Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 47, Defends Himself in Attorney Murder Trial as Judge Weighs Death Penalty
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 20
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 47, Defends Himself in Attorney Murder Trial as Judge Weighs Death Penalty
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 20
Summary
Pinellas County prosecutors say Kosowski, a Florida plastic surgeon, has begun cross-examining witnesses himself after waiving a jury in the first-degree murder trial over attorney Steven Cozzi’s 2023 disappearance.
Court testimony tied the case to years of civil litigation, with prosecutors alleging Kosowski grew hostile toward Cozzi, surveilled him and his law office, and left fingerprints in a utility closet days before Cozzi vanished.
Surveillance video and forensic evidence are central: investigators say a man linked to Kosowski entered Cozzi’s office with a large box, left pulling a heavy wagon, and later had Cozzi’s DNA in his Toyota Tundra and garage.
Prosecutors also allege Kosowski drove toward South Florida and stopped near an Everglades-area dumpster; a garbage-truck driver later reported an overwhelming odor, but Cozzi’s body was never recovered from the landfill.
Judge Joseph Bulone denied Kosowski’s latest bid to strike DNA testimony, saying he can challenge the findings in closing arguments; the bench trial resumes Sept. 22.