Sheriff releases few details in Ranch homicide

LAKEWOOD RANCH — More than a week after detectives found 78-year-old Riverwalk Hammock resident Ina Gross dead in her garage, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives have released few details regarding their investigation.

Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube last week reported his office believes the homicide was not a random occurrence. Furthermore, detectives found no forced entry into the home and have concluded the case is not related to a random burglary, home invasion or an attempt to rob the victim.

Detectives believe the homicide occurred sometime on Jan. 8 or Jan. 9, Steube said.

“When we put all this (information we have) together … then perhaps, all this will fall together so we can have a successful conclusion to the case,” Steube said. “But giving (you) a bit here and a bit there is not good for the case.”

The investigation of Gross’s death began the morning of Jan. 9, after Gross’s son, Thomas Gross, 57, called 911 at about 5:37 a.m. to report his mother was dead in the garage of her home in the 11000 block of Hyacinth Place.

Thomas Gross, who lives in Israel, had been staying with his mother for several days prior to her death. He was supposed to fly back to Israel Jan. 9 and has been interviewed by detectives.

“As far as we know, he’s still here,” Public Information Officer Dave Bristow said of Thomas Gross.

No details regarding Gross’ cause of death have been released. Detectives continue to review evidence, such as video recovered from neighborhood security systems, DNA, computer records and other evidence collected from the scene. Steube provided no timeline regarding how long those reviews and tests will take.

“We are investigating it as a homicide because there are too many unanswered questions right now,” Steube said.

A funeral for Ina Gross was held Jan. 16, at Temple Emanu-El in Sarasota. Her family has established a fund in her name for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Donations can be sent to 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

Investigation continues in Nicole Scott case
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives also continue to investigate the murder of 29-year-old Nicole “Nikki” Rose Scott, whose body was found Dec. 11, in a ditch at the end of University Parkway in the East County.

Rose’s partially clothed body was found by a motorcyclist around 10:30 a.m.

“We’re still working leads on that as well,” Manatee County Sheriff Brad Steube said. “There was a lot of processing at that scene as well, including telephone records. (We’re) trying to reenact where she was several days up until her death. We’re still working on that.”

Steube said he has no new information on the case to release at this time.

Sarasota County records show Rose had several drug-related arrests and had been convicted of several crimes, including of robbery by sudden snatching in 2008. On a web posts following her death, friends stated Rose was trying to turn her life around.

Rose is survived by three children.