A Florida judge has found plastic surgeon Tomasz Kosowski guilty of murdering lawyer Steven Cozzi, who disappeared from his Clearwater law firm in March 2023.
Kosowski was charged with first-degree murder in the death of the 41-year-old attorney. Prosecutors argued that he developed a personal obsession with Cozzi and methodically planned the killing.
Cozzi had been representing defendants in a case involving Kosowski when he disappeared from his law office.
Judge Joseph Bulone delivered the guilty verdict on Wednesday after closing arguments. Kosowski represented himself throughout the trial after waiving his right to a jury. He also waived his right to legal representation and a jury for the penalty phase. He now faces either life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.
During the penalty phase, prosecutors argued that three aggravating factors justified a death sentence. They said the killing was motivated by financial gain, carried out in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner, and was especially heinous, atrocious and cruel.
Two Proven Factors
Bulone found that prosecutors had proved the first two factors beyond a reasonable doubt but said there was insufficient evidence to establish the third. Under Florida law, proving at least one aggravating factor makes a defendant eligible for the death penalty. The judge scheduled an October 8 hearing for final arguments before sentencing.
Kosowski did not testify or call witnesses during the seven-day trial. He also presented no evidence during the penalty phase. Prosecutors said the absence of Cozzi’s body did not prevent them from proving the murder. Assistant State Attorney Nathan Vonderheide pointed to Cozzi’s blood found in the law firm’s bathroom and in Kosowski’s truck.
Vonderheide also cited surveillance footage showing Kosowski entering the law office with a Gorilla cart box on the day Cozzi disappeared and later leaving with what prosecutors described as a heavily loaded wagon. Prosecutors alleged that Kosowski later disposed of Cozzi’s body in a dumpster that was taken to a landfill.
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