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Written by: E. George
Published January 31, 2025 @ 12:05 PM ET
Warning: The following story contains information regarding alleged physical/sexual violence against children.
Update: A retired Marietta minister who faced arrest in July 2023 for the 1975 kidnapping and murder of an eight-year-old Pennsylvania girl was found not guilty on Friday, January 17, 2025, after four days in court. David Zandstra’s attorney, Mark Much, explained that detectives had tricked and persuaded his 84-year-old client into a false confession.
The defense team said that the case lacked evidence tying Zandstra to the crimes. They directed possible guilt to other suspects who had warranted investigations rather than to their client.
Court documents revealed that the jury deliberated for approximately one hour before finding Zandstra not guilty of first-, second-, and third-degree murder, while his other charges were dismissed and withdrawn.
One of Zandstra’s attorneys said the team was “happy to have Mr. Zandstra returned to his family” after spending 18 months in detainment. He added, “Our hearts, along with all of Delaware County, still break for the Harrington family, who deserve an end to the nightmare of losing a family member.”
Zandstra fervently maintained his innocence for over 47 years.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – Eight-year-old Gretchen Harrington’s remains were discovered in Delaware County, southeastern Pennsylvania, in 1975, and now, nearly 50 years later, a retired Marietta minister has been charged with her slaying. District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer called 83-year-old David Zandstra a “monster” and “every parent’s worst nightmare.
Harrington, whose father served as a Presbyterian minister, disappeared during a walk to her Trinity Church Chapel bible camp from her Marple Township, Pennsylvania residence in August 1975. A jogger found her body two months later in Media’s Ridley Creek State Park.
She typically walked with her sisters; however, a recent birth in the family had altered their plans, and Zandstra, the father of one of her best friends, found her traveling alone. Stollsteimer said, “When he offered her a ride in his car, of course, she got in.”
He allegedly drove her to a secluded wooded area and struck her in the head when she refused to remove her clothing for him. Authorities revealed he attempted to cover her body when he thought he had killed her.
He returned to his church and “tried to act like nothing had happened.” Stollsteimer said Zandstra even phoned the police when Harrington’s father called him to inquire if he had seen her.
The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that following her disappearance, hundreds of concerned individuals spent countless hours searching for her in nearby woods. Law enforcement distributed over 2,000 leaflets and organized a 24-hour tip hotline that received hundreds of calls.
The newspaper reported that when her body was discovered in October, authorities found her clothes “folded and in a neat pile” beside her. Her underwear had been draped over a tree branch “like a flag… as if to call attention to the place.”
Stollsteimer explained that an unnamed friend of the deceased supplied state police with new information that led them to interview Zandstra in Georgia. He allegedly confessed to her murder during the encounter.
Zandstra reacted in a “relieved” manner like his confession was “a weight off his shoulders,” Trooper Eugene Tray described. The defendant, however, fought extradition from Georgia, but Stollsteimer vowed that the accused would face his crimes in Pennsylvania.
Zandstra, currently detained in Georgia and allegedly represented by a Pennsylvania attorney, faces charges including the kidnapping of a minor, criminal homicide, and first-, second-, and third-degree murder.
In addition to residing in Georgia, records from the Christian Reformed Church reveal that Zandstra ministered in California, New Jersey, and Texas before his 2005 retirement.
Concerned about more potential victims, authorities said the defendant’s DNA will be compared to evidence from open cases spanning Pennsylvania and other states. Anyone with information is urged to contact law enforcement.
The victim’s family expressed, “If you met Gretchen, you were instantly her friend. She exuded kindness to all and was sweet and gentle. 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.”
Her family members requested privacy and released a statement revealing that they were “extremely hopeful” about the responsible person being held accountable for killing her. Her slaying “forever altered our family, and we miss her every single day,” they shared.