11 Investigates: Mother of Butler County girl who vanished 40 years ago reaching out for answers

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21-02-2025

Cherrie Mahan vanished 40 years ago. It's one of the most high-profile unsolved mysteries in Western Pennsylvania.
An 8-year-old girl vanished after getting off a school bus one afternoon in Cabot, a rural community in Butler County.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle has covered this case for three decades now and even traveled to Michigan to search for the missing girl.
Earle has learned of a new effort to find her.
Mahan's mom has never given up hope.
Now, along with some close friends, they've started a Facebook page dedicated to finding Cherrie.
And to keep people interested, they are posting new pictures and information.
They hope that a tip from someone, anyone, will lead them to the missing girl.
'She was more than a missing girl. She was her mom's number one fan. She loved food and tuna fish sandwiches. She loved the movie 'ET.' We make her human because she was,' said Bailey Gizienski who, along with her sisters, launched the Facebook page to find Cherrie Mahan.
'She was a vibrant, loving little girl, with big dreams and a kind heart,' said Gizienski.
They've posted never-before-seen pictures of Cherrie.
They've gotten more than a half million views, along with dozens of tips.
They go through everyone, hoping the next one will lead them to Cherrie.
'If somebody says I know what happened to Cherrie, we have to look into it. at this point what do we have to lose,' said Gizienski.
'I am so thankful for them. They have taken this on and they have a proactive thing where they definitely want to know because they know I want to know,' said Janice McKinney, Cherrie's mother.
To McKinney, they are Cherrie's angels.
Almost every day, they post new pictures and information on the page, hoping it will ultimately lead them to Cherrie.
'The not knowing is what really sucks the life out of you because you can never ever go on because you're still stuck, and here I am, 40 years later, and I'm still stuck,' said McKinney.
On the afternoon of Feb. 22, 1985, in rural Butler County on Cornplanter Road, a neighbor picking up her kids saw Cherrie get off the bus like she did every day.
The neighbor then dove off as Cherrie began walking home, passing a strange van with a skier mural parked on the side of the road.
Her mother, who normally picked her up at the bus stop, was off that day and waited at home.
'Up until that day, I was always there. I got off and I was there to pick her up,' said McKinney.
When Cherrie didn't show up, her stepfather went to check on her, but there was no sign of her.
They tracked down the bus, but Cherrie wasn't on it. They called the police and officers began searching for the young girl.
Earle: You never found her?
McKinney: No.
Earle: She just vanished?
McKinney: It's like a black hole opened up and she fell in.
Over the years, police have investigated hundreds of tips, including one just last year from a woman on Facebook, claiming to be the missing girl.
Police looked into it and determined she was not Cherrie Mahan.
'That is the most heartbreaking thing in the world to have somebody tell you that they're your daughter and they're really not,' said McKinney.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Woman claimed to be Cherrie Mahan on social media; fingerprints not a match, police say
Then there was the anonymous letter from a Pastor Justice that led to a search along the Allegheny River, and 11 Investigates even traveled to Michigan to look into claims that Cherrie had been adopted and was living under an assumed name. All just some of the leads that never panned out.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Anonymous letter could shed light on decades-old disappearance
But today, 40 years later, there's renewed focus and energy.
'My sisters and I have really dedicated our time to finding Janice answers, getting an answer for Cherrie too,' said Gizienski.
Earle: Are you optimistic?
Gizienski: I am. I am. I'm very optimistic. I love this woman and somebody knows, somebody knows. We have nothing to lose. At this point, it's been 40 years, come forward, give this woman some closure. She deserves it.
Police never found the van with the skier mural on the side panel.
Earle spoke with investigators and they say are still working on the case, although they said they have nothing new to offer.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 11 Investigates the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan
Cherrie's mom has invited anyone with any connection to the case to a gathering at the VFW in Saxonburg this Saturday, Feb. 22nd from 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
She told Earle she just wants to thank everyone for all of their help and support over the years.
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