93-3-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's news update with Kathy Romano.

Today is Tuesday, 25th of July.

Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning in the news this morning.

Authorities in Delaware County have charged a man nearly 50 years after the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington.

83-year-old David Zanstra of Marietta, Georgia, is charged in the 1975 murder of Harrington

after an alleged confession to Pennsylvania State Police. Trooper Eugene Trey conducted the interview.

He was relieved. It was like a weight lifted off of his shoulders, Trey said.

Gretchen Harrington was abducted from Marple Township and her body was found two months later at the Ridley Creek State Park. Since 1975, the case has stayed cold.

Zandra said or has been charged with criminal homicide, murder of the first, second and third degree, as well as kidnapping of a minor and the possession of an instrument of crime.

Back in the 1970s, he was a pastor at a local church where Harrington was headed to attend summer Bible school when she went missing.

Harrington would typically walk to Bible school with her sisters, but on August 15th, 1975, her youngest sister

was just brought home from the hospital and Gretchen walked to school alone.

District attorney, Jack Stolzheimer, outlined Zandra's confession on Monday.

He got her in the car, drove her to a secure location, asked her to take off her clothes.

She refused, he said.

He beat her to death with his hands.

Things turned in the case when an alleged

victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of Zandra came forward in January of 2023. The criminal

complaint outlines disturbing details from the alleged victim. It includes journal entries detailing the

abuse and alleging another classmate was nearly kidnapped days before Harrington went missing.

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