A Westmoreland County judge today sentenced Thomas Stanko to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury convicted him in the disappearance and death of his former girlfriend, Cassandra Gross. The decision caps a case that began when Gross vanished from Latrobe in April 2018 and her vehicle turned up burned days later.
Judge Hands Down Life Sentence
At a hearing in Greensburg, the judge imposed the mandatory life sentence that followed the jury's guilty verdict earlier this year. As reported by WPXI, Stanko will spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole.
Evidence Prosecutors Presented
During the trial, prosecutors told jurors they relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and what they described as efforts to destroy items connected to Gross's disappearance. According to CBS Pittsburgh, more than 30 witnesses testified over six days, and the commonwealth introduced more than 300 pieces of evidence, including cellphone records, letters, photos of Gross's burned vehicle and burned remains such as parts of her eyeglasses, clothing, magazines and a vial of her dog's insulin. That same report notes Stanko also received an additional 42-to-84-month sentence for reckless burning.
Family Reaction And The Unanswered Question
Gross's family said the verdict brought some relief but also underscored how much they still do not know, since investigators have not recovered her remains. "There's not words for what I'm feeling right now," Gross's mother told reporters, according to WTAE, adding that the family still wants answers about what happened to her daughter. Prosecutors and relatives said they hope ongoing investigative work will eventually clarify what took place the night Gross disappeared.
Investigation Remains Open
Stanko was formally charged with criminal homicide in October 2022, and Gross was declared legally dead in January 2019, court records show, per CBS Pittsburgh. Authorities have searched properties linked to Stanko and the area near Twin Lakes Park where Gross's burned car was located, as reported by WPXI. Hoodline previously chronicled Stanko's denials in court in a February piece highlighting his defiant courtroom denials. Officials say the investigation remains active.
