Mother of Butler County girl who vanished 40 years ago gathers community to

A high-profile mystery in Butler County remains unsolved years after 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan vanished. Janice McKinney is still haunted by unanswered questions about what happened to her little girl 40 years ago Saturday.

11 Investigates: Mother of Butler County girl who vanished 40 years ago renews efforts to find her

“Nobody understands how much I would love to have my daughter back in my life,” McKinney said.

On February 22, 1985, Cherrie mysteriously disappeared near her home in rural Butler County after getting off the school bus. There’s been no trace of the 8-year-old ever since.

After four decades of exhaustive searches, tips and leads turned up empty, Cherrie’s mom has never given up hope.

“Never, ever,” McKinney said. “Not until I have a bag of bones, not until I have that child standing in front of me. And I know that she’s not a child but until I know for sure, I’m never giving up.”

Friends, family and even strangers packed the VFW in Saxonburg Saturday to try to breathe new life into a case that’s gone cold.

Jean and Suzanne Vincent, known as the Psychic Vincent Sisters, are McKinney’s close friends.

“It’s good shining light on it and let’s bring her home,” Jean Vincent said.

Suzanne Vincent agreed.

“All we want to do is bring closure to her,” she said.

Trooper Jim Long with Pennsylvania State Police said they’re still actively investigating every lead they get.

“It’s been decades, so the information that we have, a lot of it is the same information we’ve had before – misidentification of vehicles, things like that, so the more time passes the more difficult it gets.”

Bailey Gizienski and her sisters, who McKinney calls her Cherrie’s angels, have launched a Facebook page to bring awareness to the case and the event that included fingerprinting children.

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“One thing about fingerprints is they never change,” Gizienski said. “From the time you’re born until the time you die, they never change.”

As for McKinney, the hole in her heart from losing her daughter might never be filled but she still pushes on.

“Somebody out there knows something, and I do believe somebody is going to tell somebody and that is just my hope and my plea,” McKinney said.

State police said there is nothing new in the case. They are asking anyone with information on Cherrie’s disappearance to call PSP Butler at 724-284-8100.

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