Heartbroken mother of daughter who went missing 39 years ago speaks out after wife claims to be her

The heartbroken mother of a daughter who went missing 39 years ago has spoken out after a woman claimed to be her lost daughter on social media.

Cherrie Mahan, originally from Pennsylvania in the United States, disappeared after being dropped off by her school bus outside her home in February 1985, aged just eight.

After nearly 40 years without any progress in the missing person's case, Cherrie's family feared they would never see her again.

However, everything could have changed this week, as a woman has since come forward, claiming to be the missing girl.

Investigating authorities believed at the time of her disappearance that Cherrie may have been abducted by the driver of a 1976 Dodge pickup truck – which featured a unique design of a skier on a mountain – after a witness observed the child walk past her after getting off the bus.

Her mother, Janice, and stepfather LeRoy McKinney both told responding officers that they heard the bus coming, but claimed that due to sunny weather that day, they allowed their daughter to return home. she on foot, instead of walking to meet her.

Although the couple later noticed a series of tire imprints in the ground of the driveway about 50 yards from their home, a wire connected to the mysterious van was never discovered and in November 1998, Cherrie was legally declared dead.

In the years that followed, officers investigating the missing youth followed thousands of leads, tragically, to no avail.

However, they initially refused to rule out the possibility that Cherrie was still alive.

That was until 2011, after police in Pennsylvania received “potentially crucial” new information indicating the girl was unlikely to have survived her kidnapping.

This week, however, another American-born woman posted a message on a Facebook group called “Memories of Cherrie Maham,” saying she thought she was the missing girl.

Despite initial hope, Cherrie's heartbroken mother Janice says she no longer has any hope of finding her daughter, due to the countless number of other people who have claimed to be her.

Speaking to the Butler Eagle, Janice said: “I honestly believe she thought in her mind that she was Cherrie. It looked nothing like Cherrie.

“If it was really her, she could show up at any police station and arrange a DNA test without contacting people online and making aggressive statements.”

She then slammed people pretending to be Cherrie, saying: “If you wanted your 15 minutes of fame, you've already wasted it.

“People are mean, they're cruel, but it really touches me. It's been 40 years since Cherrie disappeared.”

The girl's family reportedly still holds an annual memorial dinner on the anniversary of her disappearance, a time that normally brings information about the case that ultimately leads nowhere.

Janice said: “In February and August, I was expecting this craziness. It just hit differently. I didn't even see it. Someone called me and told me about it.”

Despite her grief, she added: “I always thought she was okay. If she had died, she would be in heaven with my parents and brothers. If she was alive, someone was taking care of her. I do not do it.” I know why I feel this way.

Featured image credit: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Topics: News, US News, Crime, True Crime