Speaker 2 (17:59):
He's finishing up in another courtroom, Your Honor.
Your Honor (18:00):
All right. So he'll be here momentarily. And special counsel, look at appointments [inaudible 00:18:00], but 95% of the time I don't think I see them right now. [inaudible 00:18:11]. All right. Any issues before we hear from further witnesses?
Mr. Vonderheide (18:17):
No, your Honor.
Your Honor (18:18):
All right.
Mr. Koswoski (18:19):
Yes, your Honor. May I address the court? With regards to the preservation objection that's ongoing. I was advised by Ms. McNeil that I should read this into the record.
Your Honor (18:29):
Okay, go ahead.
Mr. Koswoski (18:31):
The defendant renews and serves his previously litigated objection and motion to suppress. The defendant objects to the admission of evidence on the same constitutional grounds raised in the previously filed and denied motions to suppress, including the fourth amendment to the United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 12 of the Florida Constitution. Because these issues were previously litigated and denied, the defendant requests a continuing objection to the admission of evidence obtained from the challenge searches so that the defendant does not have to waive his previously litigated suppression issues by failing to object individually to each item. Subject to our continuing objection is the search of my residence and the items seized from within, the search of my vehicle and the items ceased within, including cellular telephones and the digital evidence derived from therein, including financial transactions and shopping history and evidence derived from my person, as well as every piece of evidence submitted yesterday and any mention of a truck.
(19:37)
Thank you.
Your Honor (19:39):
All right. Thank you. So it's all preserved.
Mr. Koswoski (19:40):
Thank you, your Honor.
Your Honor (19:40):
All right. Mr. Hernandez is here now. All right. Anything else, Mr. Koswoski?
Mr. Koswoski (19:42):
No, sir. Thank you.
Your Honor (19:45):
State, anything else?
Mr. Vonderheide (19:49):
No, Your Honor.
Your Honor (19:50):
All right. State, please call your witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (19:52):
State calls Officer Locascio.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Officer, this way please. Are you under [inaudible 00:20:29]?
Ambere Locascio (20:43):
No, sir.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Please step forward, raise your hand, face madam clerk.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Ambere Locascio (20:43):
I do.
Your Honor (20:43):
Come on up here. Good morning.
Ambere Locascio (20:43):
Good morning.
Your Honor (20:43):
State, you may begin.
Mr. Vonderheide (20:43):
Thank you, your Honor. Good morning, ma'am. Could you please state your full name and spell your full name for the court reporter?
Ambere Locascio (20:49):
Ambere Locascio, A-M-B-E-R-E L-O-C-A-S-C-I-O.
Mr. Vonderheide (20:54):
And where are you presently employed?
Ambere Locascio (20:57):
Tarpon Springs Police Department.
Mr. Vonderheide (20:57):
And how long have you been with Tarpon Springs Police Department?
Ambere Locascio (20:59):
Seven years.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:00):
And what's your current assignment?
Ambere Locascio (21:05):
A school resource officer.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:06):
All right. Which school in Tarpon?
Ambere Locascio (21:06):
Tarpon Springs Middle.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:07):
How long have you been a school resource officer?
Ambere Locascio (21:09):
Four years.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:10):
Okay. So as a school resource officer, are you familiar with the video system that is utilized by the Pinellas County Schools?
Ambere Locascio (21:17):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:18):
Is all schools in the Pinellas County School District, do they all use the same software?
Ambere Locascio (21:24):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:25):
All right. And so there will be surveillance cameras mounted on a school in a particular location, and then it records to some central location that's accessed by other people?
Ambere Locascio (21:34):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:35):
Okay. And you can access this database at least?
Ambere Locascio (21:38):
Correct. Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:39):
All right. You were contacted by law enforcement from Largo Police Department back in March of 2023, is that right?
Ambere Locascio (21:45):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:46):
All right. When you were contacted by them, were you able to direct them to a time, date, and location for surveillance footage from your school?
Ambere Locascio (21:54):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:54):
Okay. And are you familiar with the location of Tarpon Springs High School?
Ambere Locascio (21:58):
I am.
Mr. Vonderheide (21:59):
How far away is that from your middle school?
Ambere Locascio (22:01):
Approximately a quarter mile.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:03):
All right. Is that a quarter mile in what direction?
Ambere Locascio (22:04):
South.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:05):
And is it south on the same street?
Ambere Locascio (22:08):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:08):
All right. And are you familiar that they also have surveillance cameras located at their school?
Ambere Locascio (22:12):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:13):
Same system that your middle school utilizes?
Ambere Locascio (22:16):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:16):
May I approach the witness?
Your Honor (22:17):
All right.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:18):
I'm going to show you what's been previously marked for state's identification as State's 30 and State's 31, two separate exhibits. Please take a look at both of these exhibits and tell me if you recognize them.
Ambere Locascio (22:29):
This video says Turpin Middle School and this video says Turpin High School.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:33):
All right. And are your initials on there?
Ambere Locascio (22:33):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:36):
Okay. On both of those documents, both 30 and 31, did you view them enough to authenticate that those are the areas that they purport to be recorded?
Ambere Locascio (22:45):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:45):
And is it utilizing the same software program that you are accustomed to using for Pinellas County School?
Ambere Locascio (22:51):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (22:52):
Your Honor, at this time I would request to move into evidence State's ID 30 as State's 30 and State's ID 31 is State's 31.
Your Honor (22:59):
Any objection?
Mr. Koswoski (23:01):
Subject to our continuing objection.
Your Honor (23:02):
All right. They're admitted.
Mr. Vonderheide (23:06):
I will reserve publication of these items until later, Your Honor.
Your Honor (23:09):
Okay.
Mr. Vonderheide (23:12):
And I pass the witness.
Your Honor (23:12):
Any cross-examination?
Mr. Koswoski (23:12):
No, Your Honor.
Your Honor (23:12):
Thank you, ma'am. You may step down.
Ambere Locascio (23:12):
Thank you, your Honor.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
[inaudible 00:23:20].
Your Honor (23:12):
State, please call your witness?
Attorney (23:28):
Yes, your Honor. The State calls Aleksandra Stecher.
Your Honor (23:30):
Sir, again.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Stand right here for me. Face madam clerk, raise your right hand and receive [inaudible 00:24:10].
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Aleksandra Stecher (23:30):
Yes.
Your Honor (23:30):
And come on up here. All right, Ms. Stecher come on up here. Have a seat. [inaudible 00:24:20]. Good morning, ma'am.
Aleksandra Stecher (23:30):
Good morning.
Your Honor (23:30):
Ms. [inaudible 00:24:27] you may begin.
Attorney (24:28):
Thank you, Your Honor. Good morning.
Aleksandra Stecher (24:29):
Good morning.
Attorney (24:30):
Will you please introduce yourself and spell your full name for the record?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:32):
Aleksandra Stecher.
Attorney (24:34):
And will you spell it for us?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:34):
A-L-E-K-S-A-N-D-R-A, last name S-T-E-C-H-E-R.
Attorney (24:40):
Thank you. And Ms. Stecher, where do you work?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:42):
I work for Pet Oak.
Attorney (24:44):
And how long have you worked there?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:45):
Since October of last year.
Attorney (24:48):
Okay. And where did you work prior to that?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:49):
[inaudible 00:24:50] Vet Healthcare.
Attorney (24:52):
And were you working there back in March of 2023?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:53):
I was.
Attorney (24:55):
And what was your job title back then?
Aleksandra Stecher (24:59):
I was a regional operations manager.
Attorney (25:00):
And as a regional operations manager, what were your duties?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:03):
My duties was to oversee the facilities, including operations, doctors, financials, as part of the practice.
Attorney (25:10):
Were you responsible for multiple clinics?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:12):
I was.
Attorney (25:12):
And how many clinics back in March of 2023 were you responsible for?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:16):
Back in March, it was six.
Attorney (25:19):
Okay. And was one of those clinics the Tampa Bay Veterinary Clinic?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:24):
It was.
Attorney (25:24):
And where was that business located at the time?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:26):
On Belcher Road in Largo, Florida.
Attorney (25:30):
Okay. Would you ever do site visits there?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:31):
I would.
Attorney (25:32):
And how often would you go?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:34):
To Tampa Bay Vet Specialist, I went there once a week, sometimes twice a week.
Attorney (25:38):
Okay. And you mentioned it was off Belcher Road. Was that 1501 South Belcher?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:42):
Correct.
Attorney (25:43):
And did you work in the administration office that was located in building B often when you would go there?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:50):
I would spend my time there, yes.
Attorney (25:51):
And did you do a site visit on March 21st of 2023?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:55):
I did.
Attorney (25:55):
On that day, did law enforcement get called to the location?
Aleksandra Stecher (25:58):
Yes.
Attorney (25:59):
And did they ask to review surveillance footage from the property?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:04):
Yes, ma'am.
Attorney (26:04):
Where were the cameras on the property located?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:07):
All around the surround of the building, on building A and building B.
Attorney (26:11):
So on the outside?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:12):
Correct.
Attorney (26:13):
Were there some on the inside that kind of faced towards the outside?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:18):
Yes.
Attorney (26:18):
Okay. And at that time, did they work?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:21):
Yes.
Attorney (26:23):
They were operating? As the director of operations, did you have access to the security system?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:29):
Yes.
Attorney (26:29):
And did you have to log onto the system in order to access the recordings for law enforcement?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:33):
Yes.
Attorney (26:34):
Did everyone have access or was it something that was kind of limited?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:38):
Limited to leadership.
Attorney (26:39):
And you were a member of leadership?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:41):
Yes.
Attorney (26:41):
So you had access to them.
Aleksandra Stecher (26:42):
Yes.
Attorney (26:43):
Were they able to be downloaded?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:44):
Yes.
Attorney (26:45):
And after they were recorded, were they saved to a cloud or hard drives or something else?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:50):
They were under password [inaudible 00:26:51].
Attorney (26:52):
Okay. And specifically, did law enforcement ask you to pull surveillance for two specific days?
