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Steven Cozzi estate sues owner of building where he died
Kailey Tracy reports
LARGO, Fla. - The family of a Largo lawyer who prosecutors say was killed in the bathroom of the law firm he worked at is now suing the owner of the building and the man accused in his death.
Steven Cozzi disappeared from Blanchard Law in March. Court documents say his blood was found in the bathroom of the building that houses several businesses, including the firm. His blood was also found in plastic surgeon Tomasz Kosowski’s garage and in Kosowski’s vehicles, court documents state.
Kosowski has been charged with first-degree murder.
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The law firm Cozzi worked for represents Kosowski’s former coworkers who he’s suing. Cozzi’s colleagues testified at Kosowski’s bond hearing in July that Kosowski was regularly aggressive with Cozzi.
Pictured: Tomasz Kosowski in a Pinellas County courtroom.
The attorney for Cozzi’s estate, Stephen Barnes, owner of Barnes Trial Group, said if the building housing the firm took more safety precautions, Cozzi may still be alive.
"Had the building been more secure, this crime of opportunity likely would not have occurred or at the very least, been delayed," Barnes said. "And maybe the plan would have been discovered before it occurred."
Pictured: The building which houses the law firm Lawyer Steven Cozzi worked at.
MH Belcher Property LLC, which owns the building, is listed as one of the defendants on the suit in addition to Kosowski.
"If Michael [Cozzi’s husband] was sitting here today, he would tell you there's no amount of money that anybody could give him that would compensate him for what he's lost," Barnes said. "We certainly believe his losses are in the millions of dollars, but that's something that the family and I will sit down over time and determine once we get further into the case."
Pictured: Steven Cozzi
Cozzi’s husband, Michael Montgomery, is the beneficiary. His mother Lois Cozzi is the personal representative of the estate.
READ: Murdered Largo lawyer’s family, friends honor man who ‘loved helping people’
The lawsuit says the property owner didn’t secure entrances to the building or to the utility closet after an employee of a neighboring business told police and the property owner that a man was hiding in the closet just a week before Cozzi disappeared.
"It was sort of business as usual. Nothing was done, we believe," Barnes said.
Prosecutors said that man matched Kosowski’s description.
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"That's where Dr. Kosowski secreted many of the things he used to commit this crime, we believe, and we believe secreted himself that day, which allowed Mr. Cozzi to go into the bathroom and Dr. Kosowski to follow him in," Barnes said.
The lawsuit asks for the net earnings that Cozzi would’ve made over his lifetime, plus funeral costs and damages related to his husband’s pain and suffering.
Pictured: Steven Cozzi.
"This is a horrific case, because Mr. Cozzi has not been found," Barnes said. "There are some indications of what happened to him. There’s some indications of what Dr. Kosowski did to him and where he took him and disposed of him. That's one of the hardest things for the family. It would be great if Dr. Kosowski owned up to what happened and told this family what happened and let them have some closure. We don't anticipate that happening. So, what I can do for them is to work as hard as I can."
Court filings say Kosowski’s phone records led investigators to a dumpster in Collier County where prosecutors believe he took Cozzi’s body. Waste management workers tell investigators finding Cozzi’s body would be nearly impossible, though.
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FOX 13 reached out to the property owner and are waiting to hear back. Kosowski’s attorney said he’s reviewing the lawsuit.
Barnes said they’re asking for a jury trial, and expect they’ll get one by next year.
Kosowski has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder charge and is being held under no bond.