Florida plastic surgeon found guilty of murder in lawyer’s death

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) -- A 47-year-old man accused of killing a missing attorney has been found guilty of first-degree murder.

On March 21, 2023, attorney Steven Cozzi was reported missing. He had last been seen at his office and left behind his wallet and car keys, but no one saw him leave the building. Investigators noted a strong scent of chemicals and a large amount of blood in the men’s bathroom at the scene. 

At the time of his disappearance, 41-year-old Cozzi’s firm was representing several defendants in a lawsuit brought by Dr. Tomasz Kosowski. The Tampa Bay Times reported Kosowski had sued several people from his plastic surgery practice for breach of contract, damages, fraudulent representation, and negligence.

WTVT reports Cozzi’s phone pinged near a dumpster that was later taken to a landfill in Collier County, Florida, but a three-day search of that landfill did not recover his remains. On March 26, 2023, Kosowski was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Cozzi’s disappearance and death.

When he was arrested, Kosowski reportedly had brass knuckles, a paralyzing agent, a ballistic vest stained with Cozzi’s blood, and $280,000 cash on his person.

Cozzi’s body was never found.

According to prosecutors, Kosowski had a “malicious and personal obsession” with Cozzi and “methodically and systematically” planned to kill him, ABC News reports. Prosecutors believe Kosowski killed Cozzi at his law office and then wheeled him out in a cart, Spectrum Bay News 9 reports. Judging by the amount of blood found, prosecutors said they did not believe Cozzi could have survived the attack.

According to ABC News, Kosowski waived his right to counsel and a jury for the penalty phase, and represented himself in the death penalty-qualified trial. Prosecutors argued for three aggravating factors: that the murder was committed for financial gain, that it was premeditated, and that was especially atrocious and cruel. Only one factor had to be proven to make Kosowski eligible for the death penalty.

The judge found that the first two factors were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, but there was no evidence regarding the atrocity or cruelty of the crime.

Spectrum Bay News 9 reports that Kosowski disputed prosecutors’ account and said charges were made on Cozzi’s credit card after he had supposedly died.

Cozzi’s husband, Michael Montgomery, said in court, “He is defined by the life he actually lived, by the family who loved him, by his work, by the books he read, by the miles he ran, by the meals he cooked, by the ridiculous movies, by our trips to the mountains, by his passion for the law, by his gentleness, by his strength, by the many people who loved him,” ABC reports.

Kosowski was found guilty of first-degree murder on Sept. 23, per ABC News.

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