Who is David Zandstra? Retired Georgia pastor charged with 1975 murder of 8-year-old girl in Pennsylvania
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Law enforcement officials made a chilling announcement on Monday, July 24, revealing that an 83-year-old former pastor has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of eight-year-old Gretchen Harrington, a case that had haunted the small town of Marple Township for nearly five decades. The suspect, David Zandstra, was taken into custody on July 17 in Cobb County, Georgia, where he reportedly confessed to the crime.
Who is David Zanstra?
As mentioned, David Zanstra is a former pastor charged with the kidnapping and murder of Gretchen Harrington. The breakthrough in the case came when investigators presented Zandstra with new evidence gathered earlier this year, including an interview with a confidential informant and a diary entry written by the informant in 1975 when she was just 10 years old. The Delaware County District Attorney's office in Pennsylvania disclosed that Zandstra had been charged with criminal homicide, murder, kidnapping of a minor, and the possession of an instrument of crime. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, "Justice has been a long time coming, but we are proud and grateful to finally be able to give the community an answer."
The tragic incident occurred on August 15, 1975, when Gretchen Harrington was last seen walking to a summer Bible camp held at the Trinity Church Chapel Christian Reform Church, where Zandstra served as the pastor, and the Reformed Presbyterian Church, where Gretchen's father was a pastor. Gretchen's father became worried when she didn't arrive at his church, and it was Zandstra who contacted the police to report her disappearance, CNN reported.
Suspicion and inconsistencies
Suspicion initially arose when investigators noticed discrepancies in Zandstra's early statements, and they questioned how he had detailed knowledge about what Gretchen was wearing on the day she vanished, even though she never made it to the camp. However, at that time, Zandstra denied any involvement in her disappearance. Tragically, two months later, Gretchen's skeletal remains were discovered in the nearby Ridley Creek State Park. A medical examination confirmed that she had suffered "two or more blunt impacts to the skull," leading authorities to rule the case as a homicide. When the girl’s body was found in mid-October 1975, her clothing was “folded and in a neat pile” near her body with her underwear hanging from a tree branch “like a flag ... as if to call attention to the place,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported at the time.
The case remained cold for nearly fifty years until a pivotal breakthrough earlier this year. An interview with a woman who had been friends with Zandstra's daughter in the 1970s and her diary entries from that time provided investigators with crucial information. The informant's diary contained troubling details about Zandstra's inappropriate actions toward her during a sleepover at his home. Additionally, an entry from September 1975 hinted at a potential connection between Zandstra and another attempted kidnapping, leading the informant to suspect his involvement in Gretchen's disappearance. “Guess what? A man tried to kidnap Holly twice! It’s a secret so I can’t tell anyone, but I think he might be the one who kidnapped Gretchen,” read the entry, per the criminal complaint. “I think it was Mr. Z.”
Arrest and confession
Armed with this newfound evidence, Pennsylvania State Police confronted Zandstra at his current residence in Marietta, Georgia. Under interrogation, Zandstra admitted to offering Gretchen a ride to the summer camp on the day she went missing. However, instead of taking her there, he drove her to a wooded area, where he allegedly instructed her to undress. When Gretchen refused, Zandstra reportedly assaulted her, leaving her for dead, and subsequently attempted to cover up the crime.
Over the years, the case had deeply impacted the Marple Township community, with hundreds of people conducting extensive searches in wooded areas and authorities distributing over 2,000 leaflets to gather information. Finally, the revelation of Gretchen's body in mid-October 1975 brought a sense of closure, though the suspect remained at large until this recent development. Pennsylvania State Police collected a DNA sample from Zandstra to compare it with DNA evidence found at the crime scene and in other open cases across the state and country.
An unimaginable betrayal
Stollsteimer expressed the deep emotional impact of this case on the community, calling Zandstra "a monster" and "every parent's worst nightmare," adding, “This is a man who is a remorseless child predator who acted as if he was a friend, a neighbor, and a man of God, and he killed this poor little girl." Meanwhile, the Harrington family released a statement expressing their ongoing grief over the loss of their beloved daughter and thanked law enforcement for their relentless pursuit of justice. “The abduction and murder of Gretchen has forever altered our family and we miss her every single day,” the family said. “We are grateful for the continual pursuit of justice by law enforcement and we want to thank the Pennsylvania State Police for never stopping in their constant search for answers.”
Zandstra had reportedly left Pennsylvania after Gretchen's disappearance and resided in various locations, including Plano, Texas, and Marietta, Georgia. Now, Pennsylvania State Police are urging anyone in these communities with relevant information about the suspect to come forward and aid in the ongoing investigation.