A legal conflict turned into a crime - the lawyer disappeared, the surgeon was accused of murder

A conflict that turned into a tragedy

According to the prosecutor's office, the motive for the crime was a long-standing legal conflict. Steven Cozzi represented corporate clients with whom Kosowski was in a dispute over money for handling compensation cases. The files show that the surgeon increasingly blamed the lawyer for his legal failures, and the relationship between the men became increasingly strained.

Cozzie's colleagues recall that during one of the hearings, Kosowski called him "scum" and threatened that he would "win this case."

The disappearance of a lawyer and gruesome traces

The tragedy occurred on March 21, 2023. That day, Cozzi left home and went to work. A few minutes before the scheduled video conference, he went to the office bathroom and never returned. Soon, co-workers found traces of blood in the bathroom. CCTV recorded a man wearing gloves who carried a large box into the building and then left it in a cart covered with an orange blanket. The prosecutor's office claims that it was Kosowski, and the lawyer's body was in the stroller.

Investigators quickly found the surgeon's trail. Traces of blood, Cozzie's DNA and a number of items that could have been used to commit the crime were found in his house and car: a bulletproof vest, a stun gun, masks, gloves, and a vial of a strong muscle relaxant used in medicine.

The body of the missing lawyer has not been found yet

According to investigators, Kosowski allegedly took Cozzie's body to a garbage container near the Everglades wetlands. Sniffer dogs detected traces of human remains there, and the garbage truck driver reported an "unusually disgusting smell." Unfortunately, after a few days the garbage ended up in a landfill, where it was covered with thousands of tons of waste. Despite many days of searching, the body could not be found.

A trial without a jury and a spectacular defense line

Dr. Kosowski has maintained his innocence from the beginning. In July 2025, his then-attorney filed a motion for a jury trial, but more than a year later, the defendant changed his mind and asked that a judge decide his fate.

Since September 14, 2026, Kosowski has been conducting his own defense - he is interviewing witnesses, raising objections to the evidence and trying to undermine DNA expertise. But Judge Joseph Bulone rejected most of his requests, including an attempt to exclude a key witness.

The trial arouses great emotions - both due to the brutality of the alleged act and the unusual behavior of the accused.

The prosecutor's office argues that the crime was planned in cold blood and the surgeon followed his victim for many weeks.

The accused faces life imprisonment or the death penalty.