Tip brings hope of resolution
Cherrie Mahan's missing person file is nearly 26 years old and 3,600 pages thick.
But it's not dusty.
Investigators say, coincidentally, a promising tipster has come forward with information about the case at the same time CNN plans to revisit the case as part of its network television series on the nation's top 10 cold cases.
“An individual has come forward to the Pennsylvania State Police whose information has the potential to bring resolution to this case,” said Trooper Robert McGraw, stressing that he's “truly optimistic” about this new development.
Cherrie, an 8-year-old who disappeared from her Winfield Township school bus stop Feb. 22, 1985, has long garnered attention near and far.
Witnesses who recalled seeing Cherrie get off the bus, also claimed seeing a bluish-green van with a painting of a mountain and a skier behind her bus as well as a small blue compact car nearby.
Because it was a nice day, Cherrie's stepfather, LeRoy McKinney, would later tell investigators he let the third grader walk the short distance to her Cornplanter Road home.
When she didn't arrive home, he went to the bus stop 10 minutes later and saw tire prints, but no Cherrie.
Her disappearance changed the way many people thought about the safety of their children and neighborhoods.
Her case, including the picture of the now familiar smiling, brown-haired girl, also was the first ever to appear on one of the national “Have you seen me?” missing person, direct mail flyers.
CNN reporter Randi Kaye said she covered the story then, and recalled meeting Cherrie's mother.
“This case has always stuck with me,” Kaye said. “I've thought a lot about it over the years.”
Kaye's segment on Cherrie's case will run Thursday at 10 p.m. and again at 11 p.m.
She interviewed McGraw, the fourth person to take the investigation lead, by telephone Thursday.
McGraw, who was 13 years old when Cherrie went missing, said that to this day not a week goes by that someone doesn't offer investigators information they believe will be helpful in resolving the mystery once and for all.
“We follow every lead,” he said, acknowledging the case keeps him up at night.
“I can't imagine if that was my daughter,” he said. “I can't imagine the pain her mother and stepfather must feel.”
McGraw, who took over the investigation about seven months ago, said he volunteered for it because he specializes in crimes against children and firmly believes this case will be solved.
“You never know when you will get that one break... that one lead... that resolves the case,” McGraw said.He keeps a picture of Cherrie on his desk as a reminder that “there's always something to do. We don't know what happened to Cherrie ... not yet we don't.”McGraw admits a great portion of the information that comes to the barracks as well as the tip line for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in Alexandria, Va., does not lead to answers.Over the years there have been reported sightings of Cherrie as an adult as well as the now infamous van.One person claimed to have seen Cherrie on one of the social networking Internet sites, such as MySpace or Facebook.Until now, nothing panned out.McGraw is tight-lipped about the new tipster's identity, the information offered up, when results could be expected, and why the person waited to come forward.Despite his attachment to the case, McGraw said he tries to keep any anticipation he feels about a possibility of resolution in check.“I try not to get excited ... because this lead could take us nowhere,” he said. “Police work a lot of the time involves good luck.”McGraw said only that the new tipster is offering information based on “their desire to bring closure to Cherrie's family.”Cherrie's family, who still lives in Butler County, declined to comment for this report.Her mother, Janice McKinney, had set up a reward fund which spawned a group known as Friends of Cherrie Mahan. The fund eventually grew to $58,000.In October 1998, Janice McKinney donated the money to the national Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and one week later, Butler County Judge Thomas Doerr signed a document declaring Cherrie legally dead.McGraw said state police keep an open mind as to if Cherrie is still alive.“Pennsylvania State Police actively pursue all possible outcomes,” he said. “However, it's my personal opinion that it's highly unlikely she's still alive.”The tip line for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).The state police can be reached at 724-284-8100.
