DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. — A Georgia man is accused of kidnapping and killing an 8-year-old girl in Pennsylvania nearly 50 years ago.
Delaware County District Attorney's Office has filed charges against David Zandstra, an 83-year-old man from Marietta. He is accused of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington's disappearance on Aug. 15, 1975. Her body was found on Oct. 14. of that year.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer described Zandstra as "a monster," adding "he is every parents' worst nightmare."
Zandstra was charged with homicide, murder, kidnapping a minor, among other offenses.
"This heinous act left a family and community forever changed," Stollsteimer said in a news release.
At the time of the initial crime, officials said he served as a pastor at Trinity Christian Reformed Church, one of two the young girl attended. He was one of the adults responsible for taking children from one church to another as part of summer programming.
During a trip to Bible camp one summer, Harrington was offered a ride by Zandstra, according to authorities as he was a close family friend. They add that the Marietta man admitted to taking the girl to a secluded spot, performing sexual acts in front of her and beating her to death with his fists.
Investigators said for decades, he denied seeing the child the day she was allegedly abducted.
The investigation took a turn earlier this year when authorities interviewed someone who was close to Zandstra's family. She described details, which included a 1975 diary entry, that pointed to Zandstra's sexual misconduct with children, a news release from Stollsteimer's office said.
"This man is evil. He killed this poor 8-year-old girl he knew and who trusted him. And, then he acted as if he was a family friend, not only during her burial and the period after that, but for years," Stollsteimer said during the news conference on Monday.
1975 Pennsylvania cold case: Search for Gretchen Harrington
The family of Gretchen Harrington released a statement in the wake of Zandstra's arrest describing their daughter as someone who "exuded kindness to all and was sweet and gentle."
"The abduction and murder of Gretchen has forever altered our family and we miss her every single day. 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," the statement read in part. The family also asked for privacy as they wrap their heads around Zandtra's arrest. The full statement can be found at the bottom of this story.
Officials said Zandstra is currently in Georgia fighting extradition and being held without bond. Cobb County Jail records show Zandstra has been in custody for six days.
A DNA sample was collected from Zandstra and will be submitted to the CODIS system often used by law enforcement. It will be compared to open cases in Pennsylvania and across the country to see if Zandstra potentially assaulted any other children.
Anyone with additional information about Zandstra's activities while he was living in Texas and Georgia are asked to call the Pennsylvania State Police.
Watch Monday's news conference below:
Family of Gretchen Harrington statement
“With today's announcement of an arrest, we are extremely hopeful that the person who is responsible for the heinous crime that was committed against our Gretchen will be held accountable. It’s difficult to express the emotions that we are feeling as we take one step closer to justice. Gretchen was only 8 years-old when she was suddenly taken away from us on her way to church on Friday, August 15, 1975. 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 8 years old, she had a lifelong impact on those around her. The abduction and murder of Gretchen has forever altered our family and we miss her every single day. 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. We would not be here today if it was not for them. As a family we ask for privacy at this time as we continue to digest this information. Thank you for your understanding, love, and continued support. It means the world to us.” – The Harrington Family