The Vanishing of Cherrie Mahan: A 40-Year Unsolved Mystery

On February 22, 1985, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan stepped off her school bus in Cabot, Pennsylvania, just 500 feet from her home, and vanished without a trace. Her mother could see the road from the window and hear the bus on the gravel, but in the moments it took Cherrie to walk down her family’s driveway, she disappeared forever. Despite massive searches, flyers, and national campaigns, Cherrie has never been found.

In the early days, police questioned her parents, looked into her biological father’s connections to motorcycle gangs, and investigated tips about a suspicious blue or green van with a mural that was spotted trailing Cherrie’s school bus. Over the decades, theories swirled, from cult involvement, to family feuds, and even anonymous letters and phone calls claimed to know where Cherrie’s body was hidden. But each lead seemed to collapse into more frustration and heartbreak for her mother, Janice McKinney.

Then, in 2023 and 2025, shocking new allegations emerged claiming that neighbors, including John Montgomery may be involved. Soon after, William Buddy Montgomery, a convicted sex offender currently serving a prison sentence, began exchanging letters with Janice… Buddy has denied any involvement…. but investigators, private eyes, and Cherrie’s family continue to chase down these new leads in hopes of finally uncovering the truth.

Nearly 40 years later, the disappearance of Cherrie Mahan remains one of America’s most haunting unsolved cases. If you or someone you know has any information about Cherrie’s disappearance or can corroborate things in this episode, please email [email protected].
If you are a victim of child sexual abuse or any kind of sexual abuse, you can contact RAINN’s national sexual assault hotline by calling 800-656-HOPE (4673), by texting HOPE to 64673, or by online chatting at hotline.RAINN.org. Their services are free, confidential, and available 24/7.

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About Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.

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