A man was handed his sentence after being convicted of murdering a Westmoreland County woman who disappeared in 2018.
Back in February, a jury found Thomas Stanko guilty of first-degree murder and reckless burning in connection with the death of his estranged girlfriend, Cassandra Gross.
A judge sentenced Stanko to life in prison without parole on Friday.
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Gross went missing on April 7, 2018, and was never found. A judge declared her legally dead about nine months later.
Her mother, Kathe Gross, addressed her convicted killer during victim statements, who told him, “I am not afraid of you.”
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“He’s not gonna hurt anybody else, and I think that was our main objective just to get him where it belongs and held accountable for what he did,” Maryann Dicks, Gross’ friend, said.
Stanko addressed the court, saying he felt sorry for the family but maintained his innocence, telling the judge he was “wrongly convicted.”
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“If he’s not showing remorse, it’s because he can’t share remorse for something that he didn’t do, and I think that’s his position on it,” Stanko’s attorney, Jim Lazar, said.
Prosecutors built their case around what they described as a pattern of violent behavior, testimony from two fellow inmates who said Stanko admitted to killing Gross, and more than 400 pieces of evidence. That evidence included burned remnants believed to be from Gross’ glasses.
Despite the absence of a body, the jury returned a guilty verdict.
Friends remembered Gross as “a bright and shining light,” describing her as someone who supported others and encouraged their dreams.
At sentencing, Judge Michael J. Stewart II said he believed Stanko is “beyond rehabilitation.”
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