Kosowski was found guilty of first-degree murder in Cozzi's death.

A bench guilty finding is a verdict on guilt. It is not a death sentence, and it is not a life sentence. On Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, Pinellas County Judge Joseph Bulone found Tomasz Kosowski guilty of first-degree murder in the March 2023 death of lawyer Steven Cozzi, 41, after a bench trial in which Kosowski waived a jury and represented himself. The penalty phase began the same day; he faces life without parole or death, and further sentencing arguments are set for Oct. 8.

Cozzi's body has not been found. Prosecutors relied on blood evidence, surveillance, and other circumstantial proof. Those items are the proof the judge weighed on guilt. They are not a body recovered, and they are not a sentence. A no-body prosecution can still end in a guilty finding. That finding is the verdict on first-degree murder. It does not choose life or death.

Kosowski waived a jury and represented himself. The waiver put guilt on Judge Bulone. It was not a plea. The penalty phase began the same day as the guilty finding. Further sentencing arguments are set for Oct. 8. Life without parole or death is the exposure. Neither term has been imposed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.