State police, Seton Hill University students continue search for missing Unity woman

State police on Friday searched wooded areas in Unity, continuing a quest to find a woman who has been missing for nearly two years.

Kathe Gross, mother of Cassandra Gross, said searchers were focusing during the morning on an area where her daughter’s dog, Baxter, was found.

“I believe they’re doing everything legally possible to help find my daughter,” she said.

Cassandra Gross was last heard from on April 7, 2018, when she called her mom while driving east on Route 30 to her Unity apartment after having lunch with a friend.

Baxter, her blind, diabetic dog, was found two days later wandering alone in the Beatty Crossroads area. On April 10, 2018, her Mitsubishi Outlander was found burned along a rail line near Twin Lakes Park.

State police now classify Cassandra Gross’ case as a homicide. She would have turned 53 in May.

Troopers and upper-level forensic science students and faculty from Seton Hill University were seen Friday working in a wooded area off Carney, Auction Barn and Beatty Flats roads and along a rail line. University spokeswoman Jen Reeger said 15 students and three faculty members were invited by police to help with the search.

Kathe and Harry Gross watched and waited in the cold for any news.

“I hope they find her,” Kathe Gross said. “If not her, something that’ll keep us going in the right direction — because I’ve been in every direction there is.”

In the afternoon, searchers set up near Twin Lakes Park. State police have continued looking for Gross since her disappearance, Trooper Steve Limani said.

“There’s a reason why we started the search today,” Limani said. “There was information that we maybe worked with … and thought maybe today would be a good day to come out and try to conduct a search. Unfortunately, I just can’t go in depth on what that information is.”

Kathe Gross regularly has her own searches in the area with help from private individuals and groups.

“All we can hope for is bones at this point,” she said.

A Westmoreland County judge in January 2019 declared Cassandra Gross legally dead, determining she was the victim of a homicide, at the request of her adult son, Brandon Diebold. The lead investigator in the case testified behind closed doors during the hearing to provide reason for Gross to be declared dead.

No arrests have been made. Gross’ on-and-off boyfriend, Thomas Stanko, 49, of Unity, has been jailed since a few days after her disappearance on unrelated charges.

He has repeatedly denied being involved in Gross’ disappearance.

Gross’ family members testified about stalking, harassment and abuse the woman suffered during her relationship with Stanko.

Investigators searched a few times in and around Unity Cemetery, which is near property Stanko owns. In the days after Cassandra was reported missing, state police descended on Stanko’s Macey Road home and a White Fence Lane property where his mother lives.

Kathe Gross is steadfast in believing Stanko had something to do with her daughter’s disappearance.

“If I find her, I find her. If I don’t, that’s OK — as long as he pays for it,” she said.