Killer Gets Life for Unsolved Murder and Arson

A Westmoreland County jury has found Thomas Stanko guilty of first-degree murder and reckless burning, sentencing him to life in prison without parole for the 2018 killing of Cassandra Gross. Stanko also received an additional sentence of 42 to 84 months for the reckless burning conviction.

Cassandra Gross was reported missing in April 2018 and declared legally dead in January 2019, nearly a year later. Her car was discovered burned out days after she disappeared. Despite extensive investigation, Gross's body has never been found.

Evidence presented during the weeklong trial included over 300 items, such as cell phone messages, letters, and remnants of Gross's belongings found in a burn barrel on Stanko's property. These items included fragments of her glasses, clothing, magazines, and a vial of her dog's insulin, strongly linking Stanko to the crime.

Gross's family expressed relief and a desire for further answers following the verdict. "It took me eight years to get him," stated Cassandra Gross's mother, Kathe Gross, "I'm just so happy that the DA did a wonderful job."

Stanko was charged with homicide in 2022, and his conviction marks the end of a long and difficult legal process for the victim's family, offering them a measure of closure.