Aleksandra Stecher (26:58):
Correct.
Attorney (26:59):
Was that March 14th of 2023 and March 21st of 2023?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:02):
Correct.
Attorney (27:03):
Okay. Permission to approach the clerk?
Your Honor (27:04):
Yes.
Attorney (27:04):
Okay. Dr. Koswoski, that's been pre-marked as State's 32 for identification? May I approach the witness? Okay. Ms. Stecher, I'm handing you what's been pre-marked as State's 32 for identification. Do you recognize this?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:27):
I do. Yeah.
Attorney (27:29):
And did you have an opportunity to review it?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:37):
Yes.
Attorney (27:37):
And what's on this?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:37):
On this is footage from the 14th of March and 21st.
Attorney (27:37):
As well as the 21st?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:37):
And the 21st.
Attorney (27:38):
Okay. And were these the footage of the videos being pulled for law enforcement?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:42):
Correct.
Attorney (27:46):
And they fairly and accurately depict what the property looked like back on March 14th, 2023?
Aleksandra Stecher (27:47):
They do.
Attorney (27:54):
At this time, the state would offer into evidence that's been pre-marked as State 32 for identification of State 32.
Your Honor (27:54):
Okay. Any objection?
Mr. Koswoski (27:54):
Yes, sir. Subject to our objection.
Your Honor (27:54):
All right. It's submitted.
Attorney (27:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Permission to be published.
Your Honor (27:54):
Right.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Okay.
Attorney (28:08):
So Ms. Stecher, there are a couple different videos on this, but I want to start with, for the record, TBVS cam outside two. All right. So can you see that okay?
Aleksandra Stecher (28:47):
I can, yes.
Attorney (28:47):
And is there a date and timestamp at the top right corner of this video?
Aleksandra Stecher (28:52):
Yes.
Attorney (28:52):
Are you able to see it?
Aleksandra Stecher (28:53):
March 14th.
Attorney (28:54):
March 14th? Okay. So Mr. Vonderheide, if you could fast-forward to about 13 minutes and 45 seconds into this video. Back up. Back up. That's good. That's 13:44 and the time says March 14th, 2023 at approximately 8:39 AM. Now, while we're looking at this, is this Belcher Road right here?
Aleksandra Stecher (29:40):
That's correct.
Attorney (29:41):
And is that south, this way? Would this be towards building B?
Aleksandra Stecher (29:48):
If we're counting building A as being the medical building, building B being the admin building, that's correct.
Attorney (29:52):
Okay. And is this the camera from building A?
Aleksandra Stecher (29:55):
Correct.
Attorney (29:55):
Okay. Mr. Vonderheide, if you could publish TBVS Cam Three ending in 7878. Okay. Now again, date and timestamp, March 14th, approximately 8:34 in the morning?
Aleksandra Stecher (30:20):
That's correct.
Attorney (30:22):
What building is this inside of?
Aleksandra Stecher (30:23):
This is building A, the medical building, this is the lobby.
Attorney (30:26):
Okay. And is that where the front door is to the building A?
Aleksandra Stecher (30:30):
Correct.
Attorney (30:30):
And back there, is that the parking lot?
Aleksandra Stecher (30:33):
Yes.
Attorney (30:33):
Okay. And Mr. Vonderheide, if you could fast-forward to approximately four minutes and 45 seconds into the video.
Mr. Vonderheide (30:39):
To four minutes, right?
Attorney (30:51):
Yeah, a little bit further. That's good. It's around 8:39 in the morning on March 14th, 2023.
Aleksandra Stecher (31:01):
Mm-hmm.
Attorney (31:15):
Do you see the gray truck that's pulling up in there?
Aleksandra Stecher (31:17):
I do.
Attorney (31:18):
Okay. Mr. Vonderheide, if you could publish TBVS Cam Door 3/ 14/ '23. Now we're going to play this entire video, but this is March 14th, 2023 at approximately 9:32 AM. Is that right?
Aleksandra Stecher (31:40):
That's correct.
Attorney (31:41):
And where is this camera located?
Aleksandra Stecher (31:42):
So this camera is inside of the oncology suite within building A.
Attorney (31:49):
Okay. So outside this door, is this again the parking lot?
Aleksandra Stecher (31:55):
This is the corner of the parking lot, correct.
Attorney (33:22):
Okay. Is that a gray truck again?
Aleksandra Stecher (33:24):
Correct.
Attorney (33:27):
And the person in blue, does it look like she's wearing scrubs?
Aleksandra Stecher (33:30):
She is.
Attorney (33:31):
Okay. And do you know who that is?
Aleksandra Stecher (33:41):
I recognize the back of her head, but I can't place her name right now.
Attorney (33:44):
Do you recognize that she worked in that facility?
Aleksandra Stecher (33:46):
She works at Tampa Bay Vet Specialist.
Attorney (33:47):
Okay. So then if we could go to TBVS Cam Outside 3/14/ 2023. And we can go about 51 seconds in.
Attorney (34:00):
And we can go about 51 seconds in. Now, is this again the same surveillance that's facing Belcher Road?
Witness (34:08):
Correct.
Attorney (34:20):
And again, March 14th, 2023 at approximately 9:33 AM, right?
Witness (34:25):
That's correct.
Attorney (34:32):
Is that a gray Toyota Tundra leaving the facility?
Witness (34:35):
It is. Correct.
Attorney (34:36):
Now I want to move on to the March 21st video surveillance and I want to start with TBVS cam outside 03:21:23 for the record. Now the timestamp at the top right, is that March 21st, 2023?
Witness (34:56):
Correct.
Attorney (34:56):
Is that approximately 8:00 in the morning?
Witness (34:57):
Correct.
Attorney (34:58):
Mr. Vonderheide, if you could fast-forward to about 32 minutes and 40 seconds in, if possible. That's good. We're about 31 minutes and 56 seconds in, but we'll just hang tight. Again, March 21st at around 8:31 in the morning?
Witness (35:25):
Correct.
Attorney (35:27):
Now where is this surveillance located?
Witness (35:30):
This is building A facing the atrium of building B.
Attorney (35:48):
Okay. So over here it says building B?
Witness (36:18):
Correct.
Attorney (36:18):
And again, is this the parking lot in the top right corner?
Witness (36:19):
Correct.
Attorney (36:19):
And Belcher Road?
Witness (36:19):
Yes.
Attorney (36:19):
Is that a gray truck that's pulling in?
Witness (36:21):
Can I see it again?
Attorney (36:23):
Sure. If you could back it up 10 seconds. At the top right corner is where I'm looking.
Witness (36:41):
That's correct.
Attorney (36:42):
And that's at approximately 8:32 in the morning on March 21st, right?
Witness (36:44):
Correct.
Attorney (36:45):
Now Mr. Vonderheide, if you could... Actually, we'll keep this playing for a little bit. Is that a person that's walking along the sidewalk from the parking lot?
Witness (38:21):
It is.
Attorney (38:21):
Does he appear to be carrying a box on his shoulder?
Witness (38:24):
They do.
Attorney (38:26):
And that's at approximately 8:34 AM on March 21st?
Witness (38:28):
Correct.
Attorney (38:29):
And is he seen now entering the atrium of building B?
Witness (38:32):
Correct.
Attorney (38:33):
Okay. Mr. Vonderheide, if you could fast-forward to about 37 minutes and 15 seconds. That's good. Is that time around 8:37 in the morning?
Witness (38:53):
Correct.
Attorney (38:53):
Is that another person that's walking in from the other side in a red sweater?
Witness (39:17):
It is.
Attorney (39:18):
Okay. And does he ultimately enter building B through the atrium?
Witness (39:26):
Correct.
Attorney (39:26):
Okay. Now he came from a different entry point, so this is a parking lot that's alongside Belcher as you've mentioned. What's on this side over here?
Witness (39:35):
Also parking.
Attorney (39:36):
Okay. So there's two sidewalks that kind of lead to the entrance of building B. Is that fair?
Witness (39:40):
Correct.
Attorney (39:41):
Okay. So Mr. Vonderheide, if you could fast-forward to about two hours and 22 minutes into the video. That's good. Now, is this approximately 10:21 AM where we are? It's 10:22 AM now at this point. Do you see someone walking out of building B?
Witness (41:01):
I do.
Attorney (41:01):
And does it appear that he's lugging something?
Witness (41:04):
Yes.
Attorney (41:06):
Walking back out to the parking lot?
Witness (41:08):
Correct.
Attorney (41:12):
Did you recognize that individual when you pulled the surveillance?
Witness (41:15):
I did not.
Attorney (41:28):
Okay. Now Mr. Vonderheide, if you could fast- forward to about three hours and five minutes. That's good. Now we're at three hours and four minutes and 45 seconds. Is that approximately 11:04 AM?
Witness (41:50):
Correct.
Attorney (41:50):
Okay. And on this top right corner, if you pay attention, do you see someone moving?
Witness (42:26):
I do.
Attorney (42:27):
Does it appear that they're still lugging something heavy or something they're pulling?
Witness (42:31):
That's correct.
Attorney (42:32):
Okay. We're going to let this play for about 10 minutes. All right, so Ms. Decker, we're going to fast-forward just a little bit. We're going to go about five minutes ahead. Back up. All right. So at 11:16, do you see that Tundra leaving?
Witness (46:20):
I do.
Attorney (46:21):
Okay. And if you could, Mr. Vonderheide, publish TBVS cam outside ending in 600, last one.
Mr. Vonderheide (46:33):
What time did you say that was?
Attorney (46:35):
11:16 AM.
Mr. Vonderheide (46:36):
11:16?
Attorney (46:37):
Yes. Now, Ms. [inaudible 00:46:40], this is again March 21st, 2023, right?
Witness (46:42):
Correct.
Attorney (46:42):
And is this that surveillance that's on building A facing Belcher?
Witness (46:46):
Correct.
Attorney (46:48):
Mr. Vonderheide, if you could go to about 16 minutes in.
