Plastic surgeon on trial for alleged murder of Clearwater lawyer seeks bizarre demonstration
Tomasz Kosowski, a plastic surgeon representing himself, asked a judge to prove a 195-pound person could be lifted in a cart, a request denied as his murder trial of lawyer Steven Cozzi nears a verdict.
In a highly unusual murder trial, self-represented plastic surgeon Tomasz Kosowski asked the court to have a detective lift a 195-pound person in a collapsible cart onto the prosecution’s desk, a motion Judge Joseph Bulone rejected. Prosecutors contend Kosowski killed lawyer Steven Cozzi in a Clearwater law-firm restroom in 2023 after a heated exchange, and they are urging a death penalty if convicted. The prosecution’s case relies on surveillance showing a gray Toyota Tundra transporting a covered wagon, DNA evidence linking both men to blood spots, and a “murder kit” of paralytic agents, weapons and other items recovered from Kosowski’s car.
Kosowski has challenged forensic testimony, questioning the plausibility of the blood spatter and the size of a body in a trash bag. The trial has featured detailed digital-footprint analysis, including searches for Cozzi’s address and the drug succinylcholine. Closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday, when the judge will consider a potential death sentence.
Why it matters
The case highlights a rare self-represented murder trial and raises questions about forensic evidence and courtroom procedures.
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