A skier painted on the side of a van is an unusual detail in a missing-child investigation. For more than four decades, that image has been part of the search for Cherrie Mahan, an eight-year-old girl who disappeared after stepping off a school bus in western Pennsylvania.

The case appeared in the DCSki Forums in 2013, when DCSki’s Editor shared a drawing of the van and asked anyone who recognized it to report that information. Thirteen years later, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children continues to include the vehicle in its public appeal for information, and recent reporting describes ongoing efforts to learn what happened to Cherrie.

An artist’s rendering of the van reported near the scene of Cherrie Mahan’s disappearance, featuring a distinctive mountain and skier mural. Investigators continue to seek information about the vehicle and its unidentified driver.
An artist’s rendering of the van reported near the scene of Cherrie Mahan’s disappearance, featuring a distinctive mountain and skier mural. Investigators continue to seek information about the vehicle and its unidentified driver.

On February 22, 1985, Cherrie left her school bus on Cornplanter Road in Winfield Township, Butler County, near Cabot. Home was only a short walk away, but she never arrived. She was wearing a gray coat, a denim skirt, blue leg warmers, and beige boots, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Witnesses reported seeing a blue or green conversion-style van nearby around the same time. The center describes the vehicle as a bright blue 1976 Dodge with a mural depicting a mountain and a skier, and says it may have been involved in her disappearance. The description offered something specific for the public to look for, although the vehicle’s role has never been established.

Within months, Cherrie’s photograph was reaching homes across the country. She became the first child featured in the “Have You Seen Me?” campaign, a partnership between direct-mail company ADVO and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The first mailing went out on May 25, 1985, National Missing Children’s Day.

Cherrie Mahan’s childhood photograph appears above an age-progressed image depicting her at 44. She was eight when she disappeared near her western Pennsylvania home in February 1985.
Cherrie Mahan’s childhood photograph appears above an age-progressed image depicting her at 44. She was eight when she disappeared near her western Pennsylvania home in February 1985. Image from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

In a 2025 look back at the program, the center described an effort that began with 35 million cards a week and eventually grew to 100 million. Cherrie’s photograph appeared in the mailings multiple times over the years. The campaign helped recover at least 164 missing children, according to the organization, but Cherrie’s family continued to wait for answers.

More recent coverage shows that the search has continued. In February 2026, CBS Pittsburgh reported that Cherrie’s mother, Janice McKinney, was pursuing information through correspondence with an inmate.

That month, WPXI reported on a renewed appeal from Pennsylvania State Police, including a $5,000 reward for information that would solve the case. A separate $100,000 reward had been offered for information leading to Cherrie’s discovery. Police also returned to the question of the van, saying its driver remained unidentified and that investigators wanted to speak with that person.

On August 5, 2026, KDKA Radio reported that investigator Steve Ridge was encouraged by a recent tip and subsequent interviews. The report said authorities had not named a suspect or person of interest, and it did not connect the new information to the van.

For the skiing community, the vehicle’s artwork provides a reason to take another look at a case that has remained unresolved for so long. A reader might remember seeing a similar van or come across one in an old photograph. The mural itself establishes no connection to a particular ski area or to anyone involved in the sport, but a recollection could be passed along to investigators for review.

Cherrie would now be 50 years old. Her childhood photograph and an age-progressed image remain on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website as her family continues seeking an answer to what happened during that short walk home.

Anyone with information can contact Pennsylvania State Police in Butler at 724-284-8100, the number listed on Cherrie’s missing-person notice.