Cold case update: Man charged with murder in 1975 death of Delaware County child
According to authorities, 83-year-old David Zandstra, of Marietta, Georgia, is charged with the 1975 murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington.
MEDIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Authorities in Delaware County, Pennsylvania have charged a man nearly 50 years after the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington.
83-year-old David Zandstra, of Marietta, Georgia, is charged with the 1975 murder of Harrington. After an alleged confession to Pennsylvania State Police.
Trooper Eugene Tray conducted the interview, "He was relieved it was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders," he said.
Gretchen Harrington was abducted from Marple Township and her body was found two months later at the Ridley Creek State Park.
Since 1975, the case has stayed cold.
David Zandstra / Gretchen Harrington
"This heinous act left a family and a community forever changed. At long last I can announce today that her killer - David Zandstra - has admitted to his crime. Justice has been a long time coming, but we are proud and grateful to finally be able to give the community an answer," said District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer on Monday.
Zandstra has been charged with criminal homicide, murder of the first, second, and third degree, as well as kidnapping of a minor and the possession of an instrument of crime.
Back in the 1970s, he was a pastor at a local church where Harrington was heading to attend summer bible school when she went missing.
Harrington would typically walk to bible school with her sisters but on August 15, 1975 her youngest sister was just brought home from the hospital. Gretchen walked to school alone.
DA Stollsteimer outlined Zandstra's confession about what happened next, "He got her in the car, drove her to a secure location, asked he to take off her clothes.
She refused" he said. "He beat her to death with his hands."
Mike Mathis and Joanna Falcone Sullivan published a book, 'Marple's Gretchen Harrington Tragedy.'
"Reverend Zanstra took our calls, he answered questions about that day," said Joanna Falcone Sullivan.
"There's a lot of relief and disbelief that it's actually happening," she said.
Sullivan and Mathis were able to comb though the cold case files kept by Chief Brandon Graef of Marple Township Police. He never gave up on this unsolved case.
"If you're a praying person, you can certainly pray for Gretchen and I don't think she needs it. She's in God's hands. You can certainly pray for the evil man responsible for this, because he is going to need it," said Chief Graef in Monday's press conference.
Things turned in this case when an alleged victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of Zandstra came forward in January 2023.
The Criminal complaint outlines disturbing details from that alleged victim. It includes journal entries detailing the abuse and alleging another classmate was nearly kidnapped days before Gretchen Harrington went missing.
In it she wrote, "I think he might be the one who kidnapped Gretchen. I think it was Mr.Z."
Zandstra is waving extradition to Pennsylvania. It will be some weeks before he arrives in Delaware County to face a judge.
"We're going to convict him. He's going to die in jail. Then he's going to have to find out what the God he professes to believe in holds for people who are this evil to our children," said DA Stollsteimer.
Zandstra moved a number of times after leaving Broomall shortly after the murder; living in California, Texas and Georgia.
Investigators are concerned there may be more victims out there.
Source: WPVI-TV
