Cherrie Ann Mahan

Cherrie, circa 1985; Age-progression to age 44 (circa 2020); Sketches of van possibly involved

  • Missing Since 02/22/1985
  • Missing From Cabot, Pennsylvania
  • Classification Non-Family Abduction
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 08/14/1976 (47)
  • Age 8 years old
  • Height and Weight 4'2, 68 pounds
  • Clothing/Jewelry Description A white leotard, a gray coat, a blue denim skirt, white stockings, blue leg warmers, beige soft ankle boots without heels, and brown Cabbage Patch earmuffs. Carrying a blue backpack with two straps and a cream-colored top, and decorated with a blue and red heart.
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Bright blue or green 1976 Dodge van with murals of a snow-capped mountain and skier wearing red and yellow clothing on both sides
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Cherrie has a dog bite scar on her left arm. Her left arm was previously broken below her left shoulder, but the injury had healed before her 1985 disappearance. Cherrie has a cowlick on the right side of her hair. Her hair was slightly longer at the time of her disappearance than in the photographs shown above. Her ears are pierced.

Details of Disappearance

Cherrie was last seen getting off of the bus from her elementary school at approximately 4:05 p.m. on February 22, 1985. Three other students got off with her at the stop. 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.

When she failed to arrive home, her stepfather went looking for her and called police when he failed to find her. Cherrie has never been heard from again.

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. The van was following the school bus Cherrie had been riding in. The van had a snow-capped mountain and skier mural painted on both sides of the vehicle. The skier was wearing red and yellow clothing and was skiing down the mountain.

The van has never been located or identified and investigators are still not sure if it was connected to Cherrie's case. Two sketches of the vehicle are posted with this case summary. A small blue car was also seen near the site of Cherrie's disappearance. It is unknown if the car has anything to do with her case either.

According to her mother, Cherrie was conceived through rape when her mother was sixteen years old. The police did not believe the rape allegation and Cherrie's biological father was never charged. She believes people connected to Cherrie's father were involved in her disappearance. Cherrie's father maintains his innocence in her case.

Cherrie's family had her declared legally deceased in 1992. They donated the life insurance policy they received to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and put a car accident settlement she had received into a trust fund for her brother.

Cherrie's case has never been solved. Some agencies state she disappeared from Saxonburg, Pennsylvania.

Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated September 23, 2021; age-progression updated.