David Zandstra, charged with the 1975 murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington in Marple, will head to trial, even as his attorney argues that he confessed to a crime he didn’t commit, writes Vinny Vella for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Prosecutors said Zandstra confessed to the murder after his daughter’s childhood friend told police Zandstra molested her at a sleepover a week before Gretchen’s abduction. 

Zandstra, 83, a former Broomall pastor, confessed in July that he lured Gretchen Harrington to Ridley Creek State Park in 1975, forced her to undress, beat her to death, and hid her body.

“This is an 83-year-old man that was subjected to a four-hour interview, and was manipulated, coerced, tricked, lied to, and they believe he admitted to something that I submit he didn’t do,” said Zandstra’s attorney Mark Much.

State Police Cpl. Andrew Martin acknowledged under cross-examination at Zandstra’s preliminary hearing that he made it seem during Zandstra’s interview that investigators had more evidence than they did.

But Deputy District Attorney Geoff Paine said the pastor admitted to the murder not because he was lied to but because another victim came forward.

David Zandstra is scheduled to be arraigned on all charges on Dec. 13 in Media.

Find out more about this 1975 cold case in The Philadelphia Inquirer.