Mr. Vonderheide (46:59):
[inaudible 00:46:59] more?
Attorney (47:04):
That's good. Is that that gray truck leaving?
Witness (47:07):
Correct.
Attorney (47:08):
At 11:16 in the morning?
Witness (47:10):
Correct.
Attorney (47:10):
Heading on Belcher?
Witness (47:12):
Correct.
Attorney (47:12):
May I have a moment to confer?
Judge (47:13):
You may.
Attorney (47:18):
I have no further questions at this time. Thank you.
Judge (47:20):
All right. Any cross-examination?
Tomasz Kosowski (47:22):
No, Your Honor.
Judge (47:23):
All right. Thank you, ma'am. You may step down. State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (47:30):
State calls Debra Henrichs.
Speaker 3 (48:06):
Step this way, please.
Judge (48:20):
All right. [inaudible 00:48:22] arrived soon after we started, so he's been here.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
[inaudible 00:48:32]. Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Debra Henrichs (48:37):
I do.
Speaker 4 (48:38):
Thank you.
Judge (48:49):
[inaudible 00:48:49]. You can adjust the mic but speak clearly and loudly into the mic, please. Good morning, ma'am.
Debra Henrichs (48:55):
Morning.
Judge (48:56):
Mr. Vonderheide, you may inquire.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:03):
Morning, Debra.
Debra Henrichs (49:03):
Morning.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:03):
Could you please state your full name and spell your full name for the court reporter?
Debra Henrichs (49:08):
Debra Henrichs, D-E-B-R-A H-E-N-R-I-C-H-S.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:17):
Okay. And ma'am, where were you employed back in 2023?
Debra Henrichs (49:23):
Tampa Bay Veterinarian Specialists.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:26):
Okay. How long had you been at Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialists?
Debra Henrichs (49:31):
At least, let's see, it was just 30, so close to 30 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:37):
30 years? Which locations did you work at for them in those 30 years?
Debra Henrichs (49:44):
Mainly building A.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:45):
Okay.
Debra Henrichs (49:47):
Until the last five years maybe then they had leased a suite in building B, so I was in both buildings.
Mr. Vonderheide (49:57):
And you're saying building A and building B, what's the address for that place?
Debra Henrichs (50:03):
1501.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:04):
Okay. Which road?
Debra Henrichs (50:06):
Pardon me?
Mr. Vonderheide (50:06):
Which road?
Debra Henrichs (50:07):
Belcher Road, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:08):
Belcher Road. Okay. And so for the whole 30 years you were in Suite A, and then last five years you go to Suite B?
Debra Henrichs (50:15):
Still both buildings. A predominantly, but still in B.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:19):
All right. What was your role with Tampa Bay Veterinary Specialists?
Debra Henrichs (50:23):
Cleaning.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:24):
Okay. And you did that for 30 years?
Debra Henrichs (50:26):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:28):
So you know why you're here today, right?
Debra Henrichs (50:30):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:31):
Okay. So back in March of 2023, did something unusual happen in one of your buildings?
Debra Henrichs (50:39):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:39):
Okay. Which building was that?
Debra Henrichs (50:41):
Building B.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:42):
All right. So as it relates to building B, what areas were you responsible for in that building for cleaning and maintenance?
Debra Henrichs (50:51):
At that time, only suite 2B.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:54):
Okay. And why was that?
Debra Henrichs (50:56):
Because they had only leased that suite.
Mr. Vonderheide (50:59):
Okay. And as part of your duties or assignments, was there an electrical closet that you would have access to?
Debra Henrichs (51:07):
Yes, the breaker room.
Mr. Vonderheide (51:09):
All right. And the breaker room, did you have key for it?
Debra Henrichs (51:11):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (51:12):
No. All right. Why not?
Debra Henrichs (51:14):
There was no door handle.
Mr. Vonderheide (51:16):
So why was there no door handle on that electrical closet?
Debra Henrichs (51:22):
Over the years, there would be one, there wouldn't be one, and at one point when the owner sold the building, the cleaning lady couldn't get into the closet for the supplies. So we looked, she said there was keys left behind and we looked for keys, and I think we found one to be able to open. I said, "Look, I'll just take the door handle off so you can get your supplies."
Mr. Vonderheide (51:51):
When you say cleaning lady, what was this cleaning lady employed for?
Debra Henrichs (51:56):
To clean building B, the common areas.
Mr. Vonderheide (51:58):
Okay. And how often would she clean the common areas?
Debra Henrichs (52:02):
I believe she was there weekly.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:05):
So on the weekends when nobody would be there?
Debra Henrichs (52:07):
Right.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:08):
And when you say common areas, what parts would she clean?
Debra Henrichs (52:11):
That would be the lobby when you walk in the hallways and the restrooms. And I think she cleaned out the suite that belonged to the owner.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:23):
And when she cleaned the bathroom, were there other times during the week that maybe you would spot clean it if it was necessary?
Debra Henrichs (52:28):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:29):
No? Okay. What would happen if it required spot cleaning during the course of a week?
Debra Henrichs (52:33):
I don't know.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:34):
Okay. It never came up?
Debra Henrichs (52:36):
No, it wasn't my job.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:37):
Okay.
Debra Henrichs (52:38):
My job was A, building A.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:41):
All right. Building A, maintaining building A.
Debra Henrichs (52:43):
I only cleaned suite 2B, the sink and the vacuuming and the trash in there because they had only leased that suite at the time.
Mr. Vonderheide (52:53):
So March of 2023, what happened unusual about the middle of that month in the 1501B?
Debra Henrichs (53:03):
We had had the time change and I had set the timer box because the breaker, I mean the parking lot lights were in that building.
Mr. Vonderheide (53:17):
All right, let me stop you right there. So the parking lot lights are controlled by a timer.
Debra Henrichs (53:21):
Right.
Mr. Vonderheide (53:21):
And then I believe the time change happened on that March 12th that year, right? That Sunday right before?
Debra Henrichs (53:27):
The Sunday before, whatever that date was, yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (53:30):
So on March 14th, you were going back to check on the timers back there?
Debra Henrichs (53:35):
Right, because I had set the time and the time wasn't correct, so I needed to go back in there and see why, to reset it.
Mr. Vonderheide (53:45):
Go ahead. So what happened when you went back to that electrical closet?
Debra Henrichs (53:50):
I went into the room and there was a man standing in there.
Mr. Vonderheide (53:54):
And where was the man standing at in the electrical closet?
Debra Henrichs (53:58):
When you walk in the closet, there's a low shelf and he was just standing right there, so his back was to me when I walked in.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:08):
Okay. And did he say anything to you when you walked into the room?
Debra Henrichs (54:12):
I jumped out quick and then I came back in and I think he said something about a power outage.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:21):
Okay. Was there a light on inside of that closet when you went in there?
Debra Henrichs (54:28):
I believe so.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:30):
Okay. So he said there was some sort of electrical problem. Was that a surprise to you that there was an electrical problem in the building?
Debra Henrichs (54:39):
Somebody reported a power outage.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:41):
That's what he said?
Debra Henrichs (54:42):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:42):
Okay.
Debra Henrichs (54:44):
And clearly there was no power outage.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:46):
All right. And did he look like an electrician who was going to be in there fixing the electricity?
Debra Henrichs (54:50):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (54:51):
All right. What was he wearing?
Debra Henrichs (54:55):
Jeans, a long sleeve shirt, I think, casual, a mask.
Mr. Vonderheide (55:02):
Was he taller than you?
Debra Henrichs (55:03):
Oh, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (55:03):
You said he had on a mask. What kind of mask?
Debra Henrichs (55:06):
I think just a white surgical mask, just a plain... Nothing fancy.
Mr. Vonderheide (55:15):
And how close do you think you got to him when you got into the room?
Debra Henrichs (55:18):
Almost next to him. When you walk in, he was right there and that's why I jumped back out.
Mr. Vonderheide (55:26):
Where did you go after you had this contact with him in the closet?
Debra Henrichs (55:31):
I stood back in the hallway waiting for him to exit.
Mr. Vonderheide (55:36):
When you say you stood in the hallway, where were you in the hallway?
Debra Henrichs (55:39):
So there's a little cubby before that suite, so I was standing over there, not behind the door.
Mr. Vonderheide (55:49):
Okay. And where did he go once you went back into that cubby?
Debra Henrichs (55:58):
I think I opened the door again and then he finally left.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:02):
Okay. What did you do once he started to walk out?
Debra Henrichs (56:04):
I thought something was strange, so I followed him.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:09):
Okay. And where did you follow him to?
Debra Henrichs (56:13):
To see, out to the parking lot.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:16):
All right. Did he stop anywhere on his way out to the parking lot?
Debra Henrichs (56:20):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:21):
All right. How far behind him do you think you were?
Debra Henrichs (56:24):
Far enough behind so he wouldn't know I was following him.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:29):
Did you get all the way out into the parking lot or at least to the sidewalk where you could see the parking lot?
Debra Henrichs (56:34):
Well, when you come out the door, the bushes were right there, so I kind of stayed right there to see. And when I saw him go to the parking lot and cross, then I jumped over behind the bushes that were up front. Is that what...
Mr. Vonderheide (56:48):
You were kind of hiding behind the bushes?
Debra Henrichs (56:50):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:50):
Did you catch a glimpse of what vehicle he got into?
Debra Henrichs (56:54):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:54):
What was it?
Debra Henrichs (56:55):
A Tundra.
Mr. Vonderheide (56:56):
All right. Do you remember the color or the shade of it or anything like that?
Debra Henrichs (57:01):
I thought it was maybe silver or gray.
Mr. Vonderheide (57:07):
Okay. And do you know cars pretty well?
Debra Henrichs (57:09):
Pretty well.
Mr. Vonderheide (57:10):
How's that?
Debra Henrichs (57:12):
Well, I worked in the body shop for 15 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (57:14):
Okay. So you knew it was a Toyota Tundra as soon as you saw it. Did you notice anything about the license plate?
Debra Henrichs (57:23):
Yes. I though it was quite odd it was New Jersey tags.
