Florida Plastic Surgeon Charged With Murder After Lawyer Goes Missing

A Florida plastic surgeon has been accused of murdering a missing lawyer whose law firm represents defendants being sued by the alleged killer.

According to the New York Post, Largo police arrested and charged on Sunday Dr. Tomasz Kosowski, 44, for the murder of Florida lawyer Steven Cozzi, who had been missing since last Tuesday, when he failed to work at Blanchard Law office on 1501 South Belcher Road in Largo, Florida,

Pools of blood were reportedly discovered in the workplace's restroom, but Cozzi's body has yet to be located. In addition to his car in the parking lot, the victim left his wallet, phone, and keys at the legal office.

"During the investigation, there was a strong chemical odor in the men's bathroom of the office and small drops of blood," Largo police said in a statement. "A subsequent forensics investigation revealed significant blood in the same bathroom."

The Florida lawyer went to the bathroom while at work Tuesday and has yet to be seen since, the firm's managing partner, Jake Blanchard, told WFLA last week.

Authorities Investigate the Case of the Missing Florida Lawyer

After the Florida lawyer was reported missing, authorities began their search for him, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

An individual who called the police went looking for Steven Cozzi in the office building's public restroom and discovered blood on the door, stall wall, and bottom of the toilet, the arrest document said.

Investigators discovered the main lobby doors were the only unguarded entry points in the building. As stated in the affidavit, a grey Toyota Tundra was seen on surveillance footage entering the facility around 8:32 a.m.

Two minutes later, a man with a backpack and gloves carrying a large package walked in. Cozzi showed up to work at 8:37 a.m.

When authorities examined the security tape, they saw the suspect wearing a red sweater. CCTV footage at 10:22 a.m. showed a man with a similar build to the man who arrived in the Toyota Tundra leaving the building and carrying the same backpack, but he appeared to have changed clothes.

Police said the man was pulling a large cart that contained a large red bag or blanket. The affidavit said that the man seemed to struggle with how heavy the cart was when he pulled it to the Tundra.

Cozzi and Tomasz Kosowski were meant to attend a telephone hearing at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, but Cozzi was absent. On the other hand, the Florida plastic surgeon appeared at the court between 10:28 a.m. and 11:04 a.m., the affidavit noted.

As soon as Kosowski was cut off from the hearing, footage showed that the man in the law office started moving again.

The man was caught on camera moving the cart closer to the vehicle at 11:05 a.m. and was seen having difficulty loading the cart into the back of the truck, according to the police.

Cameras did not see Cozzi leaving the building, the affidavit noted. "A substantial quantity of blood" on the bathroom floor was cleaned up by forensics during the official investigation.

There are also white fibers found in the restroom and Cozzi's car. Authorities noted that Kosowski's left index fingerprint was also recovered in the building's breaker room, which is not routinely accessed by the public.

Authorities said Kosowski drove the Toyota Tundra to his Tarpon Springs home at 11:51 a.m. A camera image also showed a cart with a red bag or blanket containing a body in the pickup truck's bed.

Authorities added that the truck arrived at Kosowski's residence at 11:58 a.m. on Tuesday. The complaint noted that Kosowski's red Toyota Corolla was photographed leaving his residence at 4:58 p.m. Tuesday and later appeared on Miami tag readers.

Police searched Kosowski's home on Thursday and found the same Toyota Tundra from the office's surveillance video.

The Florida plastic surgeon was arrested early Sunday morning when the inquiry concluded, and he was placed in the Pinellas County Jail.

Police believed that Cozzi might be attacked inside his law office, then brought to a vehicle using a large cart and driven to the Florida plastic surgeon's home.

Gap Between the Florida Plastic Surgeon and Lawyer

For the past four years, Blanchard Law has defended Tomasz Kosowski's former employer and coworkers in a lawsuit he filed against them, CBS News reported.

Kosowski claimed he started working at the Laufer Institute of Plastic Surgery in 2016 and primarily performed breast reconstruction procedures.

He said the woman assigned to handle his insurance billing did not file claims and lied to his patients, costing him thousands of dollars and leading to negative online reviews.

According to Kosowski's lawsuit, the woman's actions "have essentially obliterated" the young doctor's promising career.

"Through no fault of his own, his career was put directly in jeopardy, and his reputation has been deeply tarnished," it added.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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