CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFTS) — Day 5 of the murder trial against Tarpon Springs plastic surgeon Tomasz Kosowski focused on forensic evidence, a landfill search, and digital records the state says paint a picture of premeditation in the death of Steven Cozzi.
WATCH: Landfill search, paralysis drug search highlighted in Day 5 of Kosowski trial
More than 40 witnesses have testified since the trial began. Cozzi's body has never been found.
The State called a waste truck driver who testified he noticed a heavily weighted black trash bag he deposited at a South Florida landfill site — and that it came with a distinct smell.
"It was f***ing vile," said George Villanti, truck driver for Waste Management in Collier County. "I couldn't get rid of it. As long as I tried to get rid of it, I could not get rid of it."
The State used that testimony and additional evidence to illustrate the scale of the search and why Cozzi's body may never have been recovered.
Kosowski cross-examined fewer witnesses Friday than he did Thursday, but he did ask the judge to strike testimony from Chad Summerfield, a DNA analyst, arguing Summerfield was not offering an expert opinion but simply reading responses generated by software.
"I can't actually ask the computer program about how these results and these interpretations came to be. I would move that we strike any mention of his testimony," Kosowski said.
Judge Joseph Bulone denied the motion but said Kosowski could call Summerfield back as a witness or raise the issue during closing arguments.
The most lengthy testimony of the day came from a digital forensic expert, Detective Lance Moore with the Largo Police Department, who examined surveillance footage and Kosowski's cellular devices. The expert pointed to repeated instances of Kosowski searching for Cozzi and his husband online — including their home and their wedding — in the period leading up to Cozzi's alleged murder on March 21.
Using iCloud records, the expert also showed that on March 20, at 3 a.m., Kosowski searched for a paralysis drug, succinylcholine.
Further surveillance footage of Kosowski's truck leaving the Blanchard Law Firm on March 21 — with a black cart in the back — was also presented as evidence Friday. The State believes this is how Kosowski transported Cozzi's body away from the firm.
The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.
PAST TRIAL COVERAGE:
- Day 1: Murder trial for Tarpon Springs plastic surgeon accused in death of Largo attorney underway
- Day 2: Surveillance footage, trucks and carts: State focuses trial on Kosowski's alleged movements after murder
- Day 3: Forensic experts testify about evidence in murder trial against Tarpon Springs plastic surgeon
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