PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)— A murder trial is set to start for a Pinellas County plastic surgeon accused of killing attorney Steven Cozzi, who disappeared in 2023.
“You don’t know why someone would hurt somebody as nice as this guy, I mean, this is the nicest guy, the sweetest guy,” said Jake Blanchard, who worked with Cozzi.
Investigators believe Tomasz Kosowski, a Dunedin plastic surgeon, killed Cozzi in a bathroom at the office and likely disposed of his body in a dumpster in rural Collier County. His remains were never found.
“I wanted him and Jake Blanchard to get some kind of on-site security for the next time they meet with this doctor, because I just had a bad feeling that this was escalating,” said Michael Montgomery, who was Cozzi’s husband.
In 2019, Kosowski sued his former employer, and Cozzi’s firm represented that employer.
Fast forward to 2023, the two allegedly got into an argument at Cozzi’s office for an unknown reason.
“Kosowski called him ‘A scumbag like his clients’ in the bathroom,” said Blanchard in court.
The state has expressed frustration over how long it’s taken to bring this case to trial.
“We were ready to try this case since April of 2023, Your Honor. The subpoenas were issued last year,” said a state attorney in 2025.
Kosowski could face the death penalty if convicted.