When eight-year-old Cherrie Mahan vanished just 50 feet from her Pennsylvania home in 1985, the community held onto hope that she would be found safe and sound.
For 39 long years, the case remained a chilling mystery.
Then, an unexpected twist emerged when an anonymous woman took to Facebook, claiming to be the missing girl. She even reached out to the State Police.
However, the Pennsylvania State Police have since released a heartbreaking update on her identity.
Cherrie went missing after being dropped off by the school bus near her home. At the time, no one could have imagined the tragedy that was about to unfold. The only clue was a blue 1976 Dodge van with a mural of a mountain spotted in the area, leaving the case cold for nearly four decades.
The recent claim reignited a flicker of hope among her family and investigators that the case could finally have a happy ending.
But that hope was crushed when it was revealed that the woman who claimed to be Cherrie was not likely her.
The woman had initially posted her theory on a Facebook group but was quickly removed by the administrators. She then left a voicemail with the police department, providing her name but has remained silent since.
Authorities have been unable to reach her on her phone number. They tracked down her fingerprints using the name she provided, but unfortunately, the fingerprints did not match Cherrie's. The police confirmed via The New York Post: “An initial review of these fingerprints indicates that she is not Cherrie Mahan.
“At this point in the investigation, law enforcement has not had in-person contact with the woman claiming to be Cherrie Mahan.
"If the caller decides to make herself available to the Pennsylvania State Police or any other law enforcement agencies, her claim will be investigated.”
This isn't the first time someone has claimed to be Cherrie. In fact, four separate women have made similar claims over the years, all proven to be false.
There remains a $5,000 reward for information leading to finding Cherrie or someone connected to her disappearance.
Cherrie, who would now be 46, is the daughter of Janice McKinney, who is understandably weary of false claims. When news broke of the latest claim, she was skeptical, noting that hoax claims usually occur in February or August, around the anniversary of Cherrie's disappearance and her birthday.
“In February and August, I expect craziness. This just hit me different,” she told the Butler Eagle.
“If you wanted your 15 minutes of fame, you’ve already blown it.
“People are mean, they are cruel, but this affects me really crazy. It’s gonna be 40 years since Cherrie’s been missing.”
