cherrie mahan biological father

On February 22, 1985, Cherrie Mahan got off of her school bus only blocks from her home. just tell he was numb, said Kathleen Yates, a neighbour. Cherrie's family had her declared legally deceased in 1992. Cherrie's picture wasdistributed and featured on milk cartons. This was the last time that she was seen. "It's heart breaking for anybody. 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. The longer it goes If the good Lord feels shell be better off with him, [] Morbidology reports Cherrie Mahans 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. Investigators took along cadaver dogs and Cherrie's mom was right there with them. ", The pain of the unknown has been hard to handle from the start. Janice says, "They were ecstatic. Lacking any conclusive evidence to the contrary, investigators have not discounted the possibility Mahan may still be alive. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. 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. 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 Ann Mahan was born in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, on August 14, 1976. for Cherrie. Cherrie Ann Mahan. 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. And I said go check and he went down he checked and she wasnt there.. I can't imagine the pain her mother must wake up with every day.". 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. Its every mothers dream to have a child graduate, go on to college and get married. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. 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. When the school bus arrived, the two told each other they loved each other before Mahan boarded the bus. The Disappeared Blog is a true crime blog dedicated to covering the stories of the missing and to their loved ones. Police were notified within an hour of Cherrie getting off the bus. Cherrie's biological father was not a part of her life. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Her The mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. It was like the Earth opened up and she fell in, said her Cherries family legally petitioned to have her declared legally deceased and the action was granted in 1992. Cherrie Mahan's trust fund was given to her younger brother, Robert, who was born four years after Mahan's disappearance. In December of 1910, she disappeared without a trace. Trp. Her friends on the bus notice a van with a mural painted on the side lurking in the background. frustrating. On the 6th of April, 1986, Anthonette Cayedito, 9, disappeared from her home in New Mexico after an unidentified man knocked at the door. The comments below have not been moderated, by Chilling Crimes 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 . Mahan's disappearance is one of the most infamous unsolved missing child cases in the United States. The van was following the school bus Cherrie had been riding in. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. February 18, 2020 / 11:00 PM First published on February 18, 2020 / 11:00 PM. no ransom note, said Lt. Francis Walton of the state police. mother, Janice. That was the last time she was seen. Cherrie's case has never been solved. The van has never been located or identified and investigators are still not sure if it was connected to Cherrie's case. "There was nobody that was a stranger to her," her mom says, "Like if you said her name she thought you knew her. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Some pieces to the puzzle appear to be falling into place here just days away from the 35th anniversary of the crime. It was the 22nd of February 1985. There was a van parked behind Debbie's van that Cherriehad to walk past. If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan please contact the Pennsylvania State Police Missing Persons Unity at (412) 284-8100. Shes disappeared. He was numb. Like the possible sightings of women who could have been Cherrie in Michigan and New Jersey, both were ruled out. Learn how your comment data is processed. Mahan attended Winfield Elementary School, where she was regarded as a bright, popular and happy child. The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan Wikipedia Police said that girl may now be a woman living in a small Michigan community. She was my life". When Cherrie went missing, she. Cherrie Mahan's trust fund was given to her younger brother, Robert, who was born four years after Mahan's disappearance. The three children who were with Cherrie got into Debbie's van. Janice and Leroy began searching the area and called people they knew to try to find her. 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.". When no leads developed, a national direct mailing company, ADVO, put Cherrie's imageon postcards with the question. There are predators everywhere. She just disappeared, he said.2. forthcoming weeks, firefighters and helicopters assisted in the daunting search She was carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream colored top. "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? 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. Cherrie has never been heard from again. Janice says, "It's just what happened from the time she got off that bus to when she headed towards our driveway.". Cherrie's photo is shown age-progressed to 44 years. and Leroy McInney heard the school bus coming up the road just as they did Cherries mother Janice later revealed that Cherrie was conceived through rape, and later went on to believe people involved with Cherries father may be responsible for her disappearance. Age: 8 years old TIMELINE: Events Surrounding The Disappearance Of Cherrie Mahan. At this event, stories and memories of Cherrie are shared. Upon being reported missing police searched the area around Cherries home for days, with the assistance of helicopters, bloodhounds, and 250 volunteers. Cherrie and her family deserve answers. Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. Leroy wasnt Cherries birth-father. Every single day. Authorities believe that Cherrie was kidnapped and possibly murdered afterwards. for Cherries safe return.3 Local businesses pledged another $10,000 for information Cherrie, circa 1985; Age-progression to age 44 (circa 2020); Sketches of van possibly involved. Cherrie got off the bus that day in her grey coat, denim skirt, white leotard, blue leggings, and Cabbage Patch ear muffs. He interviewed a women, named Clover, who claims she was abducted as a child, and she looks a lot like this girl. He lived in a nearby town and while police have ruled him out, Janice believes he's somehow involved. 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? The day Cherrie disappeared, Janice had the day off from work. The couple lived in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, with their 8-year-old daughter, Cherrie Mahan. Theres been 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. Dedicated to covering the stories of the missing, Updated May 14, 2022; Posted May 14, 2022, Name: Cherrie Ann Mahan 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. This is a pivotal missing person case because it was the first to feature a circulated flier with the child's photo. In 1984 the family moved to to a home on Cornplanter Road in Butler County, Pennsylvania. It is unknown if the car has anything to do with her case either. Only Leroy's strong arm and grip kept it from happening. 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. Mahan was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers, beige boots, and Cabbage Patch earmuffs. That's all I pray for, all the time, is just to know.". last we know of her is she got off the bus. ", by Chilling Crimes The residents of Skimore watched as the town bully was shot dead in broad daylight. 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. "The person who I said was her father never wanted to admit to it," she said. Fisher, Bonnie S.; Lab, Steven P. (2010). We almost hit Leroy. The only thing Trp. Despite the many tips authorities have received over the years, investigators have no new leads in her disappearance. While she had accepted that her daughter had most likely been 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 has never been seen or heard. Earle said the tipster was vague but then went into more detail after Channel 11 News cameras were shut off. "It's very interesting and there are questions that have been posed and we need to find the answers. Cherrie Mahans Disappearance Haunts Her Mother 35 Years Later Trib Live Investigators said they have received calls and emails about sightings periodically, but the main thing they want now is evidence. In 2019, Mahan's mother discussed her ongoing turmoil as to the lack of knowledge of her daughter's fate. The couple lived in Winfield Township, Butler County, No one should have to live with those unanswered questions. But she does not believe he was involved in her disappearance? ", Police are aware of McKinney's suspicions and have told her the man is adamant in his denials. Cherries abduction remains unsolved. Cherrie Mahan's family and members of law enforcement gathered at the Saxonburg Memorial Church 30 years after her unsolved disappearance. Janice later married a Vietnam veteran named LeRoy McKinney, who willingly accepted Mahan as his stepdaughter. They believed that Cherrie was abducted. Police said they met with Mahan's mother on Monday to inform her of the new developments in the case. When ten minutes had elapsed and Mahan had not arrived, her mother and stepfather began to worry. 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! If nothing else, shell always be in our hearts, said her mother. Cherrie was known to be a cheerful little girl. 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. Leroy wasn't Cherrie's birth-father. Three other students got off with her at the stop. Cherrie Mahan And Then They Were Gone In 1985, a bright, spunky 8-year-old girl got off the bus in Butler County, Pennsylvania. . for Missing and Exploited Children.7. Two sketches of the vehicle are posted with this case summary. 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?" Efforts to locate Mahan, alive or deceased, are ongoing. Cherrie Mahan was an eight year old girl living with her mother in Winfield Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. Cherrie was known to be a cheerful little girl. The big news is Cherrie's mother says she believes she knows who took her. Cherrie Ann Mahan NamUS "That would be a blessing to me if they would call me and just say it's over," she says. Location: Winfield Township, Pennsylvania 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. Add Us To Your Page! ", Trp. 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 in the I wasn't there. June 14, 2011 at 5:20 pm EDT. Cherriewas officially declared dead in November 1998. Pennsylvania, with their 8-year-old daughter,Cherrie Mahan. bus and heading down the hill towards her driveway. 