Burnt items found during search of Thomas Stanko's home presented during homicide trial
Friday was a day full of presenting physical evidence collected by investigators for the homicide trial of Thomas Stanko in Westmoreland County.
Cassandra Gross went missing in 2018 and her ex-boyfriend, Stanko, was charged with homicide in 2022 despite her body never being found. Here's what happened in the courtroom on Friday.
Search warrant details
On the third day of testimony, the prosecution presented physical evidence from a search warrant conducted at Stanko's home and his mother's home just days after Gross went missing, as well as evidence from a search warrant conducted at his home one year later.
At Stanko's property, more than 100 photos were taken and presented. Investigators said that the search was conducted on April 12, 2018.
First, images showed the inside of Stanko's home, including inside his refrigerator and pantry. Items inside the fridge included groceries purchased on April 7, 2018, when Stanko went to Walmart to buy things like lemons, green beans and almonds for a dinner Gross planned to prepare for them that evening.
Investigators testified that they did several tests in the search for any blood inside the home, but did not find any.
The prosecution shared photos of Stanko's living room, bedroom, bathroom and closets. His closets were full of clothes, while one closet was empty, along with two dressers and a nightstand.
Outside of Stanko's home, photos showed Stanko's white pickup truck from the search on April 12, 2018, along with another truck that appeared to be older and multiple colors.
On April 10, 2018, aerial photos of the property shared did not show the patch-colored truck on the property.
Criminal investigator Matthew Pergar said the toolbox on the back of Stanko's white pick-up was tested for blood. Those results have not been revealed yet.
Testimony on fire pit and burn barrel
Investigators testified that they heavily focused on a fire pit and burn barrel on Stanko's property, where they found multiple items burned and charred in a pile of ash.
Those items included a piece of clothing, a pair of eyeglass arms with the word "Coach" on them, a small glass container piece with a lid, and a Cosmopolitan magazine labeled to Gross and her address.
The prosecution then shared with the jury some items that appeared to match the burned items that were produced by the companies that made them.
For example, LensCrafters confirmed with Pennsylvania State Police that Gross purchased a pair of Coach glasses from the company one month before her disappearance.
A vet also testified on Wednesday and provided a vial of insulin, confirming that Gross had vials of insulin for her dog with diabetes.
Forensic investigator testifies
During a search on Stanko's mother's property, less than 2 miles from where investigators found Gross' burned car, they found multiple large burn piles, a gas can, a blow torch tip and a newspaper dated from the day before the search.
One year later, investigators testified that they returned to Stanko's home for another search warrant on July 16, 2019.
A forensic investigator testified that they were asked to go back to search for a bag of items with cosmetics inside that was spotted during the original search warrant, but was never seized.
Trooper Nicholas Iera testified that during the first search, the items were in a plastic bag underneath the bathroom sink in a void.
When troopers returned to the home, they testified that they found the same bag with tweezers and makeup inside, along with another bag with makeup applicator pads, brushes and other makeup inside and a receipt from Walmart. The items on that receipt matched what was inside the bag and showed the purchase date as April 9, 2018.
Also in the bathroom cabinet, investigators said burn pads and scar-away scar gel were found.
MedExpress visit
Prosecutors believe this could be connected to when Stanko went to MedExpress on April 13, 2018.
A family medicine expert then took the stand, testifying that she treated Stanko on that day for skin-related injuries that he claimed were from an accident when falling from a pine tree on April 10, 2018.
Dr. Anne Levri said she was skeptical that his injuries were from a tree, saying the scratches he had were in multiple directions, rather than all in the same direction, as would be expected if he brushed against a tree.
Levri said Stanko had multiple scratches on his face and on the back of his right hand. His face was also red and swollen.
Levri said Stanko had also shaved his eyebrows because he wanted to get a better look at his injuries. Levri said the worst of his injuries was in the area of his right eyebrow.
"I thought it was strange that he shaved the injured area," Levri said, because she believes it would have been painful.
The prosecution asked Levri if the redness on his face could be from a burn, and Levri agreed.
During final testimony for the day, a trooper told the jury that he saw Stanko one day before he visited MedExpress, with Stanko allegedly telling him that his injuries were from a quad/ATV crash.
In total, 28 witnesses have given testimony over three days. The trial will continue on Monday.
