Tomasz Kosowski faces murder charges in the presumed death of lawyer Steven Cozzi. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and Largo Police Department)
Blood, brass knuckles, and intravenous sedatives were found in a car owned by a plastic surgeon facing a murder charge in the presumed death of a missing lawyer whose body has not been found, court documents said.
Police found the evidence in the investigation into Tomasz Kosowski, who was arrested in a traffic stop on March 25, according to an arrest affidavit obtained through the Pinellas County, Florida, court website.
Kosowski faces murder charges in the presumed death of attorney Steven Cozzi, reported missing on March 21, police said. Kosowski has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed.
An arrest affidavit outlines the details from a colleague of Cozzi who discovered the victim missing, leaving his wallet, car, car keys and cellphone at the office. The report said the colleague found blood smeared on the door, stall wall, and the bottom of a toilet in a bathroom.
Surveillance video shows a man pulling into the parking lot in a Toyota Tundra, then leaving two hours later, struggling to get a heavy cart into the truck’s bed, court documents said.
Additional video obtained by police shows that a bag or blanket in the cart appeared to contain what resembled a human body in the truck’s bed before it arrived at the suspect’s home, court records state.
A search of Kosowski’s home and the truck found blood in the truck bed, on the driver’s side headrest, driver’s side floorboard, and garage floor, court documents showed.
The suspect was stopped by police during a traffic stop in a Toyota Corolla. In a search of the car, police found a ballistic vest, a substantial amount of blood, a bag containing masks, a taser, brass knuckles, duct tape and intravenous sedatives with syringes, the documents say.
The suspect appears to own Kendall Plastic Surgery Center in Miami. His biography says he graduated from Dartmouth and “has made a name for himself as an innovative and accomplished plastic surgeon.”
The biography also calls Kosowski a man “who understands the art and science of the human body and how to redefine beauty for each and every patient.”
Cozzi is listed as a lawyer at Blanchard Law, P.A. His biography shows he graduated from Stetson University. His LinkedIn page says it’s a second career – his first was as a wardrobe technician for Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in New York City.
The biography claims he has “exceeded client expectations and has been an asset to the Law Firm.” It says he enjoys running marathons and spending time with his cat, Saffron.
Police are still investigating the motive in this case.
Kosowski filed a lawsuit suing his former employer, Dunedin Surgical Consultants, LLC., in 2019. The lawsuit claims Dunedin Surgical Consultants hired a new insurance biller — and that biller allegedly improperly handed insurance claims, misrepresenting claims and how they were filed. In several court filings, Cozzi is listed as a legal representative of the defendants in the case.
Family and friends honored Cozzi at a vigil on Wednesday night in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.
“He loved fighting for the little guy,” said Cozzi’s husband, Michael Montgomery, Fox13 reported.”When he first told me he was an attorney, I was envisioning slicked-back hair and all of that, and then when I met him, he genuinely loved the law. He genuinely loved helping people.”
Lawyers paid tribute.
“Our hearts are collectively broken as we process the loss of our fellow board member and friend, Steven Cozzi,” said Pinder Hutch Pinder, the president of the St. Petersburg Bar Association, WFTS reported.
Law&Crimes Vanessa Bein contributed to this report.
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