Home / Crime and Justice / No Body Found: Homicide Trial Begins in Cassandra Gross Case
No Body Found: Homicide Trial Begins in Cassandra Gross Case
5 Feb
Summary
- Thomas Stanko charged with homicide eight years after Cassandra Gross vanished.
- Prosecutors will rely on circumstantial evidence as Gross' body remains missing.
- Defense claims Stanko, a father and business owner, had no motive.
Eight years after Cassandra Gross disappeared, a criminal homicide trial against Thomas Stanko has commenced in Westmoreland County. Gross was reported missing in April 2018 and officially declared dead in January 2019, with Stanko charged with her murder in October 2022, despite Gross's body never being recovered.
Opening statements were delivered on Wednesday, with prosecutors alleging Stanko killed and concealed Gross and her belongings. They intend to present two weeks of circumstantial evidence, such as witness accounts, photos, and texts, to prove Stanko's guilt. The defense countered that the prosecution's claims are not evidence, characterizing Stanko as a father and business owner with no apparent motive.
Key testimony began with Cassandra Gross's mother, Kathe Gross, who recounted her daughter's distress over Stanko's persistent contact. Two letters allegedly written by Stanko, which he referred to as a goodbye and himself as a victim, were submitted as evidence. Additional witnesses, including Gross's best friend and neighbors, testified about Stanko's repeated appearances at Gross's apartment and car, with one neighbor feeling Gross needed protection.
