On a spring evening, April 17, 1979, nineteen-year-old Cheryl Ann Scherer was working a shift at a self-service gas station in Scott City, Missouri. It was the last time anyone would see the young woman. Cheryl, a female with red/auburn, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes, stood around five feet tall and weighed approximately 100 pounds. She had single piercings in her ears and two distinctive moles: a dime-sized one on her back between her shoulder blades and a smaller one about a half-inch
from her navel. That day, she was dressed in a light blue slip-on sweater with white trim, a dark sky blue windbreaker with a white-trimmed hood, and medium brown corduroy pants. She also wore small pierced earrings, a silver ring with a tiny diamond, and a yellow gold necklace with a one-inch cross.
The circumstances surrounding Cheryl’s disappearance from her workplace pointed to a sudden and alarming event. The gas station was located just a half-mile off Interstate 55. When the scene was investigated, her car, keys, and purse were all found left behind, suggesting she had not planned to leave. A significant amount of money, over $400, was discovered to be missing from the business. However, investigators also found that over $100 had been left at the station, adding a layer of confusion to the potential motive. There were no immediate signs of a struggle, and no witnesses came forward with information about what might have transpired that evening, leaving her family and law enforcement with a perplexing mystery.
The investigation into Cheryl Scherer's disappearance was launched by the Scott County Sheriff's Department. Over the years, law enforcement has pursued various leads, but the case has grown cold, leaving more questions than answers. The absence of concrete evidence has made it difficult to determine if she was abducted, if she left on her own, or if she met with foul play. Despite the passage of decades, the case officially remains an active missing person investigation. The overview of the case reflects a situation that is every family's worst nightmare: a young woman vanishing without a trace from her place of employment, leaving behind personal belongings and a community searching for answers that have yet to come to light.Last Seen: Apr 17, 1979
