Police search Unity property in Cassandra Gross disappearance

State police investigators equipped with an excavator, searched a Unity township property Wednesday possibly connected to the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross.

Just after 8 a.m., multiple marked and unmarked police cruisers drove down White Fence Lane, adjacent to Unity Cemetery, to serve a search warrant on Almira F. Stanko. She is the mother of Thomas Stanko, 49, the man who owns the property and who police labeled a “person of interest” in the death of the Unity woman who would have turned 54 this month.

A state police cruiser blocked the gravel lane marked with multiple “Private Property” and “Keep Out” signs.

Trooper Stephen Limani said investigators recently acquired information “that was sufficient for a judge to issue us a search warrant to look at this property.” Troopers previously searched the property and drained a nearby lake looking for clues.

Limani declined to get into specifics of the sealed warrant but said Wednesday’s efforts involved 18 troopers, a professor of anthropology from Seton Hill University in Greensburg and a biology professor from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

A crew from Unity Township unloaded an excavator about 9:30 a.m. One township worker, who did not give his name, confirmed the equipment was to assist state police in the search and Limani said firefighters from Lloydsville were standby to assist.

“We are looking for any signs, any evidence to help us solve the disappearance of Cassandra Gross,” Limani said.

Limani said the search team was equipped with lights and expected to continue late into the evening and likely into Thursday. He said investigators were focusing on a densely wooded area about 400 yards behind Almira Stanko’s house. Investigators erected a large tent over the area.

On the afternoon of April 7, 2018, Gross called her mom after lunch with friends. She was never heard from again. Investigators found her Mitsubishi Outlander burned along a rail line near Twin Lakes Park.

State police have classified her death as a homicide. A Westmoreland County judge ruled her legally dead in January 2019.

Many of the search efforts have focused on the land around Unity Cemeterynear property owned by Thomas Stanko, who dated Gross. He has maintained his innocence and says he doesn’t know what happened to her. He’s been in jail more than a year on unrelated charges.

Gross’ mother, Kathe, was on the scene with police investigators and couldn’t be reached for comment. She spearheaded a search around the cemetery last August. Gross has maintained that family and friends have not given up hope of finding evidence that will lead to an arrest in her daughter’s killing.

Limani said anyone with information on Gross’ disappearance should call 724-832-3288.