Several children who have been reported missing were either found alive or dead.
However , this was not the case for the Mahan family after eight-year-old Cherrie Mahan disappeared in 1985.
What happened to her?
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How Did Cherrie Mahan Disappear?
Mahan disappeared on Feb. 22, 1985, after her school bus dropped her off at the bottom of the hill near her home on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township, about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh.
She would be 47 years old today.
Ever since her mum Janice McKinney has never stopped searching for her daughter, even if it’s something as simple as scanning every person she encounters in the world.
In a statement to CBS News, Mahan’s mother said, “It’s a torment, I’ve been tormented since the day she was taken.
“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?”
These events left McKinney with lingering questions over three decades later.
Did someone familiar to Mahan take her, or did a stranger seize the unsuspecting child during her walk home?
Pennsylvania State Trooper, Jim Long mentioned that they continue to receive leads about Mahan.
Over the years, they would investigate any van resembling the one mentioned by other children on the bus that supposedly was parked close by.
Has Cherrie Mahan been found?
People have reached out to Janice McKinney, claiming to be her daughter.
These supposed Mahan sightings have been reported periodically from various parts of the country.
There were two occurrences from Michigan and New Jersey that initially sparked hope for McKinney, but unfortunately, they led to dead ends.
McKinney shared with CBS News an incident when she received a call at her nursing home workplace from a woman who claimed to be Mahan.
Long found this situation quite convincing and investigated further. He presented photos of the woman to McKinney and took her fingerprints, confirming that she was not Mahan.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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