California police looking at former Delco pastor's connection to another cold-case disappearance
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police in northern California are investigating a Bay Area cold-case disappearance and its possible connection to a former Delaware County pastor who recently confessed to the kidnapping and murder of an 8-year-old Broomall girl.
David Zandstra, 83, was arrested and charged in Marietta, Georgia, earlier this week in the nearly 50-year-old cold case of Gretchen Harrington, who went missing in Marple Township, Pennsylvania, on August 14, 1975, while walking to bible school. Her remains were found two months later in Ridley Creek State Park.
Now, the Fairfield Police Department is looking to see if Zandstra is connected to the 1991 disappearance of 4-year-old Amanda Nicole Campbell, according to our sister station KPIX in San Francisco.
Campbell, who is also known as Nikki, was last seen riding her bike to a friend's house. At the time of her disappearance, authorities say Zandstra lived in Fairfield, just a few minutes away from the young girl.
The case left the community in shock, much like Harrington's case did in Marple Township, Pennsylvania, many years earlier.
ALSO SEE: What causes someone to become a serial killer and what are the signs | Experts explain
"Everybody was scared, everybody was protective of their children. Everybody held them a little closer. A little tighter. Afraid that it was in our pretty new neighborhood and who was in it," said Fairfield resident, Karen Hardy.
California police are now talking with authorities in both Pennsylvania and Georgia to see if he could be liked to Campbell's case.
Zandstra was a pastor at the Fairfield Christian Reformed Church at the time Campbell went missing. He was also a pastor at Harrington's church and considered a close family friend at the time of her disappearance, even helping in her search, according to officials.
ALSO SEE: Gretchen Harrington cold case: Author of true crime book on murder reflects on arrest
Now, neighbors in Fairfield are hoping his arrest could be the lead that finally gives the Campbell family closure.
"I can't even imagine what the family has gone through at that time and must be going through still now to this day," a neighbor said." Hardy agreed, "This family needs closure. It's been 32 years. They have the right to put their child to rest."
KPIX reached out to the family and was told the mother and Nikki's brother have moved out of state.
Marple Township police said they are also investigating other unsolved cases during the time Zandstra lived in Delaware County.
KPXI contributed to this post.
