"That's what gave me peace in my life," she says. about Cherries whereabouts. Two sketches of the vehicle are posted with this case summary. A local songwriter even wrote a song for Cherrie and several Eventually the FBI was called in to assist in the search yet no clues turned up. Local, state and national agencies helped in the investigation. "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? Let her walk." Long says, "Unfortunately that letter as a whole hasn't been very fruitful at this point. 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/. "Without forgiveness, I was eating myself alive," she says. 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?" 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. "To forgive somebody that I didn't know because I was killing myself.". Three months earlier, she had donated the $50,000 reward sum for information leading to the safe return of her daughter to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Mahan's mother has stated that prior to her daughter's disappearance, nobody had believed her claims that her daughter had been conceived through her being raped, adding that on "any other day", she would have been standing at the bottom of her driveway to meet her daughter when the school bus arrived, and that February 22, 1985, was the first day she had not done so. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. 2023 Cox Media Group. been abducted. Cherrie Mahan, age 8 (Photo provided by PA State Police) . There have been many tips and leads, but Cherrie's case remains unsolved. Cherrie was excited, as her mother was planning on taking her on a play date when she returned home from school. That van was very distinctive I wouldnt be surprised if it was destroyed shortly afterwards. The Cherrie Ann Mahan. So did somebody know her? At this event, stories and memories of Cherrie are shared. He was running up and down the road He 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. 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. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherries biological father were involved in Cherries presumed abduction. Janice says, "They were ecstatic. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Now, in 2019, her mother told Target 11 Investigator Rick . Everything! Protect yourself and those you love. On the night of 7th December 2000 he attended his work Christmas party in Dublin and simply vanished. family sought this action so that a trust fund in Cherries name could be Over the 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 believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. Cherrie Mahan was an eight year old girl living with her mother in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. The child's mother has stated that she doesn't believe Cherrie's biological father kidnapped her, but that people "known to him . Theres been Children on the bus that day told police they saw a conversion van with a skier painted on the side. And even harder, she says she had to find a way to forgive her own mother's guilt. But s. 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.". Addressing the media following the conclusion of these legal proceedings, Janice McKinney stated: "When people die, you have a body. Cherrie was known to be a cheerful little girl. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. In December of 1910, she disappeared without a trace. 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. On February 22, 1985, Cherrie Mahan got off of her school bus only blocks from her home. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Mahan attended Winfield Elementary School, where she was regarded as a bright, popular and happy child. Cherrie has never been heard from again. "It's heart breaking for anybody. That was the last time she was seen. McKinney said Cherrie's father still lives in Butler County and was local to where she grew up in Clinton Township. Caucasian female born on August 14, 1976 with brown hair and hazel eyes. In 1995, the case was taken over by state Trooper Frank Jendesky. 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?" This line of inquiry failed to generate any significant leads. "Because the only thing that I cared about was taken from me. They are not hiding in shadows. Police said they are now doing DNA testing to rule out any possibility that the woman living in Michigan is not Cherrie Mahan. January 2011. third grade. These things run in my head every single day of my life.". abducted, she refused to let herself consider the fact that she could be deceased. last we know of her is she got off the bus. based on something somebody claimed to have seen around the time of Cherries It was such anunusual van. wrapped up in a blanket sleeping in her car that was parked in the driveway, This is not over. 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. Long will say about suspects: Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.. Cherrie Mahan was born on August 14, 1985, to 16-year-old mother Janice Mahan. 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. A small blue car was also seen near the site of Cherrie's disappearance. She was in the Cherrie and her family deserve answers. After school Cherrie exited the school bus with three friends at approximately 4:10 pm. Her birth father had never The three children who were with Cherrie got into Debbie's van. . The Disappeared Blog is a true crime blog dedicated to covering the stories of the missing and to their loved ones. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were . When she failed to arrive home, her stepfather went looking for her and called police when he failed to find her. Her left arm had previously been broken below her left shoulder, but had healed by the time of her disappearance. "It's a torment, I've been tormented since the day she was taken. 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. Janice McKinney says authorities did not believe her rape allegation and Cherries biological father was never charged. They combed through the farmland and fields 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. In 2000, a computer-generated rendition of how Mahan may have looked at age 23 was mailed to thousands of households across America. 