Mr. Vonderheide (57:28):
Okay. So how did you know it was a New Jersey tag?
Debra Henrichs (57:30):
Well, being in Florida since the '70s, you know out-of-state tags when you're on the road.
Mr. Vonderheide (57:36):
Okay. So you're familiar with northern tags on the highways of Florida, right?
Debra Henrichs (57:41):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (57:44):
What happened after you saw the truck in the parking lot, New Jersey tags, where did the truck go?
Debra Henrichs (57:52):
Oh, obviously it left-
Mr. Vonderheide (57:57):
Where'd you go?
Debra Henrichs (57:57):
... out onto Belcher. Oh, where did I go?
Mr. Vonderheide (58:00):
Yeah.
Debra Henrichs (58:01):
Oh, I went to the office to let them know what had happened, because I found it very odd.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:10):
And so who did you alert in the office, do you remember?
Debra Henrichs (58:12):
I let Christie know.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:14):
Who's Christie?
Debra Henrichs (58:18):
She works in management. Well, she's not a manager, but she does managerial duties.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:29):
Did the police come out?
Debra Henrichs (58:31):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:32):
All right. Did you go back to the electrical closet?
Debra Henrichs (58:35):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:35):
All right. Who'd you go with?
Debra Henrichs (58:39):
I took Christie... I went and got Todd and then Christie, and then we went back because I explained to him what had happened.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:48):
All right. When you say Todd, do you know Todd's last name?
Debra Henrichs (58:51):
Kinsley.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:52):
Okay. So you all go back to the electrical closet?
Debra Henrichs (58:56):
Right.
Mr. Vonderheide (58:56):
What did you see in there?
Debra Henrichs (59:00):
Then I noticed a box that I hadn't saw in there.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:03):
About how tall was the box that you saw?
Debra Henrichs (59:10):
Probably like this.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:10):
Okay.
Debra Henrichs (59:11):
And probably that long.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:12):
Okay. Did you open the box?
Debra Henrichs (59:15):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:15):
Why not?
Debra Henrichs (59:18):
I had bad feelings, and it wasn't my property, and I didn't want my fingerprints on it.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:23):
Okay, fair enough. Did anybody with you open the box?
Debra Henrichs (59:28):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:29):
Who opened the box?
Debra Henrichs (59:29):
Todd.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:31):
All right. And were you there when Todd opened the box?
Debra Henrichs (59:33):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:33):
All right. Did you get a good look inside the box or were you still too scared to do that?
Debra Henrichs (59:37):
Not really. I was staying behind to do what they wanted.
Mr. Vonderheide (59:42):
Okay. Now, had anything else ever unusual happened as it relates to the commons area and that law firm there at 1501 Belcher?
Debra Henrichs (59:51):
Well, I had noticed a week or two prior, and that's what creeped me out so bad when I saw him, I said, "That's the same guy I saw in the waiting room that one day."
Mr. Vonderheide (01:00:00):
All right. Well, let's talk about that. So we got March 14th, somebody's in the closet. You're saying the same guy was there about a week before?
Debra Henrichs (01:00:07):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:00:07):
Do you recall the date that he was there, or was it just generally a week before?
Debra Henrichs (01:00:12):
No, I don't know the date for sure.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:00:13):
Okay. So what did you observe the same guy doing the week before?
Debra Henrichs (01:00:18):
Well, I was exiting the building to go over from B to A, and I saw this man, and I thought, well, that's weird. He was peeking in the windows of the lawyer's office, and so I just said, "I'm sorry, sir. I don't think they're open yet, and if they are, they probably don't open till 9:00 and they probably go by appointment only." And then I continued on my way.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:00:43):
And so tell me the time of day it was, maybe not exact, but time...
Debra Henrichs (01:00:49):
It was in the morning, after 8:00.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:00:54):
But before, did the law firm appear closed at that time? Were the windows blacked out?
Debra Henrichs (01:00:58):
Well, they could be in there and I wouldn't know it because I didn't necessarily know what time they arrived, and I don't spy in their windows.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:01:09):
Okay.
Debra Henrichs (01:01:09):
I'm just doing my thing.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:01:12):
Fair enough. Can you show us how he was peering into the law firm?
Debra Henrichs (01:01:17):
Just like, well, he's tall, so he was just going like that.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:01:21):
Like with his hands trying to block out reflections?
Debra Henrichs (01:01:25):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:01:25):
All right. And that's the same guy you saw in the closet?
Debra Henrichs (01:01:27):
That's why my adrenaline started flowing. I had that bad feeling like something bad was going to happen. And that's why I followed him.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:01:36):
Did you talk to the police on the 14th?
Debra Henrichs (01:01:39):
Whenever they came out, yeah. Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:01:41):
Okay. And so that was the 14th. Did you guys start locking the doors in the front?
Debra Henrichs (01:01:52):
Something was done with it because Jake was the... The attorneys were the only ones that had the key at the time, and then it was determined since it would be a fire hazard that everybody should have access to and fro, and then I think that's when they changed it for everybody to have the key.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:02:15):
So let's talk about March 21st. Were you working that day?
Debra Henrichs (01:02:20):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:02:21):
Okay. And did you get to work the regular time you normally get to work?
Debra Henrichs (01:02:26):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:02:27):
All right. And did something unusual happen that morning on March 21st, 2023?
Debra Henrichs (01:02:32):
I don't know for sure what day that is.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:02:35):
Okay. The day the police and all the forensics people came out, remember that day?
Debra Henrichs (01:02:42):
Oh, okay. Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:02:43):
So what time did you get to work that day?
Debra Henrichs (01:02:49):
Oh, my usual, I always start by six.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:02:52):
Okay. 6:00 AM. And sometimes during the morning, did you notice something unusual in the commons area of that 1501 Suite B?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:04):
Well, I noticed the box that was laid out there and it said out of order.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:09):
All right. So you had the out of order box. Was there any kind of smell that you observed?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:17):
Oh, that day. It smelled like strong bleach.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:21):
Okay. Like a really strong chemically bleachy kind of smell?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:25):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:26):
Did you do that? Did you pour bleach into the bathrooms or anything?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:30):
No, it was not my job to clean that-
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:32):
And the cleaning lady...
Debra Henrichs (01:03:33):
... and I wouldn't use straight bleach.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:33):
Okay, fine. Fair enough. Would the cleaning lady have been there earlier in the week, right on the weekend, right?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:44):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:45):
Did you go into the bathroom, the men's room?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:47):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:52):
Did you talk to police that day, provide them with a statement?
Debra Henrichs (01:03:56):
Yes. When the police came, I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:03:58):
Okay. And so that guy that you saw in the closet and the guy you saw on March 7th, you can recognize him, right?
Debra Henrichs (01:04:07):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:04:10):
All right. Do you see him here in the courtroom today?
Debra Henrichs (01:04:12):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:04:13):
Okay. And can you please point to him and identify an article of clothing for the record?
Debra Henrichs (01:04:20):
He's sitting right there in the orange suit.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:04:24):
Okay. [inaudible 01:04:24]. Let the record reflect that she's identified Dr. Kosowski as the man who was in the closet on March 14th and the man who was peering in the law firm on March 7th.
Judge (01:04:32):
The record shall so reflect.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:04:38):
Debra, one more thing. We're going to show you a video, I think it's State's Exhibit 32. It's a surveillance video from the vet clinic. Can you see this screen here? Do you recognize that office?
Debra Henrichs (01:04:56):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:04:57):
Which building is that in?
Debra Henrichs (01:04:57):
That's in building A.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:06:06):
Okay. See that truck drive by Debra?
Debra Henrichs (01:06:41):
I didn't see it. Did I miss it?
Mr. Vonderheide (01:06:41):
[inaudible 01:06:42].
Debra Henrichs (01:06:41):
Oh, yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:06:41):
See that truck going by? And is that you?
Debra Henrichs (01:06:41):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:06:42):
9:33 in the morning and 59 seconds? And is that the bush you were talking about you were hiding behind?
Debra Henrichs (01:07:17):
Yeah, I was behind there. I was waiting for him to leave because I wanted to see the tag number because clearly it wasn't an electrician's truck.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:07:33):
Thank you for your time today, ma'am. I pass the witness.
Judge (01:07:36):
Any cross examination? All right. Thank you. Ma'am, you may step down. State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:07:49):
State calls Carol Celeste Walker.
Speaker X (01:07:50):
[inaudible 01:08:00].
Speaker 6 (01:07:50):
Go seat there. Okay.
Madam Clerk (01:08:00):
There [inaudible 01:08:00].
Speaker 7 (01:08:00):
Stand right there.
Madam Clerk (01:08:57):
Okay.
(01:08:57)
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:01):
Yes.
Madam Clerk (01:09:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (01:09:10):
Step this way, ma'am. Watch your step up the stairs. Take a seat and adjust the mic so you can [inaudible 01:09:10] your voice, please.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:10):
Okay.
