Title: Retired US Pastor Charged with the Murder of 8-Year-Old Girl He Presided Over at Funeral Decades Ago
A retired US church pastor, David Zandstra, has been charged with the murder and kidnapping of Gretchen Harrington, an eight-year-old girl who went missing in the Philadelphia suburb of Marple Township on August 15, 1975. Zandstra, who was the pastor at Trinity Christian Reformed Church at the time, had presided over Gretchen’s funeral after her remains were found in a nearby wooded area two months later.
Interest in the case was rekindled by a book titled “Marple’s Gretchen Harrington Tragedy: Kidnapping, Murder and Innocence Lost in Suburban Philadelphia,” published last year. Earlier this year, an anonymous woman informed investigators that she believed her best friend’s father, David Zandstra, was the perpetrator.
Mr. Zandstra, now 83, had been a family friend of the Harringtons and was actively involved in the search for Gretchen when she disappeared. He had invited the young girl into his car while she was out of view from her late father, who had watched her walk up the road from their home.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer expressed horror at the heinous crime, referring to Zandstra as “every parent’s worst nightmare.” The charges against the former pastor shed light on the chilling reality that a person known and trusted by the victim and her family could be responsible for such a terrible act.
This case serves as a tragic reminder of the enduring pain and suffering caused by unsolved crimes and the devastating impact on the victim’s family and the community. The investigation and subsequent charges are a testament to the dedication of law enforcement and their commitment to seeking justice for those who have suffered at the hands of criminals, even decades after the crime occurred.
DELAWARE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
The best friend of David Zandstra’s daughter suspected he was the killer
A witness interviewed soon afterwards reported seeing the girl speak to the driver of a vehicle similar to Mr Zandstra’s green Rambler station wagon.
But when interviewed by police at the time, the pastor denied having seen Gretchen that day.
In January this year, investigators spoke with the best friend of Mr Zandstra’s daughter.
She told them she often slept over at their house and, at age 10, once woke to find the pastor groping her.
The woman also showed police a 1975 diary entry in which she wrote: “I think he might be the one who kidnapped Gretchen. I think it was Mr Z.”
Mr Zandstra moved several times, living in California and Texas before his arrest last week in Georgia by Pennsylvania State Police, at which point police say he confessed to the crime.
The suspect is being held in a local jail and is due to be extradited to Pennsylvania.
Joanna Falcone Sullivan, who wrote Marple’s Gretchen Harrington Tragedy, told the BBC she believes her book with co-author Mike Mathis helped surface new leads.
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The writer said they interviewed Mr Zandstra for the book and he “sounded like he didn’t remember everything that transpired that morning. His wife remembered a lot better”.
“We kind of chalked it up to age,” Mrs Sullivan said.
She added: “The story has affected the community so much.
“This crime still comes up in the Facebook neighbourhood groups.”
The state trooper to whom police say Mr Zandstra confessed his crime said on Monday the suspect seemed relieved.
“I don’t know if he’s sorry for what he did, but this is a weight off his shoulders for sure,” Eugene Tray said.
In a statement, the Harrington family said the arrest felt like “one step closer to justice”.
“If you met Gretchen, you were instantly her friend. She exuded kindness to all and was sweet and gentle,” they wrote.
“Even now, when people share their memories of her, the first thing they talk about is how amazing she was and still is… at just eight years old, she had a lifelong impact on those around her.”
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