Surgeon Convicted of Murdering Attorney He Represented Himself Against

A plastic surgeon has been found guilty of first-degree murder for killing attorney Steven Cozzi and disposing of his body in March 2023. Tomasz Kosowski, 47, who represented himself at trial, was convicted by Pinellas County Judge Joseph Bulone after a week-long proceedings.

Prosecutors argued that Kosowski, a graduate of Dartmouth College, murdered Cozzi, 41, for financial gain. The two were involved in a legal dispute over medical billing. Evidence presented included online searches Kosowski conducted on Cozzi, the presence of a "murder bag" containing a Taser, brass knuckles, and a crowbar, and research into the paralyzing drug succinylcholine.

Cozzi's blood was found in the bathroom of his office, where the killing occurred, and also in Kosowski's car. Assistant State Attorney Nathan Vonderheide described the murder as "cold, calculated and premeditated," advocating for the death penalty.

However, Cozzi's body has not been recovered, which the judge noted as a factor preventing the death penalty from being considered on the grounds of the killing being heinous. Kosowski maintained his innocence, claiming it was physically impossible to move Cozzi's body in the manner described by investigators. He argued that no one heard or saw anything related to the incident and denied leaving any DNA in the bathroom.

Investigators suspect Cozzi's remains were placed in a dumpster and subsequently moved to a landfill. A man was observed entering Cozzi's law office on the day he was last seen, and approximately two hours later, a man was seen struggling to load a heavy wagon onto a truck. Cozzi's husband, Michael Montgomery, testified about the family's ongoing grief and anger due to the lack of closure.

Kosowski's next hearing is scheduled for October 8.