Services Set For Penn State Student Found Dead Last Week

STATE COLLEGE, PA — Funeral services are set for Penn State student Justine Gross, who went missing last week and was found dead on Friday morning.

Penn State police released a statement saying it appeared her death was accidental but did not release where she was found or the circumstances surrounding her death.

Police asked anyone who may have information regarding the incident to contact the State College Police Department at (814) 234-7150, by email or submit an anonymous tip through their website.

Gross was 19-years-old and in her sophomore year at Penn State's College of Liberal Arts. She was a 2020 graduate of Summit High School in New Jersey, where she was a varsity cheerleader for the cheerleading team and a cheer captain her senior year, according to her obituary.

Gross is survived by both parents, her two siblings, friends, and classmates.

The funeral services will be held at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Summit on Saturday at 12 p.m. Interment following the funeral will be open to the public. Repast following the interment will be private.

"Justine was a ray of sunshine. She had a sassy personality and was her family’s very own Santana Lopez from Glee. Justine was a beautiful person inside and out. She loved music, dancing, learning about fashion and makeup, and lovingly teasing her family members. Justine had a vibrant and infectious personality that helped her connect with others easily. She had a laugh and a smile that could brighten anyone’s day. When Justine was not cruising around in her Jeep in her hometown, she could be found in her room having a dance party. She always brought so much life, warmth, and joy to her family at home," her obituary reads.

With reporting from Patch correspondent Samantha Mercado