logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
39m 45s

NEW BOOK LEADS TO PASTOR’S ARREST IN MUR...

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
About this episode

Eight-year-old Gretchen Harrington leaves home, walking to vacation bible school at a church just a half mile from her home. Usually, Gretchen is accompanied by her two sisters, but this day, she walks alone. The older girls stay home. 

It was just after  9 a.m. when Pastor Harold Harrington waved goodbye. Two hours passed before he found out Gretchen never made it to VBS. Hundreds of people took part in the search for the little girl. A police helicopter continuously flew overhead.  Teams of searchers combed the hillside of the community.  Friends and family hand out fliers with Gretchen’s picture on it. Some witnesses said they had seen Gretchen outside a car, talking to someone, but nothing came of the lead.

Two months later, a jogger found the skeletonized human remains of a little girl. The Harringtons confirmed the clothing found with the body as Gretchen’s. It was only 20 minutes from her home. 

Gretchen’s manner of death is ruled a homicide. The girl's skull has been fractured by multiple vicious blows. An autopsy does not reveal sex assault, but police believe that was the motive. 

Now, years later, a new book leads to the capture of a murderer. 

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

  • Joanna Falcone Sullivan - Co-author: ‘Marple’s Gretchen Harrington Tragedy: Kidnapping, Murder and Innocence Lost in Suburban Philadelphia’, Editor in chief, Baltimore Business Journal; Facebook: Gretchen Harrington: Innocence Lost in Suburban Philadelphia   
  • Jarrett Ferentino - Homicide Prosecutor, Facebook & Instagram: Jarrett Ferentino  
  • Dr. Jeff Kieliszewski - Forensic Psychologist, Author: “Darksides;" FB: forensicsandmediapsychologist/TikTok: Dr. Jeff Kieliszewski  
  • Brandon M. Graeff - Chief of Police with Marple Township Police Department in Broomall, PA;@marplepolice on Facebook, X, and Instagram
  • Dr. Karl E. Williams, MD, MPH - Chief Medical Examiner for Allegheny County, PA 
  • Audrey Conklin- Crime Reporter for Fox News Digital, Twitter: @audpants 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
Drew Peterson: New Bid for Freedom?
Former Illinois cop Drew Peterson is still behind bars for the murder of his third wife, but his 4th wife Stacy Peterson is still missing. Nancy digs into the case with Drew Peterson's former lawyer Joel Brodsky, Cold Case Research Institute director Sheryl McCollum, psychologist ... Show More
22m 37s
Yesterday
SUSPECT KEEPS DRIVING WITH YOUNG MOM DEAD ON HIS WINDSHIELD AFTER MOWING HER DOWN
Kjersten Strang is a devoted mom to a young son, and her social media pages show it. During a bike ride she was struck from behind by the driver of a Nissan Altima, Xavier Rigby. Without warning, Rigby slams Kjersten from behind, throwing the 38-year-old mother into the air. The ... Show More
45m 13s
Yesterday
'Widow of Her Own Making' Sentenced in 5th Husband's Insulin Overdose Murder | Crime Alert 6AM 10.10.25
A Texas woman was convicted and sentenced this week for the murder of her diabetic husband in 2023 by neglect as he suffered from an insulin overdose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
6 m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2023
Man Kills Wife, Texts Friends About How It Felt
A Clay County man has been charged with murder for allegedly murdering his wife in Kansas City's Northland and fled to Nebraska on Friday after police discovered a number of disturbing communications that appeared to reference the death. John Wonder was charged with first-degree ... Show More
11m 3s
May 2023
14: Bryan Kohberger & Chad Daybell Feat. Hidden True Crime
Reviewing the hidden motives behind Idaho’s unimaginable crimes with special guests John and Lauren Matthias. Dr. John is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist with twenty-five years of experience in both clinical and forensic work, and Lauren is a former investigative jo ... Show More
1h 39m
Oct 2023
16: MISSING / MURDER: Sarah Graham and Katelyn Kelley
On the morning of February 4, 2015, 18-year-old Sara Graham didn't show up for her morning shift at Walmart in Pembroke, North Carolina. A few hours later, her van was found abandoned in a field halfway between Walmart and her home in Fairmont, North Carolina. There were no signs ... Show More
42m 25s
Sep 2019
Portsmouth: The Murder of Linda Cook
On the 9th of December 1986, the half naked body of Linda Cook was found in the grass and scrub of a pathway in Buckland, Portsmouth. She had been repeatedly kicked in the face, head and body after being raped. The only clue the Hampshire Constabulary had to go on was a footprint ... Show More
42m 52s
Feb 2024
SERIAL KILLER: The Alphabet Murders Part 2
Dozens of commuters see a young girl fleeing a car on the side of the expressway in Rochester, NY, but no one pulls over to help. The community is devastated when her body is discovered just days later, but it’s assumed to be a tragic but isolated incident. But when more young gi ... Show More
49m 11s
Feb 2024
Episode 541: The Unsolved Murder of Georgette Bauerdorf
On the morning of October 12, 1944, Lulu Atwood arrived at the El Palacio Apartments in West Hollywood, where she worked cleaning apartments for wealthy and celebrity clients. When Lulu reached the apartment of twenty-year-old Georgette Bauerdorf, she called out and when she got ... Show More
47m 7s
Nov 2023
True crime fanatic stabs and dismembers stranger; Cheer coach and mom of three bludgeoned to death
This Week on True Crime Daily The Podcast: A woman sentenced to life for the brutal stabbing and dismemberment of a student in a killing motivated “out of curiosity.” Plus, a beloved cheerleading coach and mother of three allegedly slain by her boyfriend weeks after the couple pr ... Show More
58m 5s
Jan 2024
RLRC Daily 1/22/24 | Navy Commander Arrested for DUI, Hollywood Heir Charged with Brutal Murder, Woman Arrested for Assaulting Husband over Birthday Sex
In this episode, We discuss a murder case involving self-defense claims, the firing and arrest of a Navy Commander, a court case surrounding a Hollywood heir, and a peculiar incident of accusing neighbors of being pirates. Additionally, we touch on a fatal shooting during a vehic ... Show More
46m 58s