"The big yellow box parked on the side of the road right on schedule and opened its accordion door to deposit cherry in her big backpack in the one place that a kid should be safest. But something happened to cherry after those bus doors closed, and somewhere in the 500 feet between the road and her home. Cherry disappeared, and she hasn't been seen in over 40 years." — Ashley Flowers
"I believe your podcast saved my life the other day. I was flying into Connecticut from Virginia alone. My flight was delayed and I didn't land until 2 a.m. It's a small airport, so at 2 a.m., there are almost no staff members around. I was walking to get to my rental car when I noticed a man was following me." — Liv (Listener)
"I also want to make it very clear to you, especially those who are formulating such moronic lies. And whoever else thinks/believes that I may have had anything to do with the disappearance of Cherry Mayhan to go straight to the enslavements of hell." — Buddy (via letter)
The episode recounts the chilling disappearance of eight-year-old Cherry Mayhan in 1985, who vanished between her school bus stop and her Pennsylvania home. Initial investigations focused on the parents, who struggled with substance use and mental health issues, but they were cleared via polygraphs. The investigation also explored the biological father, allegedly linked to a motorcycle gang, but he was also ruled out. A significant lead emerged with witness accounts of a distinctive blue-green van with a skiing mountain mural following the school bus on the day of Cherry's disappearance. Despite widespread campaigns, including features on milk cartons and national mailings, Cherry remained missing, and the case grew cold.
Decades later, in 2018, a letter received by Cherry's mother, Janice, suggested her death was linked to friends of her biological father involved in a cult, allegedly to evade child support. Investigations based on this letter yielded no results. More recently, a man named John Montgomery, a neighbor from when Cherry's family lived in Saxonburg, was implicated by an acquaintance who came forward in 2023. This source alleged that John Montgomery and another individual had been molesting Cherry prior to her disappearance and may have been involved. John Montgomery died in 2022 without confessing.
Further investigation by the podcast's team and a private investigator revealed potential links to John Montgomery's son, William "Buddy" Montgomery, who has a history of sexual offenses. Buddy has been communicating with Janice and the podcast, expressing a desire to help but also demanding specific interview conditions, including a televised, polygraph-accompanied interview for his protection. While Buddy denies direct involvement and claims his father was the perpetrator, the investigation continues, with a particular focus on a tip regarding a backpack potentially belonging to Cherry being submerged on the Montgomery property. The podcast appeals to listeners for any information that could help solve the decades-old mystery.