On February 22, 1985, Cherrie Mahan got off of her school bus only blocks from her home. Janice had moved to Mars with Leroy and the couple now had a 5-year-old son, Robert. premonition.4, The case gradually went cold. Authorities also sent letters to people who were incarcerated to ask whether they had heard anything about the missing girl from other inmates. This van had a picture of a skier on the side and was a teal/blue color, but understandably this isn't enough to track down the missing girl. It was right behind me.". "I think about her all the time, I pray for her every night, I pray for her every morning," Janice says. I worked 40 years in a nursing home. The person who I said was her father never wanted to admit to it, she said. She was only eight-years-old when she disappeared. Although police continue to run down every tip received, they need something more solid, DeLuca said. Cameron Norris | Cold Cases. Using investigative research combined with primary audio, Morbidology takes an in-depth look at true crime cases from all across the world. As reported by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, LeRoy McKinney was outside waiting on the porch when he heard the school bus pulling up to the stop and the children getting off the bus. Real Name: Cherrie Ann Mahan Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: Cabot, Pennsylvania Date: February 22, 1985 Bio Occupation: None Date of Birth: August 14, 1976 Height: 4'2" Weight: 68 pounds Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with Brown hair and hazel eyes. You would think a child would be safe to walk such a short distance I hope the parents dont blame themselves. A pedophile still is a possibility, McKinney said. After KDKA's report of a new revelation from Cherrie's mother, KDKA's John Shumway reports police received dozens of new tips. or call our tipline and leave us a message: (412) 237-4963. every week day. We are always looking, and that person is never forgotten. transferred to her brother.6 This is not over. According toMorbidology, law enforcement officials were immediately joined by family and neighbors in the search for the missing girl. Though nobody witnessed her actual abduction many saw a truck with a camper shell following her on her ride. "Someone knows what happened to her for sure. Pa. police officer shot while responding to call: reports . 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. Law enforcement officials ruled out Mahan's family and friends as suspects via extensive questioning and lie detector tests. 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. The mans body was never found. Her birth father had never Team Adam investigators are Shawn Kofluk, a retired state police corporal, and Tom Maurer, a retired sheriff from Wayne County, Ohio. Nonetheless, Janice doted on her daughter, who grew into a friendly, talkative child,[10] later stating: "We were always together. #CherrieMahan Cherrie's home in Butler County PA, just north of Pittsburgh, was only about 50 feet from the bus stop. last we know of her is she got off the bus. The couple lived in Winfield Township, Butler County, "[43], Mahan's mother, Janice McKinney, has stated her conviction her daughter's disappearance can still be solved. On the afternoon of February 22, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Ann Mahan boarded the school bus outside her elementary school and rode to her usual stop outside the home she shared with her mother and stepfather, Janice and LeRoy McKinney. Editor's note: "AC360" is investigating some of the nation's most notorious cold cases. abducted, she refused to let herself consider the fact that she could be deceased. Shes disappeared. He was numb. She used to ride with her mother until her mother had a scary experience being stalked by a motorist. Psychic sisters Suzzanne and Jean Vincent will be going to Cornplanter Road on Wednesday to the site where Cherrie Mahan was abducted 33 years ago. Efforts to locate Mahan, alive or deceased, are ongoing. We'll always look for Cherrie. The only thing Trp. They also wrote to The tipster said she reported the sighting at the time but never received a response. Eight-year-old Mahan was living in rural Pennsylvania when she disappeared after getting off a school bus not far from her home on Feb. 22, 1985. The women believe that there were two men involved in Cherries abduction. A search party was assembled and they worked tirelessly While she waits for answers, McKinney said she's made her peace. Morbidology reports Cherrie Mahan's family and law enforcement agencies throughout the nation went to great lengths to make sure every media outlet and newspaper in the United States would distribute information about Mahan and the mysterious van. Law enforcement and Butlers psychic sisters are frustrated by a 38-year search for a suspect in the abduction of Cherrie Mahan from a rural bus stop in Winfield Township. Her left arm was previously broken below her left shoulder, but the injury had healed before her 1985 disappearance. Other children on the bus and a neighbour told police that they Child Find Case #: 11703. "I never left that house without her, we were always together, we grew up together, she was my life," Janice says. Cherrie's father maintains his innocence in her case. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. Janice McKinney is still looking for answers, 35 years after the disappearance of her daughter, Cherrie Mahan. On the evening of January 5, 2006, Pichler was in good spirits while he played cards with friends. 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. She was unhappy with the relationship that she was cultivating with her fiance. When Janine had a dream that she found Cherrie Mahan was then observed to walk past a bluish-green van which had parked near the bus stop[10][n 2][18] and turn a corner to walk the approximately 150-yard uphill driveway to her home. for Cherries safe return.3 Local businesses pledged another $10,000 for information They also run a website that shows the faces and stats of many missing persons in the country. