Gross maintains innocence

LAKEWOOD RANCH — With a warrant out for his arrest for the murder of Lakewood Ranch resident Ina Gross, her son, Thomas Gross, maintains his innocence.

Thomas Gross is accused of killing his mother Jan. 9, 2012, in her home, while visiting from Israel.
The state attorney’s office issued a warrant for Thomas Gross’ arrest July 3, but the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office never publicized it with the hope that Thomas Gross wouldn’t learn of the warrant before the extradition process had started to return him to the U.S.

However, Thomas Gross recently learned about the warrant from news reports.

“I didn’t do it, nor was I in any way, shape or form involved,” Gross said in a phone interview with the East County Observer Tuesday.

The Sheriff’s Office named Thomas Gross a “person of interest” early in the investigation but did not formally name him a suspect until the arrest warrant was issued.

Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Dave Bristow confirmed the warrant existed and the arrest warrant was signed, but declined further comment.

According to original Sheriff’s Office reports, Thomas Gross found Ina Gross dead at 5:37 a.m. Jan. 9, 2012 in her garage in the Riverwalk Hammock community. There were no signs of forced entry.

Thomas Gross says he called 911 and attempted CPR after finding her body. He says detectives allege he couldn’t have performed CPR because “a metal shoe rack had fallen on top of my mother.”

Thomas Gross said he has both a civil and criminal lawyer in Florida representing him.

“I have no idea to the status of any arrest warrant,” Thomas Gross said in an email. “I have no idea as to the extradition process either.”

Ina Gross’ daughter and Thomas’ sister, Ellen Gerth, sides with detectives. She is convinced Thomas Gross killed their mother. She says the evidence overwhelmingly will convict her brother.

“There is no doubt,” she said, adding his motive was money. “The evidence speaks volumes that Thomas killed his mother, Ina Gross.”

Thomas Gross said he took a polygraph test in Israel and passed “with the most truthful score.”
Gerth says the facts and evidence will prove otherwise.

She hopes the Department of Justice will move the appropriate paperwork forward to Israeli authorities soon so justice can prevail.

“My expectation and my hope is that the process will, once the authorities in Israel receive the arrest warrant and request for extradition, move hastily in arresting and extraditing (him),” Gerth said.

Ina Gross was a member of the Lakewood Ranch Dog Park and also was involved at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, where she was a member of the Lifelong Learning Academy.