Janice McKinney believes she is closer than ever to discovering the truth about her daughter, Cherrie Mahan, who was just eight years old when she went missing in February 1985. The development follows a series of letters from a prison inmate sent to 11 Investigates’ Chief Investigator Rick Earle, Pennsylvania State Police and McKinney.
“Absolutely. I believe that we are going to know one way or the other and we’re going to bring this story to an end,” McKinney said. State police and the FBI have also renewed their efforts, recently conducting a search at a site 10 miles from where the 8-year-old was last seen.
Mahan vanished on February 22, 1985, after getting off a school bus in Cabot, Butler County, less than 100 yards from her home. The case has remained unsolved for four decades.
McKinney and a group of supporters known as Cherrie’s Angels have spent the past year following new leads, including correspondence from an inmate currently in prison. The man has sent at least eight responses to McKinney via prison email. Individuals involved in the case believe he may hold critical information about what happened to the child.
The inmate also sent two letters to 11 Investigates in August and October. In those letters, he denied involvement in the disappearance and was critical of some for jumping to conclusions, but he suggested that his own family members might be responsible.
“Janice, I hope that you and I can soon meet in person and that you permit me to tell you why I think and strongly believe that my family members are responsible,” the inmate said in one of the letters. He also claimed the situation gives him “fuel to continue to fight for your daughter’s deserving justice.”
McKinney attempted to meet the inmate at the prison to discuss his claims, but the meeting did not take place.
“Nope, I got there, and I was told he wouldn’t come out to visit me,” McKinney said. Despite the refusal, she continues to communicate with him through electronic messaging.
Bailey Gizienski, a member of Cherrie’s Angels, said she believes the inmate has specific knowledge of the case. “I think he knows where Cherrie is. I think he knows,” Gizienski said. She added that she believes the man knows exactly what happened to the young girl.
While McKinney monitors the inmate’s claims, state police and federal investigators have also pursued new leads. In October, state police and the FBI conducted a search and excavation near a home in South Buffalo Township, Armstrong County. The site is located approximately 10 miles from where Cherrie was last seen in 1985. Investigators have not released specific details regarding what, if anything, was recovered during the dig. Gizienski said the team was encouraged by the sudden increase in law enforcement activity.
“We were surprised, but I think we were both very excited, you know, just to know that a search was being done 40 years late,r especially with the FBI. So we were super excited,” Gizienski said.
In addition to law enforcement efforts, Cherrie’s Angels have conducted their own searches using a cadaver dog. Gizienski noted that the dog provided an indication at one specific site.
“The dog did indicate something in that area. Clearly, with the winter we’ve had, we’re waiting until we’re able to access this area,” Gizienski said. The team has monitored the site but paused physical work due to seasonal weather conditions.
McKinney and her team plan to return to the search area to dig once the winter weather breaks and the ground is accessible. McKinney says state police are aware of the inmate’s claims and the potential connection to the case.
Investigators have not yet responded to requests for comment on the status of the Armstrong County search or the inmate’s letters.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
