Once trusted as a spiritual leader in the Bay Area, 83-year-old David Zandstra has admitted to the 1975 kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington in Pennsylvania, according to KTVU.
Zandstra, a former pastor from Fairfield, lied about his involvement in the killing for 48 years, and investigators described him as "evil." He was a family friend during the time of the young girl's burial, while her murder went unsolved. Zandstra showed a chilling level of patience and deceit, as he managed to become a pastor at several churches across the US, including in California and Texas before moving to Georgia, per SFGate.
The cold case heated up when two authors with Philadelphia ties published a book on the 1975 murder. Pennsylvania officials traveled to Georgia to confront Zandstra, finally leading to his confession, according to CBS News.
Zandstra confessed to Hickman's murder after being presented with new evidence from a recent interview with a woman who alleged Zandstra had inappropriately touched her during a sleepover when she was a child. Investigators used this newfound evidence to confront the former pastor about his involvement in the young girl's kidnapping and murder.
Authorities say Zandstra had admitted to offering a ride to the 8-year-old, daughter of another pastor, and taking her to a secluded wooded area in Pennsylvania. When Harrington refused to disrobe, he punched her in the head, causing her death.
Another incident more than 40 years ago involved a witness who saw Harrington talking to a driver of a green station wagon, a vehicle Zandstra was known to have access to. On Jan. 2 of this year, the former friend accusing Zandstra of child abuse pushed investigators to revisit the unsolved case.
Officials are now investigating the possibility of other victims connected to Zandstra, who lived in various locations after Harrington's death. Zandstra remains in jail in Cobb County, Georgia, as he fights extradition to face charges in Pennsylvania.
