Kathe Gross is planning a search Sept. 14 in Unity related to the 2018 disappearance of her daughter Cassandra.

She declined to say what searchers will be tasked with looking for but asked anyone interested in participating to wear boots and bring bottled water and a metal detector, if they have one. Gross isn’t sure anything will be found, but she wants to try.

“I hope they do, I pray they do, because that would put an end to this,” she said.

If anything is found, it should be preserved and investigators should be notified, said Melanie Jones, spokesperson for the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting a homicide case related to Cassandra Gross’ death.

“It would be investigated fully,” Jones said.

Gross’ body hasn’t been found. The 52-year-old Unity woman was last seen April 7, 2018.

Her burned-out vehicle was discovered days later near Twin Lakes Park, not far from where her diabetic dog was found unattended by a motorist. Authorities say circumstantial evidence links Thomas G. Stanko, 54, of Unity to the death of Gross, who in 2019 was declared dead by a Westmoreland County judge.

Stanko was charged in 2022 with killing Gross.

Kathe Gross said anyone interested in helping with the search should meet at 11 a.m. at Unity Cemetery. Searchers can carpool to the search location nearby that she was directed to by a friend. She reiterated that if anything is found, searchers should mark the location and contact police.

The homicide case against Stanko continues to work its way through the court system. A Westmoreland County judge is expected to decide early next year whether there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed. The attorney representing Stanko has argued that there is no evidence to support charges of first-degree homicide because Gross’ remains have not been recovered. Numerous searches have been conducted.

Prosecutors have said circumstantial evidence links Stanko to Gross’ death. Police found pieces of Gross’ clothing and eyeglasses charred in a burn barrel on property connected to Stanko.

Kathe Gross is frustrated that two charges against Stanko — abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence — were withdrawn by prosecutors at a hearing last month because of concerns over the statute of limitations. She pushed for years for police to arrest Stanko, who has been in jail since the days after Gross’ disappearance on unrelated charges and is awaiting a trial date.

“It’ll be almost seven years” since her daughter’s disappearance by the time the judge makes a decision next year on whether the case can proceed, she said.

Stanko is in jail without bond in the case as he serves a seven-year federal prison sentence for gun offenses related to the illegal possession of weapons found on property connected to him during searches related to Gross’ disappearance.

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