Mother of missing woman Cassandra Gross, believed to have been killed by her ex-boyfriend, plans new search

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — The mother of a woman missing since 2018 is planning a new search.

Cassandra Gross was declared legally dead in 2019 and her ex-boyfriend was charged in the case in Westmoreland County. But her body was never found.

It's been almost 7 years since Kathe Gross last heard her daughter Cassandra's voice. Even though she knows she'll never come back alive, she wants Cassandra to rest in peace. And she says she won't give up until the man responsible is behind bars.

April 7, 2018 is a day Kathe Gross will never forget. It was the last day she heard her daughter's voice.

Two days later, she reported her missing. Today, Kathe is still searching for anything that might connect Cassandra's death to the person the police accuse of killing Cassandra.

“We're going to do one more search and this will be the last one. I've done 128 searches,” Gross said.

This time, Kathe isn't looking for a body. She believes her daughter was burned alive after police recovered some of Cassandra's partially destroyed items from a burn barrel. on the property of Thomas Stankowho is accused of his death.

“I've heard that people like him keep a trophy,” Gross said. “And it could be buried in a metal box. So that's what we're looking for this time,” she added.

Kathe is asking anyone who wants to help her end her nightmare and join the final search to wear boots and bring a metal detector if possible. If anything is found, the item should be preserved, the location marked and the police called.

“It was like going through hell and back every day. I made a path through hell,” she said.

“If I don't find anything, it's in the hands of God and the law,” she added.

Stanko is serving a seven-year federal sentence for illegal weapons found in his home during the search for Cassandra's remains. A date for his murder trial has not yet been set.

The search will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday at Unity Cemetery. Kathe Gross would like to thank everyone who came out in advance for their continued support.