1 At the time of her disappearance, she was 4'2" tall and weighed about 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. The mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. just tell he was numb, said Kathleen Yates, a neighbour. Cherries ears are pierced, and she has a dog bite scar on her left arm. If you have any information concerning this case, please contact: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Missing Childrens Terms and Classifications. One of the most recent lines of inquiry investigators pursued dates from 2018, when McKinney received an anonymous handwritten letter describing in detail who had murdered her daughter, why they had done so, and where her remains are buried. Authorities believe Cherrie was kidnapped, though no person if interest has ever been named in her case. 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. her.1. prisoners in the area, hoping that one of them would have some information Its very Janice McKinney says authorities did not believe her rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. Over the years, there have been frenzied moments of hope. Janice McKinney feels like she has nothing to lose in her search to find out what happened to her daughter. When 8-year-old Cherrie got off the bus that day, Janice says she didn't just evaporate. Mahan's disappearance is one of the most infamous unsolved missing child cases in the United States. She was carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream colored top. 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? 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. 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. Her mother believes that people who had connections to Cherrie's biological father were involved in Cherrie's presumed abduction. Then in 2015, cadaver dogs descended on a Winfield property 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. Long says, "We actually followed up on to the point we were investigating people outside of the commonwealth, the FBI got involved and helped us out. There's been a lot of vans we actually processed forensically and unfortunately didn't lead us anywhere.". / CBS Pittsburgh. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. 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. "Not him personally but the people that he knows yes. However, none of their efforts led to any new or useful information. In 2011, Rebecca Coriam disappeared from a Disney cruise ship. Her 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. She was approximately 100 to 150 yards along the dirt driveway from her familys residence on Cornplanter Road. A search party was assembled and they worked tirelessly Cherrie's father maintains his innocence in her case. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Patch earmuffs, blue leg warmers and a denim skirt. "There was nobody that was a stranger to her," her mom says, "Like if you said her name she thought you knew her. So we will work as quickly as we can to get those answers," said Lt. Steve Ignatz. 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. Cherries abduction remains unsolved. 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. And instead of picking her up on the way home, she was waiting at home instead. She was last seen getting off the school bus about 100 yards from home. for Cherrie. Long says they may not even realize it. premonition.4, The case gradually went cold. Police said they met with Mahan's mother on Monday to inform her of the new developments in the case. It wasn't until sometime after that track meet that the woman said she learned about the Mahan case. ", 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 . 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. There were further and multiple sightings of avan. 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. In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. Long says, "There's been a lot of vans that we looked at. ", Janice's reaction: "There are very mean people out there that try to get into the story I guess.". "Because I wasn't there that day. Janice reportedly had a very close and loving relationship with Cherrie, who was described as a talkative and sweet young girl. They believed that Cherrie was abducted. The skier was wearing red and yellow clothing and was skiing down the mountain. kept saying, My little girls gone. Janice later married a Vietnam veteran named LeRoy McKinney, who willingly accepted Mahan as his stepdaughter. 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. Like the possible sightings of women who could have been Cherrie in Michigan and New Jersey, both were ruled out. She was 4:feet 2:inches (1.27:m) in height and had brown hair and hazel eyes. That afternoon like usual Cherrie was seen climbing off the 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. Burk was the last individual to see Mahan. "What a person might think may be insignificant, that may be the piece that we're looking for," he says. The terrain around her home was extensively searched with the *istance of bloodhounds and helicopters, and investigators conducted house to house inquiries. ", by Chilling Crimes "It was very graphic and cruel to me," she says. You could Cherrie's photo is shown age-progressed to 44 years. 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. Her case info. The Disappearance of Fredrick Valentich Age: 8 years old She was last seen wearing a gray coat, blue denim skirt, blue leg warmers, and . []. She shared with us that Cherrie was the result of rape when Janice was 16. No arrests have ever been made in her case and no suspects have been identified in the case. 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.. 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. searchers could barely see further than a few feet in front of them. Cherrie got found you know. . Status: Still Missing; declared legally dead in 1998. And that day I was not," she says. She told John Shumway no one believed her claim of rape, and to this day she feels Cherrie's biological father knows something about who took Cherrie. Cherrie's mother admitted that she became pregnant with Cherrie after being raped. According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when her mother was sixteen years old. Nonetheless, Janice doted on her daughter, who grew into a friendly, talkative child, later stating: "We were always together. PITTSBURGH,None Cherrie Mahan vanished from a Butler County neighborhood 26 years ago. June 14, 2011 at 5:20 pm EDT. Her books are available on Amazon. According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when she was 16 years old. So she reached deep in her faith and found a way to forgive whoever was involved in Cherrie's disappearance. Mahan's abduction is strongly believed not to have been committed by a family member.
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