Cherie's mother and stepfather, Elizabeth Vasser and Larry Vasser, had custody of her in 1986. They moved from Nashville, Tennessee to St. Louis, Missouri that year. Elizabeth, also known as Sissy, disappeared from their home in St. Louis on December 1, 1986. She was discovered in the Mississippi River over two months later in February 1987 as the victim of homicide. She remained unidentified for seven years, until family members reported Elizabeth and Cherie as missing persons. Cherie was apparently last seen in Kansas City, Missouri with Larry on January 7, 1987. Larry told authorities he knew where his stepdaughter was. He has stated Cherie is "being looked after" by his family members and living under another name in the Kansas City area. At one point, Larry offered to give Elizabeth's mother photographs of Cherie and a recording of her voice, if she paid him $500. She was 2 years old at the time of dissapearance. Age-progression photo at age 32 on the right.