Mother of Cherrie Mahan won't give up search 40 years after her disappearance
It's been 40 years since 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan disappeared after getting off a school bus in Winfield Township, Butler County.
Her mother, Janice McKinney, says a day hasn't passed where she thinks about her daughter.
Hundreds of community members gathered with McKinney at the Saxonburg VFW to mark the day and recommit to finding answers about her disappearance all those years ago.
"Oh, my God, this is just freaking amazing," McKinney said of the crowd.
They are the people who give her strength, all there to support her in her quest to find Cherrie.
"It's not an anniversary, it's just a milestone," McKinney said.
She stopped to mark the exact moment when Cherrie was last seen.
"This is when Cherrie got off the bus and I just want to say a prayer," McKinney said, with her voice sharing the same emotion that only comes from a parent who lost a child.
Her prayer is that the person who took Cherrie comes forward to help bring her closure.
"She deserves to have an answer, she deserves to be laid to rest, she deserves so much more," McKinney said.
What gives McKinney hope after so many years is the belief that someone knows something and that if she keeps sharing their story, someone will come forward to help them.
Everyone who attended wanted what she wanted.
"She is one of the strongest women I have ever met," said Bailey Guzienski, a member of the 'Cherrie's Angels' group that helped to organize the event. "I love Janice, We all love Janice. So it wasn't even a question that we would step up to the plate and dedicate our time to finding Janice an answer. Because 40 years, I can't even imagine."
State police say that finding Cherrie becomes more difficult as time passes, but there is still hope.
Police told KDKA-TV that people are still giving information, but it is often what they have heard before. Even so, they said they will follow up on any information they get.
They are not giving up, and neither is Janice.