Speaker 7 (01:09:10):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (01:09:13):
Good morning, ma'am. You may inquire, Mr. Bondroy.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:18):
Morning.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:18):
Hi.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:18):
Could you please state your full name and spell it for the court reporter?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:21):
Carole Celeste Bacher. C-A-R-O-L-E C-E-L-E-S-T-E B-A-C-H-E- R.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:31):
Okay. And ma'am, where are you presently employed?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:33):
Ronati.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:33):
Okay. Where is Ronati located?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:36):
1501 Belcher Road South, and we're in Suite B1.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:41):
Sorry for interrupting you. Suite B?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:44):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:45):
How long have you been working for Ronati?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:48):
Close to six years.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:48):
All right. So safe to say you were working back in 2023, March?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:52):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:53):
All right. What do you guys do with Ronati?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:09:54):
It's a software company that we work in the art and antiques industry.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:09:59):
Okay. What's your role there?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:01):
Office manager.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:10:03):
Okay. So as that role, do you remember something unusual happening on March 21st of 2023?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:08):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:10:09):
All right. And do you remember that date because you spoke with police afterwards?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:11):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:10:12):
Okay. What time did you get to work in the morning?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:16):
A little before nine. I think about 8:45.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:10:18):
8:45? All right. Did you-
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:18):
A little earlier than usual.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:10:18):
Okay. Was there any cars in the parking lot that maybe triggered your brain to think something else was going on that day?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:26):
Not at that time, no.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:10:28):
Okay. All right. You get there about 8:45. Where do you go from there?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:10:34):
Well, person that I work with, Michelle, she was also in the office. I chatted with her, and it was unusually cold. It was probably the last cold day of the year, and the office was extremely cold. It's not usually that way. So we looked at the thermostat, it wasn't working. I first checked to see and it wasn't battery. It had never happened before. So realized it was probably something tripped, a breaker was tripped. So we've had that happen because of the oven and the microwave at the same time, but never because of the thermostat. Anyway, but we figured, I knew where to go. I knew where our breaker box was and I went out of our office and headed toward the breaker box when I passed by an individual on my way just before the women's restroom-
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:28):
Okay. Let's just-
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:29):
... and then went in there.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:29):
I'm sorry for that.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:29):
Yeah, yeah. That's okay.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:29):
Let's just break this down. So you decide you're going to go check the breaker panel, right?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:33):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:35):
Where is that located?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:36):
In the utility closet, which is behind the women's restroom.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:39):
Okay. So your intent was to go to the utility closet?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:43):
Correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:43):
How did you announce that intent?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:45):
Oh, very loudly.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:11:48):
Okay. Well, tell me about that.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:11:48):
When I was walking out the week before, there had been somebody found hiding in there. And so when I was walking, I just said, "I'm heading to the utility closet, but I'll go to the bathroom."
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:02):
Okay. So when you say loudly, where are you saying this at?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:06):
I had opened the door.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:08):
To Ronati?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:09):
Yeah. Our door is in the main lobby where we're across from Blanchard Law.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:14):
Okay. So Blanchard... Let me just, there's an atrium, right?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:18):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:18):
Big John Lennon mural in there.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:20):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:21):
And it's kind of a vaulted ceiling, right?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:23):
Definitely.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:23):
That goes pretty good in there?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:24):
Quite.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:26):
Blanchard Law, the door's right across the way from your door.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:29):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:30):
All right. So you go out, you're kind of standing in the atrium?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:34):
Yeah, I have the door open, and I'm walking into the atrium as I'm speaking to Michelle who's behind me. So I speak this way, but I'm loud enough to get that way.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:46):
So you're using your sort of stage voice to say, "Whoever is in there, don't be in there," kind of thing-
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:51):
Kind of.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:51):
... "I'm coming."
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:12:52):
Yeah. Like, when you're a kid and you're announcing, that kind of thing.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:12:55):
Sure. So you leave your office. Where do you go next?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:02):
I go the, well, heading that way.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:05):
Okay. Head towards the bathroom.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:07):
Yeah, the men's are here and the women's are here and it's a hallway. So I aim that way, and then I turn left, which is a little space. And just before I get to the women's room, I pass by somebody I had never seen before.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:21):
Okay. And this person, was it a male or female?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:24):
Male.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:25):
All right. And was this male person bigger than you?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:28):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:31):
All right. Can you know approximately about how tall he was?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:32):
I'm going to say 5'11".
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:33):
Okay. How tall are you?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:35):
5'5", maybe six foot, maybe 5'10".
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:43):
Did you say anything to him? Did he say anything to you?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:46):
I don't believe. I think maybe I said hi or huh or whatever kind of a thing, and maybe he smiled. I don't believe that there was any exchange of words.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:56):
Did you see where he went from there?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:13:58):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:13:58):
Okay. So where did-
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:00):
I mean, I was aiming this way and he was going that way, but beyond that I didn't see.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:03):
So you were passing?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:04):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:05):
Did you turn around and look and see where he went?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:06):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:07):
Where did you go from there?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:08):
Utility closet.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:09):
What did you find when you got into the utility closet?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:11):
Our breaker where our breaker box is labeled, I opened it up and the part that was, you can tell when something's been tripped, and it's clearly labeled and it was the air conditioning, and so I turned it back on.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:29):
And your breaker box, what does it say? Does it say your suite number on it?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:33):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:33):
And also in that breaker box, is the main lobby on there as well?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:37):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:38):
So it says, "Main lobby," and then it says, "HVAC system."
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:42):
It operates both.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:43):
And it was turned off?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:46):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:47):
Did you turn it back on?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:47):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:48):
Did you turn it back on with ease?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:49):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:49):
It didn't pop on you, it didn't revert back?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:52):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:52):
Did the heat work after that?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:54):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:14:54):
And the breaker was not flipped in any capacity for the rest of the day?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:14:59):
No, it's never gone off before or after.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:15:01):
All right. So that was the only time that you went back there and the breaker that says main lobby and for your HVAC system was turned off?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:15:08):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:15:09):
And that includes the coldest and the hottest days in Florida. Okay. You went back to your office after flipping the breaker?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:15:19):
Mm-hmm. I went to the bathroom, but yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:15:20):
Okay. When you got back there, was there anything else unusual that happened that morning?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:15:27):
Oh yes, definitely. I went to the bathroom again. I drank a lot of water. I had to head out for an errand for my boss, and beforehand I needed to go to the restroom. So I looked at my watch because I wanted to make sure I was back in time before she had her meeting, and I saw it was 10:30. And when I opened our suite door to the atrium, it was an extraordinarily strong smell of bleach, so much so that I was wearing a scarf and so I lifted it over my mouth because I just don't like smells. So I lifted it over. And then when I went to the bathroom, I kept it over my mouth and nose the whole time because it was so strong, and then I left and drove to the errand.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:16:23):
Let me ask you this, the lawyers at the law firm, did you know those guys?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:16:27):
I mean in passing, just like when you say hi, and that sort of a thing. And then one time Jake helped me when my tire was flat.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:16:38):
Right. So you kind of knew Mr. Blanchard because he helped you fix a flat tire?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:16:43):
Yeah, but that was the most interaction I had.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:16:51):
Did you see him that day?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:16:51):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:16:51):
Where was he at? Where'd you see him?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:16:51):
Well, when I came back at another errand that I was doing later. And I'm vague on that time exactly, but I'm going to say it was probably like 11:30, 45, something of that nature. When I drove back in the parking lot, I saw him and another gentleman. Well, I parked, and then when I was getting out of the car, walking to our office, I was a little bit a ways closer to the entrance of the vet administrative office. Parked and I was walking, and I saw Jake and another individual who I've since come to know was the husband because he looked, at first I thought it was the two of them. And I was like, no, that's not Steven. And they looked, I waved kind of hi, just being cordial. They didn't even really see me, and they clearly looked distraught and I didn't know until later why.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:17:47):
Okay. Do you know that the errand, because it was at a lunch pickup kind of thing?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:17:49):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:17:49):
Okay. So from there you saw Jake and Michael, the husband, out on the corner. Did you see Jake again later that day at all?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:17:58):
I think he came into the office at one point.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:18:01):
Okay. Do you recall what the context of that, him entering the office was?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:18:06):
I think just asking if we had seen Steven.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:18:10):
All right. And had you seen Steven?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:18:11):
No, I don't remember even seeing him in the morning, but I rarely saw him.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:18:16):
Okay. Did you speak with law enforcement that day?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:18:20):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:18:21):
Did they later come back to you and give you a packet with a bunch of pictures in it?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:18:25):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:18:27):
All right. Did they ask you to complete and look through this packet?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:18:32):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:18:32):
And can you kind of describe to the court how that went, what the process was like?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:18:37):
Well, actually I met at a different location. They came, they sat down. There was two of them, and they told me that my rights or what I legally tell the truth and don't have attention on any preconceived ideas, "just look through and tell us what you see." And it was a binder. I remember it was white, and they flipped page by page and just asked me about the people. And the first one, I was like, "Well, maybe." And the next one, absolutely not. And then I think it was a third picture was his picture, which I now know was his picture, but at the time I didn't. And I said, "This looks like the person that was in there," and then went to the next one and they were definitely not after that.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:22):
So they show you a picture, then there's a blank page?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:19:25):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:25):
And then there's the next picture, right?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:19:26):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:27):
So you went through the whole array of them?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:19:28):
Mm-hmm. I think there were six.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:30):
May I approach the witness, Your Honor?
Speaker 5 (01:19:32):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:33):
And State's Exhibit 35 for ID purposes. I already showed Dr. Kosowski.
Speaker 5 (01:19:36):
Okay.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:37):
[inaudible 01:19:38] seated.
Tomasz Kosowski (01:19:37):
[inaudible 01:19:39].
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:39):
I'm going to show you this packet. Tell me if you recognize any writing on it, signature.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:19:45):
I recognize my signature.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:50):
Okay. And is there a date on it?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:19:50):
Yeah, 3/22/23.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:19:51):
Okay. Do you remember that there was a detective that we call it administering a fancy word that showed it to you. You have male or female at the time? Do you recall?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:20:02):
No. I feel like there was a man and a woman, but I might really not.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:20:05):
Fair enough. And you looked through this packet and said one of them was the man.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:20:12):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:20:16):
Well, actually, you know what? At this time, I'll skip a step. Do you recognize this is a fair and accurate depiction of the photo pack, a copy of it?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:20:21):
Yeah. I mean, other than it was in a-
Mr. Vonderheide (01:20:21):
[inaudible 01:20:26].
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:20:29):
I felt like it was in a binder, but maybe it wasn't.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:20:29):
All right. Your Honor, at this time, State request to move into evidence and publish state's ID 35, State 35.
Speaker 5 (01:20:31):
All right. Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:20:35):
Yes. Standing objection.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:20:37):
And just to respond to the objection, Your Honor, I believe as it relates to the motions to suppress, this is completely independent of any motion to suppress as well as the last surveillance video independently collected.
