Greensburg, PA – Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli announces the conviction of Thomas Stanko after a week-long trial.

After approximately four hours of deliberations, a Westmoreland County jury found Mr. Stanko guilty of first-degree murder and reckless burning.

Thomas Stanko, 55, was charged with criminal homicide and reckless burning in 2022 in connection to the disappearance of his estranged girlfriend, Cassandra Gross, who was reported missing in April of 2018.

In the days that followed, Cassandra’s vehicle was found burned on an access road near train tracks in close proximity to Stanko’s mother’s residence in Unity Township. Cassandra’s dog was found wandering near Beatty Crossroads in Unity Township, but the remains of Cassandra Gross were never located or recovered.

Prosecutors presented approximately 400 pieces of evidence and/or exhibits over the course of five days, including the burned remnants of Cassandra’s eyeglasses, clothing, magazines, and a vial of her dog’s insulin.

“We knew when we pursued prosecution in this case, it would be a complex and challenging case to present to a jury. I commend the 12 jurors and 4 alternates for their attentiveness and consideration during this trial. I applaud Assistant District Attorneys Jim Lazar and Katie Ranker Ellwood for prosecuting this case with the compassion, integrity, and the dignity it deserves,” DA Ziccarelli said. “This has been a long, exhausting 8 years for the Gross family waiting for justice and I am proud justice was finally served. The Pennsylvania State Police did an impeccable job investigating this case since the beginning, leaving no stone unturned, and I commend them for their relentless efforts.”

Stanko will be sentenced in the next three months.