ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A vigil and moment of silence is planned in memory of Steven Cozzi. Police say the Pinellas County attorney disappeared from his workplace, Blanchard Law, on Tuesday, March 21.
Tomasz Kosowski, a plastic surgeon in Tarpon Springs, is charged with first-degree murder in connection to Cozzi’s death. The two are connected through a case involving Kosowski’s former employer.
A recently released search warrant outlines evidence that led to the plastic surgeon’s arrest. It says the pair had a confrontation in the restroom at Blanchard Law after a deposition in January. Cozzi was last seen leaving his desk to use the bathroom last week.
According to the warrant, police responded to the firm earlier in March when an employee from another office saw a man hiding in a utility closet. Officers later found Kosowski’s fingerprint on the door.
The day Cozzi disappeared, court documents say surveillance cameras captured a man walking into the building minutes before the attorney. It says the same man exited the building two hours later struggling to get a wagon to a Toyota truck. According to police, they tracked the same truck to Kosowski’s home and found blood inside the vehicle.
Cozzi has yet to be found.
Following Kosowski’s first appearance in court, his defense attorney asked the public to keep an open mind about the case. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office later released a video showing Kosowski’s booking process.
The St. Petersburg Bar Association is hosting a vigil and moment of silence in honor of Cozzi. The gathering will take place outside the courthouse in St. Petersburg at 545 1st Avenue North. They’ll be near the ‘Face the Jury’ red chairs at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday.