(RestoreAmericanGlory.com) – On Monday, officials revealed that a former pastor had been arrested following his confession about the kidnapping and murder of a young girl who had taken part in the Bible camp at their church in Pennsylvania close to five decades ago.
David Zandstra, 83, is now facing charges for kidnapping of a minor, criminal homicide, murder of the first, second, and third degrees, and possessing an instrument of crime. The Delaware County District Attorney’s Office added that the man had admitted to having committed the crime following the presentation of the allegations against him, which were presented to him in January.
According to the allegations, the man had groped another girl and attempted to kidnap a different little girl. Gretchen Harrington, 8, had originally disappeared on August 15, 1975, in the early morning from the Bible Camp in Marple, Pennsylvania.
Zandstra had worked as a pastor at the Trinity Church Chapel Christian Reformed Church and had been one of the people who would host the camp. The children who attended the church camp would usually start their day by doing opening activities.
Zandstra was one of the individuals at the camp who was in charge of transporting the children to The Reformed Presbyterian Church from Trinity. Harrington, the little girl’s father, was also a pastor. On the day of her disappearance, her father became very concerned about his daughter following a report from Zandstra to the Marple Police Department that the little girl had disappeared.
Her remains were found on October 14, 1975, in Ridley Creek State Park.
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