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. Well always look In 1994,police questioned a Massachusetts man who was accused of abducting and killing a child and of attempting to abduct another child. Mahan was last seen exiting her school bus on Cornplanter Road on February 22, 1985. January 2011. Target 11's Rick Earle has uncovered a new lead in the case that has . RSS: 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. "If they have information and they've been holding it for all these years, that they see what this woman has been living with her entire adult life and come forward and give that information to us.". On the night of 7th December 2000 he attended his work Christmas party in Dublin and simply vanished. Long will say about suspects: "Anybody that was implicated, until we find evidence otherwise, they still would be considered a suspect.". Over the He later recollected he had intended to walk down the 150-yard driveway to meet his stepdaughter before his wife said: "No, it's a nice day. "To forgive somebody that I didn't know because I was killing myself.". was wearing a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, a white leotard, blue leg warmers and beige boots. Cherrie Ann Mahan The Charley Project, Cherrie Mahans Mother Still Searching 35 Years After She Disappeared CBS Pittsburgh Last seen: February 22, 1985 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. We grew up together. Missing person fliers were distributed which described Cherrie as 4 feet 2 inches tall and 68 pounds with brown hair and hazel-eyes. Your email address will not be published. Some missing information: her mother, Janice, had Cherrie at 16 after being raped. The van was parked on a corner and Cherriehad to turn at that corner and then walk up a hill to her house. 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. MicroComputers, a Pittsburgh company, donated a First published on February 19, 2020 / 7:48 PM. "Without forgiveness, I was eating myself alive," she says. Wikipedia article Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 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. Janice reportedly had a very close and loving relationship with Cherrie, who was described as a talkative and sweet young girl. . 1 Comment, "My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people. 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. Previous Stories: June 13, 2011: New Trooper Assigned To 25-Year-Old Missing Girl Case The van had a snow-capped mountain and skier mural painted on both sides of the vehicle. 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. A bright blue or green 1976 Dodge Van is believed to possibly be involved in Mahans abduction. Now, in 2019, her mother told Target 11 Investigator Rick . The Disappearance of Fredrick Valentich rural community. Dorothy Harriet Camille Arnold was a wealthy socialite and heiress. She disappeared after getting off the school bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 pm. The short walk should have only taken a few minutes but Cherrie 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 were further and multiple sightings of avan. 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 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. It was described as having a snow capped mountain and skier mural painted on both of its sides. Just read another article about it this morning that said that. kept saying, My little girls gone. However, Mahan's horrifying disappearance changed everything. road like madmen. Bloodhounds were unable to pick up Cherries trail past the point where the blue van had stopped. She chatted with her friends until they all went their separate ways. Caucasian female born on August 14, 1976 with brown hair and hazel eyes. Over the years, there have been frenzied moments of hope. by Chilling Crimes Copyright Disappeared Blog; All Rights Reserved /. 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. ", by Chilling Crimes Then in 2015, cadaver dogs descended on a Winfield property The terrain around her home was extensively searched with the *istance of bloodhounds and helicopters, and investigators conducted house to house inquiries. Its very They combed through the farmland and fields The She was 4:feet 2:inches (1.27:m) in height and had brown hair and hazel eyes. Morbidology is a weekly true crime podcast created and hosted by Emily G. Thompson. Domestic violence speaks many languages, has many colors and lives in many different communities. That van was very distinctive I wouldnt be surprised if it was destroyed shortly afterwards. Home Mysteries The Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan. family sought this action so that a trust fund in Cherries name could be 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. Long. 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. For what motive, we dont know. 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. And I said 'go check' and he went down he checked and she wasn't there," she says. The man, who wasn't identified . 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. She shared with us that Cherrie was the result of rape when Janice was 16. 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, eight years old. The mother was allegedly raped and conceived Cherrie. The vehicle has never been located or identified and its unclear if it was the vehicle used to abduct Mahan. "Not him personally, but the people that he knows, yes," she says. prisoners in the area, hoping that one of them would have some information One of my Uncles was a State Trooper that assisted in trying to find her. Her friends got into a car driven by the mother of one of the girls, while Cherrie headed home on foot. Friends Gather To Remember Cherrie Mahan The big news is Cherrie's mother says she believes she knows who took her. Cops have deemed said father a "person of interest" as well (see below), which is possibly a new revelation too.