A former plastic surgeon who represented himself at trial has been found guilty of murdering Florida lawyer Steven Cozzi and now faces the possibility of a death sentence.

Tomasz Kosowski, 47, was convicted by Pinellas County Judge Joseph Bulone after choosing to waive a jury trial and represent himself in the capital murder case.

Prosecutors alleged that Kosowski confronted Cozzi in the bathroom of his law office on March 21, 2023. Cozzi, who had been involved in a long-running civil dispute with Kosowski, disappeared after entering the bathroom and was never seen again.

During his closing argument, Kosowski told the judge that prosecutors had failed to prove the elements required for a first-degree murder conviction. He pointed to the fact that Cozzi’s body and death certificate had never been recovered and questioned how he could have carried out the alleged killing and removed the body without being detected.

Prosecutors, however, presented surveillance footage, DNA evidence and other evidence that they said linked Kosowski to the disappearance. Investigators found Cozzi’s blood in the bed of Kosowski’s pickup truck and on a ballistic vest inside another vehicle.

Surveillance footage showed a man entering the law office and later dragging a cart toward the parking lot while wearing different clothing. Prosecutors alleged that Kosowski used the cart to remove Cozzi’s body from the building.

Cozzi’s colleagues became concerned when he failed to return to his desk. One colleague later checked the office bathroom and testified that it smelled strongly of cleaning products and alcohol. Blood was found on the walls, toilet seat and floor.

Prosecutors alleged that Kosowski later transported Cozzi’s body to a dumpster on a remote road nearly four hours away before continuing to Miami, where he performed scheduled surgeries the following day. The dumpster was emptied at a landfill two days later, and Cozzi’s remains were never recovered.

Kosowski was arrested four days after Cozzi’s disappearance. Authorities found nearly $300,000 in cash, two passports and what prosecutors described as a “murder bag” in his vehicle. The bag contained masks, brass knuckles, a Taser, a crowbar and a syringe containing succinylcholine.

Evidence presented during the trial also focused on the deteriorating relationship between Kosowski and Cozzi. The two had been involved in contentious civil litigation, and prosecutors said Kosowski’s hostility toward the lawyer had developed into an obsession.

Cozzi’s husband and colleagues described him as professional and well-liked. They told investigators that Kosowski was the only person known to have a serious problem with him after their legal dispute continued for several years.

Months before Cozzi disappeared, Kosowski allegedly confronted him in the law office bathroom during a break in a deposition. Cozzi later described the encounter in an email to a colleague, saying Kosowski had called him an offensive name.

Cozzi’s husband testified that he became afraid after learning about the confrontation and took additional security measures at their home.

Prosecutors also presented evidence suggesting Kosowski had been monitoring Cozzi and his workplace before the disappearance. He allegedly searched for information about Cozzi online, drove to his home and visited the law firm’s building several times.

At one point, an employee reported finding a man believed to be Kosowski inside an electrical closet wearing a surgical mask and hat. The man said he was investigating a power outage. A fingerprint recovered from the utility closet was later identified as Kosowski’s, according to evidence presented at trial.

Kosowski occasionally questioned witnesses during the bench trial but did not present an opening statement or a formal defense case. He also challenged prosecutors’ account of how Cozzi’s body could have been transported from the building.

After the guilty verdict, Judge Bulone asked Kosowski whether he wanted a lawyer for the penalty phase. Kosowski again declined representation and said he did not want to present mitigating evidence that could persuade the judge not to impose the death penalty.

A special prosecutor appointed by the court is expected to present mitigating evidence on Kosowski’s behalf at a hearing in October. The attorney may call witnesses, including Kosowski’s mother, before the judge decides whether he will receive life imprisonment or a death sentence.

Kosowski has continued to maintain that he will not make a statement on his own behalf during the penalty phase.

SOURCE: CNN, Lauren del Valle, September 24, 2026.