Speaker 5 (01:20:47):
Yeah, I think very few of the items in evidence dealt with a Motion to Suppress, but I guess in an abundance of caution, he wants to keep saying that, so that's fine.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:20:58):
Okay. I will probably respond in kind throughout. So State's exhibit ID 35, I'm requesting you to move it in and publish state's exhibit 35.
Speaker 5 (01:21:06):
It's admitted.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:21:09):
Okay. Now, can you look through let's find the picture that you though was him.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:21:17):
Well, I can see right there. Is that the... Oh yeah, that's the way. Oh, yeah. [inaudible 01:21:27].
Mr. Vonderheide (01:21:26):
[inaudible 01:21:27] Your Honor, if I may. This picture she pointed out, so let's go down on the screen. And so on that one, it appears that you said maybe.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:21:41):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:21:48):
Did you ever either see it in another light in some other photo? And were you sure that, that was the person that [inaudible 01:21:56] in the photo?
Madam Clerk (01:21:53):
I can't [inaudible 01:21:59] response.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:22:00):
Oh, yes. Sorry, I was shaking my head.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:22:06):
How far enough do you need me to go?
Madam Clerk (01:22:19):
[inaudible 01:22:20].
Mr. Vonderheide (01:22:22):
Okay. Fair enough. When was it that you came to the conclusion that the person that you saw in the photo pack was the same person that you saw later on [inaudible 01:22:29]?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:22:31):
One of the people I was working for had on, I believe it was the Sunday that he was arrested, there was a picture, and she sent it to me and said, "This person just got arrested." I went, "Oh God, that's the same person."
Mr. Vonderheide (01:22:46):
Okay. Can I have a moment. How many men are employed at Ronati?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:07):
At that time, none.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:09):
None? All right. And how many men-
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:15):
In the physical office, you mean, right?
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:15):
In the physical office at Ronati?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:15):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:17):
Yeah. And how many men, if you know, in that Suite B at 1501 Belcher, how many men were employed there?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:21):
In Suite B, ours?
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:23):
Yeah, that building there.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:24):
Oh, the whole... Oh, sorry.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:25):
The whole building. Yeah.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:25):
Yeah, yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:25):
If you know.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:29):
There was, just as far as I know, just Steven and Jake. Yeah. We had another gentleman that worked in our office before that, but he left in, I think, January.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:41):
January of 2023?
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:41):
Mm-hmm.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:23:42):
Okay. I have nothing further. I'll pass the witness.
Speaker 5 (01:23:47):
Any cross-examination?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:23:49):
No, sir.
Speaker 5 (01:23:49):
All right. Thank you, ma'am. You may step down.
Carole Celeste Bacher (01:23:51):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (01:23:51):
Thank you. This way.
Speaker 5 (01:24:00):
State, please call your next witness.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:24:01):
Yes, Your honor. The state calls Marc Otto.
Speaker 7 (01:24:41):
Sir, step this way, please. Stand right next to me. [inaudible 01:24:55].
Madam Clerk (01:24:54):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Marc Otto (01:25:03):
Yes.
Speaker 7 (01:25:03):
Sir, step over this way. Watch your step [inaudible 01:25:07]. Adjust the mics, speak loud and clearly.
Speaker 5 (01:25:09):
Good morning, sir.
Marc Otto (01:25:10):
Good morning.
Speaker 5 (01:25:11):
You may inquire.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:11):
Thank you, Your Honor. Good morning.
Marc Otto (01:25:13):
Good morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:13):
Will you please introduce yourself, and spell your full name for the record?
Marc Otto (01:25:17):
Marc Otto, M-A-R-C, last name O-T-T-O.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:21):
Okay. Now, Mr. Otto, I'm just going to jump right into it. Back in December of 2022, did you own a pickup truck?
Marc Otto (01:25:29):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:30):
And did you list that pickup truck for sale online?
Marc Otto (01:25:33):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:34):
And what kind of pickup truck specifically was it?
Marc Otto (01:25:36):
It was a 2016 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:41):
And what color was it?
Marc Otto (01:25:42):
Gray.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:42):
May I approach the clerk?
Madam Clerk (01:25:44):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:25:45):
Thank you.
(01:25:45)
Showing Dr. Kosowski what's pre-marked as State's 37A through C.
Tomasz Kosowski (01:25:45):
[inaudible 01:26:00].
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:08):
Thank you. May I approach the witness?
Speaker 5 (01:26:08):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:09):
All right. Mr. Otto, I'm handing you what's been pre-marked as State's 37A through C. Do you mind just looking through those photos and seeing if you recognize them [inaudible 01:26:16]?
Marc Otto (01:26:16):
Okay. The back shows my truck with a tag, the side of the truck, the back bed of the truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:28):
Is that the same truck that you owned and then listed for sale in December of 2022?
Marc Otto (01:26:33):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:33):
And although it might be different a little bit, does it fairly and accurately depict the truck that you previously owned?
Marc Otto (01:26:39):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:39):
All right. At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 37A through C as State's 37A through C.
Marc Otto (01:26:43):
All right.
Speaker 5 (01:26:45):
Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:26:45):
Yes, sir. Standing objection.
Speaker 5 (01:26:48):
Hmm?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:26:48):
Yes. The standing objection that we have product of our motion to suppress.
Speaker 5 (01:26:53):
All right. It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:55):
Thank you. And permission to polish?
Speaker 5 (01:26:57):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:26:58):
Mr. Otto, there's a screen over here. I'm going to put the photos up there so that everybody can see. Can you see it okay, the screen?
Marc Otto (01:27:06):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:07):
Okay. Okay. So is this a photograph of the truck that you listed for sale?
Marc Otto (01:27:12):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:12):
And was that the tag that you gave or no?
Marc Otto (01:27:16):
No, that wasn't my tag.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:18):
All right. And you said it was a gray in color, Toyota Tundra TRD. Was it a four-by-four?
Marc Otto (01:27:23):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:24):
And was there something on the bed of that truck, like some type of cover?
Marc Otto (01:27:28):
Yes, it was a Roll- N-Lock cover.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:31):
Did you have that on the truck prior to selling it?
Marc Otto (01:27:33):
Yeah, I purchased it right after I bought the truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:35):
Okay. And we can go to the next one. All right. Is that the label for the TRD Pro?
Marc Otto (01:27:41):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:42):
Okay. And then the next one. Is that the bed of that truck?
Marc Otto (01:27:45):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:46):
Now, did it look like that when you sold it?
Marc Otto (01:27:48):
No. I had it fully detailed when I listed it.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:53):
Fully detailed when you listed it and sold it?
Marc Otto (01:27:54):
Yeah, it was all clean and waxed and everything.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:27:56):
Okay. And this strap right here, is that for the cover that goes across?
Marc Otto (01:28:00):
Yes. That's how you showed it. You pull it towards you.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:03):
You pull it?
Marc Otto (01:28:03):
Mm-hmm.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:05):
Okay. And what about this wire right here? Do you know what that is?
Marc Otto (01:28:07):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:08):
Did you sell the truck with that wire attached to it?
Marc Otto (01:28:10):
No, I never did anything to the truck. The only thing I did to the truck was put those stickers on the side and the tailgate.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:17):
Okay. So fair to say that you didn't sell it with a tag flipper?
Marc Otto (01:28:22):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:24):
So I want to talk about how you listed it. Did you go through any particular company, or how did you list it?
Marc Otto (01:28:32):
I listed it on AutoTrader.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:34):
Okay. And how much did you list it for?
Marc Otto (01:28:37):
I don't recall. I think it was 34,000 at the time.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:39):
Give or take?
Marc Otto (01:28:39):
Yeah, somewhere-
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:39):
Over 30?
Marc Otto (01:28:39):
Yes, it was over 30.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:44):
Okay. And after you put it on AutoTrader, did anyone show interest in that truck?
Marc Otto (01:28:50):
Yes, I got one message.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:53):
From who?
Marc Otto (01:28:55):
Tom Kosowski.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:28:57):
Okay. And how did he first reach out to you?
Marc Otto (01:29:00):
I believe, I think it was a message through the AutoTrader, and then we contacted through text over the phone.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:29:08):
Okay. May I approach the clerk?
Speaker 5 (01:29:08):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:29:08):
Thank you. Showing Dr. Kosowski what's been pre-marked as State's 39 for identification.
(01:29:08)
May I approach the witness?
Speaker 5 (01:29:08):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:29:18):
Okay. Mr. Otto, I'm handing you pre-marked State's 39 for identification. If you could just look through these and let me know if you recognize them.
Marc Otto (01:29:53):
Yeah. These are all the text and everything online.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:29:57):
The text between you and who?
Marc Otto (01:30:00):
Tom Kosowski, and it's-
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:02):
Okay. The phone number that's at the top, was that the number that he provided you when you guys were exchanging online?
Marc Otto (01:30:06):
Yes. I took that picture. I think I sent that to him.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:11):
Okay. And we'll talk about the content of the messages in just a moment.
Marc Otto (01:30:13):
Okay. Sure.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:14):
But just before we do that, do these messages fairly and accurately depict the messages exchanged between you and Dr. Kosowski?
Marc Otto (01:30:25):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:25):
At this time, the state would offer into evidence State's 39 for identification as State's 39.
Speaker 5 (01:30:25):
All right. any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:30:26):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 5 (01:30:29):
All right. So based upon the same thing?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:30:30):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 5 (01:30:31):
Okay. It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:33):
Permission to publish?
Speaker 5 (01:30:35):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:35):
Okay. Can you see those okay? No? Here.
Marc Otto (01:30:40):
I mean, I can see it. I'm not going to be able to read it.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:42):
Okay. Is it okay if I grab that?
Madam Clerk (01:30:42):
[inaudible 01:30:47].
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:42):
I'm sorry. There we go. Thank you. All right. This might help if I gave you the paper copy [inaudible 01:30:54]-
Marc Otto (01:30:54):
Okay. Sure. Yeah. Sorry about that. Computer screens are tough for me.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:30:57):
No worries. We can zoom in just a little bit. Before we talk about the content of the messages, this phone number, the 321-663-0128, is that Tom Kosowski's phone number?
