Fairfield

Former North Bay pastor arrested in 1975 murder

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A former North Bay pastor is under arrest Monday in connection with the 1975 killing of a little girl in Pennsylvania.

The Delaware County DA said 83-year-old David Zandstra recently confessed to the killing after he was confronted with new evidence, including a witness' allegations that the former pastor groped her, and may have tried to kidnap another girl.

Zandstra is now facing several charges in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington.

Harrington was walking to bible camp in august of 1975 when investigators say he picked her up, took her to a secluded spot and killed her. 

The website for the Christian Reformed Church in North America shows Zandstra was a pastor at several of its churches across the country.

One of them is the Fairfield Christian Reformed church. The website says he served there from 1990 to 2005.

The church put out a statement on the case saying, "We recognize that we live in a broken and sinful world where violence can happen anywhere - even within our churches and by those we hold to the highest standards."

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