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Her 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. Cherrie Mahan was last seen stepping off a school bus in Winfield Township on Feb. 22, 1985. . She just disappeared, he said.2. [22] She was 4feet 2inches (1.27m) in height and had brown hair and hazel eyes. . In 1994, a Massachusetts man was questioned by police after he was. Investigators told Target 11 they are still working on it. However, Mahan's horrifying disappearance changed everything. According to Chilling Crimes, law enforcement officials briefly suspected a Massachusetts man of Mahan's abduction. This is a pivotal missing person case because it was the first to feature a circulated flier with the childs photo. [7][n 8], In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. ", Although Cherrie Mahan was declared legally dead, her family refused to hold a funeral service. Thirty-five years ago, Cherrie Mahan stepped off of her school bus, started the walk toward her driveway, and disappeared. While she had accepted that her daughter had most likely been He was surprised to find that money had been transferred to help the boys out but Jones never made it to Mount Isa. [35] This spokesman declined to further elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation. Possibly involved in her disappearance was a bright blue, or blue-green 1976 Dodge van with a . We feel this is the right time and someone is feeling remorse or guilt. The What happened to 8-year old Cherrie Mahan, missing since 1985 On February 22nd 1985 8 year-old Cherrie Mahan got off her school bus around 4:10 in the afternoon and never made it home. Missing person fliers were distributed which described Cherrie as 4 feet 2 inches tall and 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel-eyes. Cherrie Mahan. The Dutch-owned island of Aruba might not have had the police force that Holloways parents were looking for. [9] 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. Burk was adamant this Dodge van had also followed the school bus, recounting this sighting in April 1985, Burk stated: "I sat in the car and watched the kids get off. [11] Janice later married a Vietnam veteran named LeRoy McKinney, who willingly accepted Mahan as his stepdaughter. People didnt talk about it then. Eight-year-old Cherrie Mahan's disappearance on February 22, 1985 in Pennsylvania was a particularly frightening version of this . By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Shortly thereafter, they donated the $58,000 reward fund to the National Center [21] Burk was the last individual to see Mahan. A distinctive van had been following the school bus and it was theorized whoever was in this van, abducted Cherrie. Either they are afraid, or I dont know.. She was walking to get on the school bus and was only fifty feet from her house when she seems to have simply disappeared. 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. The van was following the school bus Cherrie had been riding in. ", Pennsylvania State Police Officer Robert McGraw, referencing the ongoing investigation into Cherrie Mahan's disappearance. Hello world! Jedesky retired in 2011, and another trooper was assigned to continue investigating Mahan's case. Oil City police officer injured during arrest of assault suspect in Venango County. This woman is one of many who disappeared while taking a cruise to a foreign land. 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. On 22 February, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan hopped off her school bus in Winfield Township,. Lieutenant Ron Arad was never found, and a special forces agent even died while trying to rescue the pilot. []. However, since the bombshell announcement in June 2020 about new prime suspect Christian B - public progress has been slow. Cherrie Mahan is still missing a total of 30 years after the initial disappearance. The van has never been located or identified and investigators are still not sure if it was connected to Cherrie's case. The fliers also contained a description of the van following the school bus. Then in 2015, cadaver dogs descended on a Winfield property He said that there had been no leads for years but said that they were still treating the case as a stranger abduction. This was the last time that she was seen. But they are trying harder and upping their efforts to find answers around the anniversary of the 8-year-old's disappearance Feb. 22, about Cherries whereabouts. Debbie Burk said the three children got into her van, and Cherrie Mahan continued walking toward her home. Many presumed him dead immediately. 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/. Cherrie Mahan is shown in photo at left as the 8-year-old when she was reported missing after she stepped off a school bus Feb. 22, 1985. Thread starter mindys; Start date Mar 18, 2004; New Posts. 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. "[39], Although existing laws had determined Cherrie Mahan could have been declared legally dead seven years after her disappearance,[n 7] Mahan's mother only petitioned to have her daughter legally declared deceased in 1998. Authorities believe Cherrie was abducted, but no suspect has ever been identified in her case. MicroComputers, a Pittsburgh company, donated a By the mid-1990s, authorities had exhausted all leads, and the case went cold. Cherries name is pronounced Cherry like the fruit and not as shah-ree like the spelling Cherie. radio stations picked it up and played it on air hoping to generate some tips through the afternoon, evening, and well into the night. I can't imagine the pain her mother must wake up with every day. Theres nothing to point the finger of suspicion at anybody. By April, neighbours and family had raised $39,000 as a reward He was eventually convicted of murder and kidnapping, so while this was a "solved" kidnapping we sure you won't blame us for endingwith a positive resolution. The young man graduated from high school in Washington in 2005 and planned to move back to Hollywood the next year to continue acting. But they are trying harder and upping their efforts to find answers around the anniversary of the 8-year-old's disappearance Feb. 22, 1985. Letters and posters were sent to every television station and This Israeli pilot was marked as missing in action in October 1986. This open-ended mourning can wreak havoc on the mental health of family and loved ones. As reported by Chilling Crimes, Janice became pregnant with her daughter when she was raped as a teen. Both of these men disappeared under similar circumstances in 2003 and 2004. I hope someone comes through with some good firsthand knowledge, Trooper Max DeLuca said. Janice McKinney on Wednesday, Feb. 22, holds a photo of her missing daughter, Cherrie Mahan, who was 6 years old when the photo was taken. Pennsylvania, with their 8-year-old daughter,Cherrie Mahan. Cherrie Mahan was last seen stepping off a school bus in Winfield Township on Feb. 22, 1985. 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. Craig had filed for divorce months before she disappeared but the couple continued living together. rural community. The neighborhood was described as a safe place where children spent a lot of time playing outside, and residents rarely locked their doors. Latest: arielilane; 2 minutes ago; The 1985 Disappearance of School Girl Cherrie Ann Mahan ~ True Crime Diva, The Mysterious Disappearance Of Cherrie Mahan Explained - Celeb 99, Lost at Sea The Disappearance of Rebecca Coriam. After KDKA's report of a new. [30] Other witnesses stated they had seen a blue car following this van, and that the van was repainted black one or two weeks after Mahan's disappearance.