Sources told her a man, who she did not name, was suspected of murdering his wife with a hammer.
"This is terrible, just terrible," one neighbour told the OSN.
"They seemed like such a loving couple," another said.
From the scene, Hilde filed a video. She told viewers: "I'm working hard on this ongoing investigation."
Hilde beat local sources to the story. Radio station WKOK reported on April 3 that the home belonged to Kenneth and Ann Wochley.
News website Penn Live reported on April 4 that Mrs Wochley, 75, was the victim and that she was found on the living room floor of the couple's home suffering blunt force trauma to the head and upper torso.
In response to the story, Hilde received mail from her readers. Much of it was particularly negative. In a video she posted to YouTube, the 9-year-old read out some of those messages.
"I usually enjoy your stories Hilde but this ... Perhaps you are too young to understand the difference between decency/respect and sensationalism," Sally Grouse wrote.
"Sensationalist trash," former Selinsgrove Mayor Sean Christine wrote.
"I am disgusted that this cute little girl thinks she is a real journalist," another reader wrote.
Addressing the camera, Hilde fired back at her critics.
"Yesterday there was a murder. It happened just a few blocks from my house. I got the tip from a good source that I was able to confirm.
"Then I went straight to the scene and asked neighbours for more information. Because of my work, I was able to inform the people that there was a terrible murder hours before my competition even got to the scene.
"In fact, some of these adult-run newspapers were reporting the wrong news or no news at all. All the while the Orange Street News was out covering the event.
"I know this makes some of you uncomfortable and I know some of you just want me to sit down and be quiet because I'm nine but if you want me to stop covering news then you get off your computer and do something about it.
"There, is that cute enough for you?"
Hilde's father told The Washington Post his daughter "doesn't have a lot of fear".
"She's really motivated," he said. "She just wants to get the stories out. And she really wants to report real news."
- news.com.au
