News Story Question

[DXDXDX]

Does anybody remember the story in the mid eighties where a mother of a very sick child, who eventually died, was fund raising for the child...after the child's death the mother formed a foundation and was found to be using the money for personal enrichment?  Anybody remember that case?  Anybody remember the lady's name???

[Pratte4Life]

The woman's name was Maria DeSillers, and her son's name was Ronnie.

It's been a long time ago, but frankly I think the antimosity the Pittsburgh community had for that woman after the story all broke out exceeded that of any Pittsburgh "sports villian" you can name.

[DXDXDX]

Tnx for the reply Pratt.  I read some accounts of this woman and can't help but think there was another case.  I think I read where the DeSillers lady is Cuban.  I don't remember the lady being of that ethnicity.  From what I read, this case came to light around 1987-88.  However, the one I was thinking of had to be before 1986, because I left the market in March of 86.  What I remember is the lady had black hair but there was no current husband.  The Desillers case involved $500k plus and there was a Florida connection.  In the case I recall, the money was a bit less and Florida was not involved.  The lady, when caught, said she had to buy nice clothes and a car because she had to represent the "foundation" properly.  Could this be the same case or was there another?  Definitely the date is a factor.  I remember talking about it on the air but I definitely left their in March of 1986.  Seems like the Desillers case happened after that.

[DXDXDX]

MORE MORE MORE

In reading more about the DeSillers case, it seems she was a Florida resident then brought her son to Pgh for the transplant operation.  Afterward she moved back to Florida.  In the case I'm thinking of, the lady was from Pennsylvania, probably Western Pennsylvania, definitely not Cuban.

[hypwr]

There was another case where a girl disappeared on her way home after getting off the school bus.  The mother was so excited to be receiving money to help with the search but people began to suspect that she had something to do with the disappearance.  She seemed to have little concern for the child.  This was in 1982 or 83.

[FreddyE1977]

There was another case where a girl disappeared on her way home after getting off the school bus.  The mother was so excited to be receiving money to help with the search but people began to suspect that she had something to do with the disappearance.  She seemed to have little concern for the child.  This was in 1982 or 83.

the Cherie Mahan case, I believe.  She was never found.
Happened a year or two after a child disappeared from a shopping cart at the old South Side Giant Eagle location.

[kenhawk1160]

There was another case where a girl disappeared on her way home after getting off the school bus.  The mother was so excited to be receiving money to help with the search but people began to suspect that she had something to do with the disappearance.  She seemed to have little concern for the child.  This was in 1982 or 83.

the Cherie Mahan case, I believe.  She was never found.
Happened a year or two after a child disappeared from a shopping cart at the old South Side Giant Eagle location.

Cherrie Mahan disappeared in 1985, and she was from the Saxonburg area.  Her mother is very much interested in finding out what happened to her daughter.