A Florida plastic surgeon allegedly killed a lawyer whose firm represents people the suspect is suing, according to authorities and multiple news reports citing court records.
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 44, was arrested on a first-degree murder charge on March 25 in connection with the disappearance of Steven Cozzi, who was last seen alive just days earlier at his job, Blanchard Law, according to a press release from the Largo Police Department.
Cozzi Reported Missing on March 21, Last Seen Entering Law Office Building
Cozzi’s body has not been found, but police say that after serving a search warrant at Kosowski’s house and pulling him over during a traffic stop, they have enough evidence to believe the doctor killed the attorney.
Cozzi went missing last week and was last seen entering his law office’s building. When officers arrived at the Largo office they found that Cozzi’s wallet, cellphone, and car keys had been left behind. The lawyer’s car was also parked in the lot, but investigators were initially stumped because he was never seen leaving the building, according to the release.
Investigators found blood in the restroom along with a strong odor of chemicals in the same bathroom. Largo police issued a four-sentence news release three days later stating Cozzi had vanished under “suspicious circumstances.”
Kosowski Seen Carrying a Large Cart from Law Firm’s Office
On Sunday, Kosowski was arrested and booked on a first-degree murder charge. On Monday new court filings revealed how Cozzi was most likely attacked inside his law office before being wheeled out to a vehicle in a large cart and driven to the surgeon’s Tarpon Springs home.
The cart was loaded with a red bag or blanket that appeared to contain a human body in the bed of the pickup truck, according to the affidavit.
While executing the search warrant, police found a blood-soaked ballistic vest, a Taser device, brass knuckles, duct tape and intravenous sedatives with syringes were reportedly among the evidence discovered in Kosowski’s vehicle.
Authorities also allege in the affidavit that Kosowski’s fingerprint was recovered in the office building’s break room, which is not usually accessible to the public.
Negligence Lawsuit
Investigators also established a link between the suspect and the victim. Kosowski, is the plaintiff in a negligence lawsuit filed in 2019, and Cozzi was one of the attorneys representing several of the defendants, according to court records.
The case stems from allegations that Kosowski’s insurance biller “intentionally and repeatedly misrepresented” to the plastic surgeon that medical claims had been submitted correctly, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
