Pinellas Judge to decide on sentence for Tarpon Springs Plastic Surgeon following guilty verdict

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA — Judge Joseph Bulone will decide on a sentence for Tomas Kosowski, the Tarpon Springs Plastic Surgeon, who was convicted of first-degree murder for the 2023 death of Largo attorney Steven Cozzi in September.

Pool Camera

Thursday, the Judge will hold a Spencer hearing, where he will hear final arguments and evidence before deciding on a sentence. Prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty.

Kosowski is representing himself and did not want a jury for this penalty phase.

According to court documents, the Judge must find that at least one aggravating factor was proven beyond a reasonable doubt for Kosowski to become "death eligible."

Kosowski was convicted on first-degree murder charges following an almost two-week trial where the State laid out evidence that placed the guilt on Kosowski, ultimately convincing the Judge.

Watch coverage of the Kosowski trial

Kosowski again opted to represent himself in the bench trial.

The State showed, with over 40 witnesses and lots of evidence, that Kosowski killed Cozzi in the bathroom of Blanchard Law Firm, where Cozzi worked in March 2023. Kosowski then transported his body in a Toyota Tundra away from the law firm before eventually disposing the body in a South Florida dumpster.

WFTS

Cozzi's body has never been found by detectives, who said they spent three 12-hour days searching in the landfill for signs of Cozzi.

The hearing on Thursday is set to begin at 9 a.m.

Tampa Bay 28 will have a crew inside the courtroom and will bring you updates as we learn more.

Share Your Story with Maya

Tampa Bay 28 reporter Maya Sargent is here to highlight the triumphs and explore the concerns from her neighbors in North Pinellas County. From Clearwater to Tarpon Springs and everywhere in between - fill out the form below to connect with Maya.

Contact Maya Sargent

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

Subject

Body

I'm not a robot

Submit

.