A Tampa, Florida plastic surgeon has been arrested and charged with murder after a lawyer representing the company he was suing disappeared under disturbing circumstances — and has been presumed dead.
Attorney Steven Cozzi (pictured above, right) went to work last Tuesday just like any other day. But he didn’t return home at the end of the day — or ever again. Cozzi’s mother Lois told WFLA:
“As a family, we are frantic with worry and numb with fear over Steven’s disappearance.”
The Largo Police Department told Fox13 the lawyer was reported missing — and almost immediately foul play was suspected. Video surveillance confirmed Cozzi never left the office, and he left behind crucial personal items — such as his wallet, keys, cell phone, and car. It was as if he’d vanished into thin air — and that didn’t sit right with investigators.
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A forensics team working with local law enforcement investigated Cozzi’s practice and quickly noticed a very strong chemical smell coming from the men’s bathroom. Perhaps because someone had tried to clean? There were a couple drops of blood visible. But upon further inspection, police were horrified to find a “significant” amount of blood in the bathroom. Due to all the evidence left behind at what appeared to be a crime scene, they now had a lead and a big question: who was the last person to see Steve Cozzi alive?
Investigators noted the last car seen at the lawyer’s office and quickly connected the dots to Tomasz Roman Kosowski (above, left), a 44-year-old with strong connections to Cozzi. As police looked through both of the men’s history, they found Cozzi was representing the Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery in a recent legal case — one brought on by Kosowski. Hmm… very suspicious.
According to The Tampa Bay Times, Kosowski had slapped the company — his former employer — with a lawsuit for negligence, breach of contract, and fraudulent misrepresentation. On the very morning Cozzi disappeared, the surgeon had filed motions to compel testimony and a request for final judgment in the case. He was fighting a tough legal battle — and Cozzi was the attorney on the other side. Then, after all that, the lawyer suddenly vanished?
Everything lined up way too conveniently! So the LPD got a warrant to search the plastic surgeon’s home — and were able to collect enough evidence to arrest him and charge him with first degree murder! Kosowski was stopped in traffic and taken into police custody where he remains. It’s unclear if Cozzi’s body has been found — law enforcement hasn’t disclosed exactly what they found in his home — but it seems the lawyer’s family is well on their way to getting closure. And justice.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated as this case continues to develop…
[Image via YouTube/Fox 13 Tampa Bay/Pinellas County Sheriffs Office/Facebook/Steve Cozzi]
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