PA PA - Cherrie Mahan, 8, Cabot, 22 Feb 1985

[carbuff]

It could still be around -- those custom vans are quite collectible now.

 

[Billylee]

It could still be around -- those custom vans are quite collectible now.

Yes, I agree. Of course, if someone actually kidnapped someone in it, they probably changed it. I didn't know the vinyl decal stuff was around back then, I thought all that artwork was airbrushed stuff.


Chaddy, that is very interesting info, was this new detective on the case when you sent in your tip? Perhaps you should re-send if not. I just can't believe there were that many vans in one area that were that color with that exact scene, unless they were ordered from the factory that way. Who knows, this whole van business might be a big fat red herring, but it doesn't sound like the police think so.

I know ZERO about skiing, but I do know that I wouldn't put that logo on my van unless I was a skier, or former skier. I was wondering if there was any significance at all to the color of the skier's clothing, team wise?, like say from the 1984 winter olympics, or 80 or 76 for that matter?

 

[Billylee]

Okay, the 1980 winter olympics were in Lake Placid NY. Could that van maybe have been painted to accommodate a ski team somewhere at some time before that? A team who had red and yellow uniform? (Is that what you call ski team apparel? LOL)

 

[Billylee]

Just doing a quick google-around, the Canadian Alpine Ski-team has a red and gold uniforms.

Ski Alpine is a Gold Logo with the Red Maple leaf on it.


http://www.olympic.ca/en/news/sport-shorts-sara-renner-wins-fifth-career-world-cup-medal/

 

[carbuff]

Yes, I agree. Of course, if someone actually kidnapped someone in it, they probably changed it. I didn't know the vinyl decal stuff was around back then, I thought all that artwork was airbrushed stuff.


Chaddy, that is very interesting info, was this new detective on the case when you sent in your tip? Perhaps you should re-send if not. I just can't believe there were that many vans in one area that were that color with that exact scene, unless they were ordered from the factory that way. Who knows, this whole van business might be a big fat red herring, but it doesn't sound like the police think so.

I know ZERO about skiing, but I do know that I wouldn't put that logo on my van unless I was a skier, or former skier. I was wondering if there was any significance at all to the color of the skier's clothing, team wise?, like say from the 1984 winter olympics, or 80 or 76 for that matter?

Several countries have red and yellow as part of their colors, so theoretically that's viable. But mountain scenes with skiers or cowboys or Indians in canoes were quite popular even among people who didn't ski or herd cows or have native ancestry.

I don't know when the nice easy-peel vinyl decals that are around today became available. Before that, there were decals printed on some kind of slippery plastic sheet that you had to soak in water, then carefully slide onto the surface and smooth the bubbles out with a wet sponge. It was very tricky to get even a small one into place without wrinkles or bubbles, or tearing the plastic.

Airbrushing is the most likely, definitely.

 

[Billylee]

Looking around at posters, (and please forgive me if someone has already done this work, as I am new at looking at this case), figuring that the "ski-art" had to come from somewhere. Here's the closest one I've come across so far that most matches the description in Cherrie's CP file:

http://www.zazzle.com/promotional_poster_michigan_is_skiing_the_porkies-228994688848602512

It's a poster for "Ski Michigan". The artwork for this van, and it's really, really well detailed out, so I doubt it is made up, came from somewhere(?). Maybe if we can find out what it's based on, we can get closer to where the van originated from???

 

[Billylee]

Okay, I know this is probably just some weird coincidence, but it's giving me the heebie jeebies, especially because she says in her blog, her husband won't let her post pictures of herself. (As you will see, no head shots. ):



It’s sad. I don’t have one picture of myself before I was 9 years old! All the pictures I thought of using are at the parents’ house. The one where I was a baby laying on my belly next to my sister with an expression strangely like Will Ferrell’s wedding picture in Old School.

snip: (picture at link)

Yep, those are indeed Cabbage Patch Kid earmuffs. I was the coolest.

http://meowserpurrrls.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/the-oldest-picture-of-me-that-i-have/

 

[Bargle]

I think your second post is in the wrong thread, BillyLee.

 

[carbuff]

Looking around at posters, (and please forgive me if someone has already done this work, as I am new at looking at this case), figuring that the "ski-art" had to come from somewhere. Here's the closest one I've come across so far that most matches the description in Cherrie's CP file:

http://www.zazzle.com/promotional_poster_michigan_is_skiing_the_porkies-228994688848602512

It's a poster for "Ski Michigan". The artwork for this van, and it's really, really well detailed out, so I doubt it is made up, came from somewhere(?). Maybe if we can find out what it's based on, we can get closer to where the van originated from???

Heh. That mountain looks more like the Matterhorn than like anything in Michigan But you're right, it is quite close to the design in the sketch.

I didn't find anything similar to the sketches in the New England Ski Museum online stuff, but I might stop in there next time I'm in the mountains. They have millions of posters -- well, maybe not quite that many, but lots and lots.

The design wouldn't have to be based on anything. Many van designs like that were original art by high quality artists.

I have never been able to shake the thought that I have seen this exact picture, possibly on a van, before. I thought that the very first time I saw it, back shortly after Cherrie disappeared. But I've never been able to find it, either.

 

[Billylee]

I think your second post is in the wrong thread, BillyLee.

LOL, no, I was looking around for Cabbage Patch Earmuffs, which Cherrie was wearing when she disappeared and up popped this woman's blog. With a picture of her, that she says was taken when she was nine (with her CP earmuffs) AND she says she has NO pictures of herself before that time. (Cherrie was abducted when she was 8.)

Just kinda' gave me the creeps, especially since her husband won't let her post her face online.

 

[carbuff]

LOL, no, I was looking around for Cabbage Patch Earmuffs, which Cherrie was wearing when she disappeared and up popped this woman's blog. With a picture of her, that she says was taken when she was nine (with her CP earmuffs) AND she says she has NO pictures of herself before that time. (Cherrie was abducted when she was 8.)

Just kinda' gave me the creeps, especially since her husband won't let her post her face online.

Okay, that is weird. Though since she has a sister, and seems to have pretty clear memories of age 8, I think it is just a strange coincidence.

But there's some resemblance, too, isn't there?

 

[Billylee]

Okay, that is weird. Though since she has a sister, and seems to have pretty clear memories of age 8, I think it is just a strange coincidence.

But there's some resemblance, too, isn't there?

Yes I wish it was a little clearer picture. In light of what just happened with the gal who came forward to find her real Mom after 23 years and Jaycee Dugard's case, nothing would surprise me. I know, the reference to the sister thing kinda' throws it waay out there, BUT, obviously if someone took her and then raised her, the trauma of forgetting and lies from her abductor would be there. What if it was someone who lost a little girl and took Cherrie to replace her? IDK, like I said it's probably just a very weird coincidence.

You're right about that picture on the van Carbuff, it looks very familiar to me also, that's why I started looking at posters on line, figuring it must have come from somewhere (especially if it was decal and not airbrushed).

 

[Billylee]

One mother was parked in front of the bus, waiting to pick up her child. She happened to look up and see Cherrie in the rearview mirror. She watched Cherrie take a second to straighten her clothing as she got off the bus.
She adjusted her brown Cabbage Patch earmuffs decorated woth long hair, rearranged her blue book bag, which had two straps with a cream-colored top and a blue and red heart. When Cherrie walked out of view, she was wearing a gray coat over a blue denim skirt, blue leg warmers, and ankle high beige boots that her mother had helped her put on that morning.
At that moment, the watching mother got a brief glimpse of a dark green or blue van. On the side of the van was a painting of a large snow-capped mountain. In the middle of the picture was the figure of a skier in a red and yellow ski outfit racing down teh mountain. The mother noticed that the driver of the van was also wearing ski clothes.


Okay, I'm confused, what could one see sitting in a car looking at a van that goes by that would indicate the person in the car had on ski clothes? A knitted cap? What? This makes no sense to me.


I can't find this information anywhere else now except here on WS, in earlier threads. Has this been discounted now, the driver's clothing? Anyone know?


PA PA - Cherrie Ann Mahan, 8, Cabot, 22 Feb 1985 *merged* - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

 

[local pgh guy]

Billylee...where did you get the line about a mother at the bus stop seeing the driver with ski clothes? I grew up in the area, know the story, studied it, and THIS is the first time I heard it. Did the witness tell police that? Or was it in the press somewhere? I just looked under news on Google, where they have the old 1985 papers available, and there is nothing there about ski clothes on the van. Plus, the van description itself comes from witnesses at the bus stop.

The more you start taking a look at the bus stop that day, the more all of these descriptions do not make sense. Something happened that we don't know about. Who was where at the stop? Who saw what? Can you talk to everyone who was there one last time? How does what they say now match up to what was said then? Was their a van, or was it a red herring to throw off investigators? The stop will be the key in this case.

Again, until then.....READ THE 1985 PRESS REPORTS ON GOOGLE NEWS!

 

[Reannan]

So what happened with the new lead??? I found the site I am linking below and they have been discussing the case for several years now. One of the posters on there, "Kim" said that she knows the driver of the van and of the little blue car, but LE does not listen to her. Read her post on the attached link from February 23, 2008. There are a lot of other people who were in the area that day, and one of them posted on Jan. 28, 2011 that he/she had seen a truck sitting in Cherrie's driveway that afternoon too.

http://clcing.blogspot.com/2007/02/cherrie-ann-mahan.html

 

[chaddylex]

Reannan,

I haven't heard another word about the "new lead on the local news" or read about in the local newspapers. I hope they are still investigating it.

Thanks for the link to the blog. I am wondering if they finally followed up on the lead that the lady said she has given about the owner of the van and the blue car?

Hopefully they will let the public in on the news soon. I am hoping and praying Cherrie is found, or at least what happened to her.

 

[passionflower]

No new news on my end either.
Just hoping whoever had her, that she is alive and well.
All I have heard is that the person, persons were very close
to her family.
Someone has/had to know something all tis time.
Hopefully all leads come to a closer for family.
I am praying for a good outcome,

 

[chaddylex]

No new news on my end either.
Just hoping whoever had her, that she is alive and well.
All I have heard is that the person, persons were very close
to her family.
Someone has/had to know something all tis time.
Hopefully all leads come to a closer for family.
I am praying for a good outcome,

Passionflower,

Did you read the blog that Reannan posted? I think I read somewhere else before about lady saying she knew the owners of the van and blue car, a few years back, but not certain.

 

[Nocgirl]

I read on CP blog there was a possible lead in this case, a few weeks ago. what happened to it? This case, behind Jacob Wetterling, scares me to death. The distinct van and that fact she disappeared so close to her home, scare the hell out of me.

 

[chaddylex]

I read on CP blog there was a possible lead in this case, a few weeks ago. what happened to it? This case, behind Jacob Wetterling, scares me to death. The distinct van and that fact she disappeared so close to her home, scare the hell out of me.

Nothing else has been reported locally about the possible lead... I hope LE is just keeping quiet and did find something. Cherrie's disapperance has haunted me since went missing in 1985. I think about her often, and her case is what brought me to Websleuths.