if they were violent. . It is up to the rest of us to take an even harder look at who is minding our children. She has never been seen or heard. Trp. She chatted with her friends until they all went their separate ways. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. A thorough search of Butler County was bolstered by an estimated 250 local volunteers, although these searches failed to locate the child. 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. Early on in the investigation, it was theorised that Cherrie had Her mother believes Cherrie's biological father or someone he knows had something to do with Cherrie's disappearance. 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. We also went to a property that the letter mentioned.". This is a group to remember a very special little girl who went missing over 33 years ago this year. Cherrie Mahan, age 8 (Photo provided by PA State Police) . Only Leroy's strong arm and grip kept it from happening. 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. 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. 36 Years Later, Still No Sign Of Girl Abducted After Getting Off School Bus WPXI We'll always look for Cherrie. One of my Uncles was a State Trooper that assisted in trying to find her. "It was very graphic and cruel to me," she says. On 22 February, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan hopped off her school bus in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. There were some leads in the years that followed. Cherrie never arrived home and has never been seen again. Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold was a wealthy socialite and heiress. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan please contact the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons Unity at (412) 284-8100. This is a follow up to the Cherrie Mahan post a few days ago, I mentioned in it there was a new big news story about her I saw in passing on our local TV. 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. 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. Cherrie never made it home, and has never been seen again. The only thing Trp. Word of the potential abduction spread quickly throughout the In November of 1998 Cherrie was declared legally dead, and her family set up a trust fund in Cherrie's name that could be transferred to her younger brother Robert who was born four years after her disappearance. Cherrie has never been heard from again. 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.. In 1984 the family moved to to a home on Cornplanter Road in Butler County, Pennsylvania. I want to see it, I want to know what happened. The van had a snow-capped mountain and skier mural painted on both sides of the vehicle. The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan Wikipedia to Cherrie or her disappearance. 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. Donations are accepted but not expected; the site remains free-access to all. Pennsylvania State Police continue to receive tips and updates relating to Mahan's disappearance. 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/. These things run in my head every single day of my life.". Missing Date: Fri, Feb 22 1985. 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?" In 1995, the case was taken over by state Trooper Frank Jendesky. The tipster said she called a phone number listed on Mahan's missing person flier, but never heard back from anyone. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 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. Pennsylvania State Police Officer Robert McGraw, referencing the ongoing investigation into Cherrie Mahan's disappearance. When 8-year-old Cherrie got off the bus that day, Janice says she didn't just evaporate. Long. Target 11's Rick Earle has uncovered a new lead in the case that has investigators working on new interviews and a DNA test in Michigan. The skier was wearing red and yellow clothing and was skiing down the mountain.