Woman claims to be girl missing since 1985; mom disagrees as police investigate

( NewsNation ) — A woman is claiming to be Cherrie Mahan , an 8-year-old from Pennsylvania who went missing in 1985, but the girl’s mom says she’s not telling the truth, multiple outlets are reporting.

Mahan was last seen getting off the bus in Winfield Township, Butler County. Police say a bright blue 1976 Dodge van with a mural of a mountain and a skier could have been involved in her disappearance, according to KDKA , but Mahan has never been found.

Last month, a woman posted in a Facebook group dedicated to finding the little girl, claiming that she is Mahan. However, USA Today reports that Janice McKinney, Mahan’s mother, posted in the same Facebook group that she contacted the Pennsylvania State Police to tell them the post was fraudulent.

“I talked to the police, they are investigating,” McKinney wrote in the “Memories of Cherrie Mahan” Facebook group, according to USA Today. “This is very hard on me so please be aware I see everything.”

Myles Snyder, communications director for the Pennsylvania State Police, confirmed to Nexstar’s NewsNation that they are investigating the woman’s claims, but have not yet been able to reach her based on contact information.

The department is working with an out-of-state agency to locate the woman, Snyder said, though he declined to name the specific one.

An administrator for “Memories of Cherrie Mahan” wrote last week that the woman claiming to be Mahan was removed from the Facebook group after he received notifications that she was “harassing and bullying” people.

“Few are in a position to evaluate the claim, and unfortunately, some people online are unstable and divisive. So, we have removed the member, and I apologize for the unwelcome content. The group members, especially our dear member Janice, should not have to be exposed to such content,” he wrote. “Some people say, ‘But what if it was really her?’ This has an easy answer: if it was really her, she could present herself at any police office and arrange for a DNA test without reaching out to people online and making aggressive claims. That is what a reasonable person would do.”

There have been three other women who have claimed to be Mahan in the years since she has gone missing, according to KDKA.

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