Marc Otto (01:31:10):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:31:12):
And these white messages that are on the left side of the screen, would that be receiving messages from Tom Kosowski?
Marc Otto (01:31:18):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:31:19):
And these, I guess, green-ish messages and anything on the right side of the screen, would that be you?
Marc Otto (01:31:23):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:31:25):
Okay. So the first date on these text messages are December 12th, 2022. Was that around the time that Dr. Kosowski had reached out to you about coming to look at the truck?
Marc Otto (01:31:37):
Yeah. If I recall, I think I saw his first message on Sunday. I think it was through AutoTrader maybe. And then we exchanged, I think, the phone number from there.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:31:50):
Okay. So a day or so prior is when you first made contact with him in December?
Marc Otto (01:31:54):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:31:55):
Okay. So what does Tom say to you on December 12th, 2022 at 10:56 AM?
Marc Otto (01:32:05):
Okay. So he asked if I happened to have the window sticker, he would just want information on the truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:32:11):
Okay. And did you respond with a photo of that truck?
Marc Otto (01:32:14):
Yes. That's the only thing I had because I told him there was no window sticker on the truck because I just got it onto the lot. It had the plastic on it when I saw it, and I took that picture while I was there, so I just sent him that one to let him know.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:32:29):
Okay. And [inaudible 01:32:31] scroll down. All right. So we can go to the next message. Does he respond to you?
Marc Otto (01:32:42):
I guess, I don't think he responded, but the next text is where he asked if I had the title.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:32:48):
If you had the title?
Marc Otto (01:32:48):
Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:32:49):
Okay. And did you let him know that you were going to check on it?
Marc Otto (01:32:53):
Yes. I told him that I wasn't sure basically, and it was probably an electronic title.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:33:01):
Okay. So then do you guys start to talk about money, him being able to go to the bank and get cash, essentially?
Marc Otto (01:33:08):
Yeah. Yeah. He wanted to, actually, when we agreed on the price, he wanted to pay me in full, but I told him I'd just rather have a deposit. I didn't want all the money up front.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:33:18):
He wanted to pay you in full cash?
Marc Otto (01:33:20):
Yeah, he wanted to just pay for it, and then I just told him I'd rather just do payments.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:33:24):
Why?
Marc Otto (01:33:26):
I just felt weird about taking all that money up front to sell my vehicle when he wasn't taking the delivery of it. That's the only reason why.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:33:32):
Now, this time on December 12th, 2022, had you guys agreed on a price yet or not yet?
Marc Otto (01:33:38):
No. No, this was the original time prior to him coming to see it, and then we tried to negotiate.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:33:46):
Okay. We can go to the next one. Do you ultimately send him the address for him to come meet you and actually come look at the truck and test drive the truck?
Marc Otto (01:33:56):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:33:58):
Okay. And was that the next day on December 13th, 2022?
Marc Otto (01:34:01):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:02):
Does he tell you that he's on his way to where you're located at approximately 9:54 on the 13th of December?
Marc Otto (01:34:10):
If I remember right, we agreed on a time. I think it was in the morning, probably around 10 o'clock, and he just showed up.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:19):
Okay. So he told you he was on his way at approximately 9:54?
Marc Otto (01:34:21):
Mm-hmm.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:22):
Okay. Is that a yes for the record?
Marc Otto (01:34:23):
Yes. I'm sorry.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:25):
Thank you. No, it's okay. You don't have to be sorry. So when he gets there, what city were you located in?
Marc Otto (01:34:32):
Parkland in Broward County.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:33):
Okay. About how far is that from here?
Marc Otto (01:34:37):
It's almost 300 miles, 200 and change.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:40):
Okay. And did he come to where you were located?
Marc Otto (01:34:44):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:45):
And did he drive?
Marc Otto (01:34:46):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:46):
Do you remember what he drove?
Marc Otto (01:34:49):
It was a red Toyota Corolla.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:34:52):
Okay. And when he got to your location, did he have to go through a gate or a guard?
Marc Otto (01:34:58):
Yeah, we have a guard at our gate where I live.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:01):
Okay. And do they log people who come in and leave?
Marc Otto (01:35:04):
Yes. Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:05):
Okay. Now, when he got there, did he introduce himself to you?
Marc Otto (01:35:10):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:11):
And did he tell you what he did for a living?
Marc Otto (01:35:13):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:13):
What did he tell you he did?
Marc Otto (01:35:14):
He told me he was a plastic surgeon.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:16):
Okay. And did you go with him for a test drive?
Marc Otto (01:35:19):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:20):
After that test drive, did he make you an offer?
Marc Otto (01:35:23):
Yes. Well, yeah, he first talked about the truck, walked around it, looked at it, looked underneath, stuff like that. And then we started negotiating, but we couldn't come to an agreement.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:36):
Okay. So was he offering you less than what you wanted at that time?
Marc Otto (01:35:39):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:40):
Okay. Do you remember how much he offered?
Marc Otto (01:35:42):
I think it was around 26,000, if I remember.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:45):
Okay. And you were over 30?
Marc Otto (01:35:46):
Yeah, like I said, I think I was at 34 at the time, and I think I came down to like 32 at that time. Yeah. And he said no, he didn't want to do that. And we basically parted ways from there.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:35:59):
Okay. So he leaves on December 13th. There wasn't an agreement at that point?
Marc Otto (01:36:04):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:05):
Does he ultimately reach back out to you a couple of days later?
Marc Otto (01:36:08):
Yeah, I think it was a week later if I remember right.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:11):
Was that December 19th, 2022?
Marc Otto (01:36:15):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:15):
Okay. And what does he say?
Marc Otto (01:36:17):
He asked if I basically still had a Tundra for sale still. And I explained to him I did and told him AutoTrader didn't list it properly. They had the wrong model because that's a rare truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:31):
It's a rare truck?
Marc Otto (01:36:31):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:32):
It's a unique truck.
Marc Otto (01:36:33):
Yes. Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:33):
Okay. So ultimately you guys start talking about the offer again, right?
Marc Otto (01:36:38):
Yes. Mm-hmm.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:38):
And do you ultimately land on the price that you were satisfied with?
Marc Otto (01:36:43):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:44):
Okay. And what was that price?
Marc Otto (01:36:44):
32,000.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:45):
Okay. Did he then come back to pick up the truck?
Marc Otto (01:36:50):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:51):
And do you remember when that was?
Marc Otto (01:36:52):
Yeah, it was the day after Christmas, December 26th.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:55):
2022?
Marc Otto (01:36:56):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:36:59):
When he got there that time, did he drive his Corolla again or did he use other means of transportation?
Marc Otto (01:37:05):
No, he messaged me that he was going to take a bus from Tampa over to Fort Lauderdale Airport and then Uber to me, to my house.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:37:17):
Okay. Did he ask some more questions in between then just about if the truck had ever been flooded and any other things like that?
Marc Otto (01:37:22):
Yeah. He had asked me before, I think it was before he committed to the truck, had it ever been in hurricanes or floods. And I just responded, no, never been in any kind of flood because it was always garaged.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:37:36):
Okay. Now, you said ultimately, you did not want to take all of that money up front, you made different deposits?
Marc Otto (01:37:39):
Mm-hmm. Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:37:42):
Did he pay you multiple different deposits?
Marc Otto (01:37:44):
Yes. Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:37:44):
And how did he pay that?
Marc Otto (01:37:46):
So he did Bank of America transfers because I have Bank of America, so he did four payments. So it was like 7,000 and then 9,000, 9,000, and then the final was 7,000.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:37:57):
May I approach the clerk?
Speaker 5 (01:37:58):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:06):
I'm showing Dr. Kosowski what's been pre-marked as State's 36 for identification.
(01:38:21)
May I approach the witness?
Speaker 5 (01:38:21):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:22):
Mr. Otto, I'm handing you what's been pre-marked as State's 36. Do you mind just taking a look at it and telling me if you recognize it?
Marc Otto (01:38:27):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:27):
And what is that?
Marc Otto (01:38:29):
This is the copy from the bank showing the deposits made into my account.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:33):
Okay. And did you provide this to law enforcement?
Marc Otto (01:38:35):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:37):
And does this fairly and accurately depict the different deposits that Dr. Kosowski made to you to purchase the truck?
Marc Otto (01:38:42):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:44):
At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 36 for identification as State 36.
Speaker 5 (01:38:48):
All Right. Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:38:49):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 5 (01:38:50):
All right. Same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:38:51):
Yes, sir.
Speaker 5 (01:38:51):
Okay. It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:55):
Thank you. Permission to publish?
Speaker 5 (01:38:55):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:38:55):
Can you publish that, please.
Speaker X (01:38:55):
Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:39:15):
Thank you. So we might have a digital copy. So if it's okay can I approach the clerk.
Speaker 5 (01:39:18):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:39:19):
All right. If you could just read into the record, Mr. Otto, the different payments and the dates for those payments that you received from Dr. Kosowski.
Marc Otto (01:39:27):
Okay.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:39:28):
Thank you.
Marc Otto (01:39:30):
Okay. So on 12/19, the payment for $7,000. And then December 22nd, another payment for $9,000. December 23rd, another payment for $9,000. And then December 27th, another payment for $7,000.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:39:52):
[inaudible 01:39:53].
Marc Otto (01:39:52):
Okay. Mm-hmm.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:39:52):
Okay. So he comes to you on December 26th, 2022. He took a ride share, right? An Uber or something?
Marc Otto (01:40:03):
Yeah, I think he said he was an Uber.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:06):
Okay. And also that he could drive a truck back, right?
Marc Otto (01:40:08):
Yes. Uh-huh.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:10):
Okay. So he came alone. Did you let him inside of your house?
Marc Otto (01:40:14):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:14):
And do you remember what he was wearing or if he had anything on his person?
Marc Otto (01:40:18):
I don't remember what he was wearing. He had a backpack with him.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:23):
A backpack?
