Woman Says She's Missing, Cherrie Mahan; mom doesn't believe it

(NewsNation) – A woman claims to be Cherrie Mahan, an 8-year-old girl from Pennsylvania who disappeared in 1985, but the girl's mother says she's not telling the truth, multiple media outlets report.

Mahan was last seen getting off the bus in Winfield Township, Butler County. Police say a bright blue 1976 Dodge pickup truck with a mural of a mountain and a skier may have been involved in her disappearance, according to KDKA, but Mahan was never found.

Last month, a woman posted in a Facebook group dedicated to finding the little girl, saying her name was Mahan. However, USA Today reports that Janice McKinney, Mahan's mother, posted in the same Facebook group that she had contacted the Pennsylvania State Police to tell them the post was fraudulent.

“I have spoken to the police, they are investigating,” McKinney wrote in the Facebook group “Memories of Cherrie Mahan,” according to USA Today. “It’s very hard for me, so know that I see everything.”

Myles Snyder, communications director for the Pennsylvania State Police, confirmed to Nexstar's NewsNation that they are investigating the woman's allegations, but have not yet been able to reach her based on his coordinates.

The department is working with a foreign agency to locate the woman, Snyder said, although he declined to name the person in question.

An administrator for “Memories of Cherrie Mahan” wrote last week that the woman claiming to be Mahan was removed from the Facebook group after receiving notifications that she was “harassing and bullying” people.

“Few are in a position to evaluate this claim and, unfortunately, some people online are volatile and divisive. So we removed the member and I apologize for the unwanted content. Members of the group, especially our dear Janice, should not have to be exposed to such content,” he wrote. “Some people say, 'But what if it was really her?' The answer is simple: 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. That's what a reasonable person would do.

According to KDKA, three other women have claimed to be Mahan in the years since his disappearance.