THOMAS STANKO FOUND GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND ARSON

A Westmoreland County Jury convicted Thomas Stanko of First-Degree murder yesterday in the death of Cassandra Gross.  The Trib reports that the jury of seven men and five women took four hours to reach the verdict.  Prosecutors said Stanko killed Gross, 51, on April 7, 2018, burned her belongings and discarded her body.  Gross’ remains have never been found.  He will be formally sentenced later this year, and faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.