On April 17, 1979, Cheryl Ann Scherer started her 6 AM shift at the Rhodes Pump-Ur-Own Station in Scott City, Missouri. She called her mom around 1120 AM and they talked about supper and sewing later that evening. Between 1140-1150 AM, Cheryl disappeared.
From the Standard-Democratic of April 14, 2023: “around 11:40 a.m. Scherer’s cousin, a school bus driver, drove past the station and thought he saw someone inside, but couldn’t tell whether it was Scherer.
Five minutes later, another station employee arrived for duty and found the station unattended. Both the cousin and employee have since passed away.”
At the crime scene, authorities found Cheryl’s car and personal property. Money was stolen from the pump’s cash register. There are no other witnesses who can tell us what happened. Cheryl was at the pump alone and the IGA store next to the station, was closed due to family circumstances.
Despite all that, hope has not been given up that one day we may find answers. The Scott City Historical Museum at 1554 Main Street in Scott City, Missouri is going above and beyond to ensure that Cheryl is not forgotten, that the public is reminded that her case remains unsolved, and that it is time for someone to tell the truth.
They have opened an exhibit about Cheryl featuring artifacts from her life, memorabilia, age-progressed photography, an embroidered pair of jeans, high school yearbooks, report cards, a coloring book and sneakers.
Cheryl’s parents have both passed away never knowing what happened to their daughter. Before they passed, they both gave their DNA to be entered in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS. Cheryl’s siblings are still determined to find the truth. The exhibit will remain on display for as long as the family wishes it to remain in the public eye.
You can see an age-progressed picture in this post. Cheryl is white, has red hair and blue eyes. However, with age her hair may have naturally changed and become more auburn. If alive, Cheryl is 64 years old now.
Also from the Standard-Democratic: “Serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole and along with Toole’s niece and nephew have also been investigated regarding Scherer’s disappearance. Lucas and Toole claimed they were in Scott City that day. Then-Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell even went to Texas in the early 1980s to interview Lucas, who denied remembering Scherer after being showed her photo. However, according to the “Lucas Report,” Toole, Lucas and the niece and nephew were not even in the area that day; they were in Florida.”
Contact Information:
If anyone has information regarding Cheryl’s case, please contact the Scott County Sheriff’s Office at 573-471-3530.
Note: NamUs and the Missouri State Highway Patrol use the middle name Ann. Other websites use Anne. I usually follow NamUs.
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In the series “Case of the Month” I highlight old unsolved cases. These posts are not an in-depth analysis and of course, more information can be found online and in newspaper archives.
We need to get these cases back in the mainstream media, to get people talking again, and if anything, to make sure that we do not forget the victims. Just because their cases are unsolved does not mean that we can forget about them.
With the advances in modern forensic sciences, we have a chance to find clues that previously remained hidden. So, let us review all these old cases once more.
I encourage you to share this post on your own social media platforms. By sharing these posts online, the cases reach new networks, new connections, and the latest news feeds. One day these updates may pop up in the right person’s news feed. That may be someone who can help advance the case and that is my goal.
Until we find you, Cheryl Ann Scherer.