A Pinellas County judge has convicted former plastic surgeon Tomasz Kosowski of first-degree murder in the killing of Largo attorney Steven Cozzi. The verdict was delivered on September 23, 2026, following a bench trial in which Kosowski waived his right to a jury and chose to represent himself. Circuit Judge Joseph Bulone took approximately 15 minutes to reach the decision after closing arguments concluded.

Kosowski, 47, showed little visible reaction as the judge announced the guilty finding. Prosecutors argued that the murder was carefully planned and stemmed from Kosowski’s intense personal focus on Cozzi. The attorney had been representing a medical clinic that Kosowski was suing in a civil dispute, and the state contended that this conflict grew into a malicious obsession that led Kosowski to methodically prepare and carry out the killing.

Steven Cozzi, 41, was last known to be at his law office on March 21, 2023. He left behind his phone, keys, and wallet and was never seen again. Despite extensive searches, his body has never been located. Investigators built their case through a combination of surveillance footage, DNA evidence, and items recovered from Kosowski. Video showed a person moving a heavy wagon or cart from the law firm to a Toyota Tundra later linked to the defendant. Cozzi’s blood was identified in the office bathroom, inside the truck, on the floor of Kosowski’s garage in Tarpon Springs, and inside a vehicle ᴀssociated with Kosowski at the time of his arrest. When taken into custody, authorities also found a substantial amount of cash, brᴀss knuckles, a paralyzing agent, and a ballistic vest stained with Cozzi’s blood.

During the trial, Kosowski declined to call witnesses or take the stand in his own defense. In his closing remarks he challenged the prosecution’s version of events and later offered an apology to Cozzi’s family for certain references he had made about the victim during the proceedings.

The case now advances to the penalty phase. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Judge Bulone determined that the state had proven two statutory aggravating factors: that the murder was committed for financial gain and that it was cold, calculated, and premeditated. He declined to find that the killing was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, noting the absence of clear evidence detailing the precise manner in which Cozzi died. A further hearing is scheduled for early October, after which the judge will decide whether to impose a sentence of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Self-representation in a capital case is uncommon and generally considered highly risky for a defendant. Kosowski’s decision to handle his own defense and forgo a jury placed the entire determination of guilt in the hands of a single judge. Family members of Steven Cozzi expressed relief at the verdict. Relatives described him as a vibrant person full of life, and those present in the courtroom included his widower and his mother.

The conviction brings a formal legal resolution to the guilt phase of a case that has drawn widespread attention in the Tampa Bay area because of the missing body, the detailed forensic trail, and the unusual circumstances of a former surgeon defending himself against a potential death sentence. The focus now shifts to the final arguments and the judge’s ultimate decision on punishment.

Sources : Tampa Bay Times, CNN, ABC News.