A former Dunedin-area plastic surgeon was found guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday in the death of Largo attorney Steven Cozzi.

Circuit Judge Joseph A. Bulone delivered the verdict on the seventh day of a bench trial at the Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater. The case began when Cozzi vanished from his law office March 21, 2023. His body has never been found.

Tomasz Kosowski represented himself throughout the trial after dismissing his public defender. He waived his right to a jury for both the trial and the penalty phase, leaving Bulone as the sole decision-maker on the verdict and the sentence.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The only alternative is life in prison without parole, Watermark Out News reported.

A deposition confrontation came months before the disappearance

Cozzi worked at Blanchard Law in Largo. Kosowski was suing a former employer represented by the firm, a civil dispute that grew out of a negative online review over a medical billing disagreement, according to trial testimony reported by Fox 13.

Witnesses testified that Kosowski confronted Cozzi in a restroom during a January 2023 deposition and called him a scumbag. Cozzi's husband, Michael Montgomery, testified that Cozzi had texted him about the encounter. Montgomery said he bought Cozzi pepper spray and suggested the firm hire on-site security.

Two months later, Cozzi walked into the bathroom at Blanchard Law and never came back. His keys, wallet and phone were left on his desk.

Surveillance video from that day showed someone entering the building with a large box just after 8:30 a.m. At about 10:22 a.m., the footage showed someone who appeared to be Kosowski struggling to wheel a heavy wagon to a truck, Fox 13 reported.

Blood, DNA and video evidence tied Kosowski to crime

Prosecutors said blood and DNA from both men were found in the office bathroom, two of Kosowski's vehicles and his garage. Cellphone data placed Kosowski near the law office when Cozzi disappeared and later at his Tarpon Springs home.

When officers arrested Kosowski days after the disappearance, they found $280,000 in cash, a ballistic vest with Cozzi's blood on it, two passports, brass knuckles, a syringe and a paralyzing agent in his car.

Largo police Detective Lance Wagoner testified that Kosowski used Amazon to buy two carts identical to the one captured on camera. He also purchased five rolls of heavy-duty duct tape months before the killing, Wagoner said.

Wagoner described searching a Collier County landfill where prosecutors believe Kosowski disposed of Cozzi's remains. "It was mountains of garbage that had been compacted down over days," Wagoner said during testimony Sept. 15.

Kosowski called no witnesses and did not testify in his own defense.

Montgomery was photographed being comforted by Cozzi's mother, Lois Cozzi, moments after the verdict, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Judge alone will decide life or death sentence

Bulone has scheduled a Spencer hearing for Oct. 8. The hearing allows a defendant to present additional evidence before sentencing, after which the judge will decide Kosowski's punishment.

Anyone with information about ongoing Pinellas County cases can contact the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at 727-582-6200.