Woman claims to be missing child Cherrie Mahan, last seen in Pennsylvania 39 years ago
WINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a report of a person claiming to be Cherrie Mahan, the 8-year-old girl who went missing from a bus stop in 1985.
Cherrie was last seen in Winfield Township, Butler County, and there's been no sign of her for 39 years. State police are investigating after a woman posted on social media claiming she is Cherrie Mahan.
Last month, the woman posted her claim in a Facebook group. The Mahan family says they don't believe her, but state police are working with an out-of-state agency to positively identify the woman making the claim.
State police have not made contact with the woman, and the out-of-state agency is trying to find her. In an update on Thursday, state police said they were able to obtain fingerprints for the name left by the caller. They said an initial review indicates that she is not Cherrie Mahan. Police didn't provide details on how they got those fingerprints.
According to a report from USA Today, the woman who made the claim on Facebook has since deleted the post and been banned from the group. The administrator of the group, Brock Organ, wrote that she had been "harassing and bullying" other members.
Mahan was last seen getting off her school bus on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township on Feb. 22, 1985. Police say a bright blue 1976 Dodge van with a mural of a mountain and a skier may be involved in her disappearance.
State police say the amount of time that has gone by makes this case difficult to solve.
Three other women throughout the years have claimed to be Mahan. There's still a $5,000 cash reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest, solving the case or finding Mahan.