Marc Otto (01:40:23):
Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:24):
Do you remember what color it was?
Marc Otto (01:40:28):
I would say it was a dark color. I'm not one to look at all details like that-
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:33):
That's okay.
Marc Otto (01:40:33):
... clothing and stuff.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:34):
Dark colored backpack though?
Marc Otto (01:40:35):
Yeah, I believe so. Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:37):
All right. So when he gets into your house, what do you do?
Marc Otto (01:40:40):
Okay. So just let him into the kitchen table area, and he put his backpack on there and sat there on the table and we started to do the transaction with the title and filled that out.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:40:56):
Okay. Did you offer to write him an invoice?
Marc Otto (01:40:59):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:00):
And what did he say to that?
Marc Otto (01:41:01):
He said he didn't need an invoice.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:03):
Didn't need an invoice?
Marc Otto (01:41:08):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:08):
Okay. How did you respond to that?
Marc Otto (01:41:08):
I just thought it was a little unusual, but he did have to fill out the title with his name, address, the amount from the truck and everything.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:17):
Okay. Did you ever fill out a bill of sale?
Marc Otto (01:41:20):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:21):
You never signed a bill of sale?
Marc Otto (01:41:22):
No, I don't recall ever signing anything like that.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:24):
Okay. And I'm going to show you just a photograph of something. It hasn't been pre-marked yet. Maybe [inaudible 01:41:30] later. You could just look at this. Do you recognize your signature on it?
Marc Otto (01:41:40):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:41):
Do you see a signature that says Mercado?
Marc Otto (01:41:43):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:44):
It's not your signature?
Marc Otto (01:41:45):
Does not look like. No, I don't sign like that.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:47):
Thank you.
Marc Otto (01:41:47):
Mm-hmm.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:41:51):
Now, since he didn't want an invoice and he showed up, did he say anything? Did he have his own tag? Let me ask you that.
Marc Otto (01:41:59):
I did not know that he had a tag at the time, but...
Marc Otto (01:42:00):
Did not know that he had a tag at the time, but there was a tag put on the truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:42:06):
By him?
Marc Otto (01:42:07):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:42:08):
Okay. And because he didn't want an invoice because you guys didn't have a bill of sale, did you do something to try and document this truck that's leaving off your property now?
Marc Otto (01:42:16):
Yes. I did take a picture of it because I normally trade my vehicles in and this is really the only one I've ever sold on my own. So I was just a little cautious because I knew he was driving over to Tampa with it and there was a tag on it. It wasn't mine. So in case I was thinking an accident or something happened, that's why I took the picture.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:42:41):
Okay. May I approach the clerk?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:42:42):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:43:30):
Now, did he tell you what he was going to use his truck for?
Marc Otto (01:43:36):
He told me that he was going to use it... He wasn't going to register right away because he wasn't planning on using it till the summertime for kayaking.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:43:48):
For kayaking?
Marc Otto (01:43:49):
Mm-hmm.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:43:49):
So he wasn't going to register it right away because of that?
Marc Otto (01:43:51):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:43:54):
Okay. Did he ultimately leave with that truck?
Marc Otto (01:43:55):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:43:56):
And did law enforcement eventually contact you?
Marc Otto (01:43:58):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:01):
And did you attempt to locate those logs inside and outside of the gate to see if you could help track down who that person was?
Marc Otto (01:44:07):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:08):
Okay. May I approach the clerk?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:44:18):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:18):
Showing Dr. Kosowski what's been pre-marked as State's 38A and B for identification. Thank you. Can I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:44:33):
Excuse me?
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:33):
Can I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:44:37):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:40):
Thank you. I'm handing you 38A and B for identification. If you could just look at those and tell me if you recognize them.
Marc Otto (01:44:41):
Do you need these?
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:41):
Oh yes. Thank you.
Marc Otto (01:44:41):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:42):
Okay. And what are they?
Marc Otto (01:44:50):
These are from the guard at our community that he puts in the computer when guests come in. Okay.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:44:57):
And did you go and speak with that guard and access this with him?
Marc Otto (01:45:01):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:01):
And did you take those photographs?
Marc Otto (01:45:03):
No, he did.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:03):
He did?
Marc Otto (01:45:03):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:04):
But did you see it on the screen?
Marc Otto (01:45:06):
Yes. I saw it there, not directly in front of it. I did see, yeah. And then he printed them out for me.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:11):
And did you see that-
Marc Otto (01:45:12):
[inaudible 01:45:14].
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:15):
... did you see back on December 13th of 2022 that he had come to your property as well as on December 26th?
Marc Otto (01:45:20):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:20):
Okay. At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 38A and B for identification as State's 38A and B.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:45:29):
All right. Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:45:30):
Yes, sir.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:45:30):
Same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:45:31):
Yes, sir.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:45:31):
Okay. It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:34):
Thank you. Permission to publish?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:45:36):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:45:45):
All right. So we're looking at 38A. Can you see that okay? No. Sorry. [inaudible 01:45:53] paper copy. All right. So 38A, do you see on 12/13 of 2022 at 11:00 AM, give or take, whether his name was logged?
Marc Otto (01:46:12):
Yes, it was.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:46:14):
Okay. And at the top or on this far right side, does it talk about what color car it is?
Marc Otto (01:46:18):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:46:19):
Okay. And what color car did it say that he arrived in?
Marc Otto (01:46:21):
It says red.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:46:22):
Red. Okay. So can we go to the next one? All right. Does this one show an entry on 12/26/2022 at approximately 1:08 PM?
Marc Otto (01:46:39):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:46:40):
Okay. And this is when he arrived in the Uber, right?
Marc Otto (01:46:43):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:46:43):
Okay. So it doesn't say "Tomaz," but did he call himself Tom?
Marc Otto (01:46:48):
Tom. Yeah, he called himself Tom to me.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:11):
Okay. When law enforcement contacted you, were you cooperative with them?
Marc Otto (01:47:14):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:15):
Did you provide them all of these photos and documentation with your bank records?
Marc Otto (01:47:20):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:21):
Okay. And prior to ending your testimony, Mr. Otto, I'm going to show you something that has not been pre-marked yet. I'm going to see if you recognize it.
Marc Otto (01:47:32):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:32):
And what is it?
Marc Otto (01:47:39):
That's the tag that he put on the truck when he was leaving my house.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:42):
Okay. And is this the photograph that you took?
Marc Otto (01:47:45):
Yes. I'm in the background there though.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:47):
You're on the-
Marc Otto (01:47:47):
The tailgate, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:47:49):
Okay. Does this fairly and accurately depict the truck and the state when you sold it and the tag that he placed on that vehicle?
Marc Otto (01:47:56):
Yes. Yes. At this time, the state would offer into evidence has not been pre-marked yet, but it's a photograph of the truck bed as 40.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:05):
Okay.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:05):
Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:07):
Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:48:08):
Yes.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:10):
Same basis or something else?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:48:12):
Yes.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:12):
Same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:48:12):
Yes, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:13):
It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:14):
Permission to publish?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:15):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:17):
All right. So is that the picture you took?
Marc Otto (01:48:19):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:20):
And can you see the tag number on that? We can zoom in if you can't.
Marc Otto (01:48:26):
Yes. 708NQU. Okay.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:41):
Now, is that the same tag that you saw with the first couple of photographs that we entered into evidence as 37A?
Marc Otto (01:48:46):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:47):
Okay. May I approach the clerk?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:47):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (01:48:55):
I have no further questions at this time. Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:48:57):
Any cross-examination?
Charles Torres King (01:49:00):
No, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:49:00):
All right. Thank you. Sir, you may step down. Thank you. All right. State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:49:17):
State calls Charles King.
Clerk (01:49:37):
Sir, step this way, please.
Court Reporter (01:49:49):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Charles Torres King (01:49:53):
I do.
Clerk (01:49:53):
Sir, step on over here. Speak into the mic.
Charles Torres King (01:50:02):
Okay.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:50:03):
Good morning, sir.
Charles Torres King (01:50:04):
Good morning.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:50:06):
You may inquire, state of Florida.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:08):
Sir, can you please state your full name and spell your last name for the court reporter?
Charles Torres King (01:50:12):
Charles Torres King, K-I-N-G.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:19):
And where are you presently employed, sir?
Charles Torres King (01:50:21):
PSTA, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:23):
All right. What's your assignment there?
Charles Torres King (01:50:26):
I am the safety, security and training supervisor. We mostly handle looking at the videos for any incidents that we may have.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:34):
Okay. How long have you been with Pinellas County Transit?
Charles Torres King (01:50:37):
21 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:38):
All right. So how long have you been in this current role that you're in now?
Charles Torres King (01:50:41):
About eight years.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:42):
Eight years. All right. So safe to say in 2023, you were in the same capacity at Pinellas County PSTA?
Charles Torres King (01:50:49):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:50:50):
All right, sir. Tell me about, you say you're primarily responsible for videos. What does that mean?
Charles Torres King (01:50:58):
Usually we receive an incident report from our drivers and then we go and pull video for the incident so we can review it and then we save the video, archive the video and stuff like that.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:51:09):
Okay. And this video, let's talk about how it's recorded on your buses. So each bus in Pinellas County has an array of cameras on it?
Charles Torres King (01:51:19):
Yes, about eight to nine, depending on which camera system we're using.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:51:23):
All right. So these eight to nine cameras, where are they located on the bus, generally speaking?
Charles Torres King (01:51:28):
One on the right side, one on the left side, one camera view pointing out towards the street, and a few different ones inside the bus, interior of the bus.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:51:37):
Okay. And those are constantly recording?
Charles Torres King (01:51:41):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:51:42):
And how long are they retained before it's purged from the system?
Charles Torres King (01:51:47):
It's usually a month, depending on how often the bus is out there. So if the bus is not one of our heavy routes that's being used every day, it could be at least two months.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:51:57):
Okay. If it's caught within that month period though, you can download the material that's on it, the recordings?
Charles Torres King (01:52:04):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:05):
Can you do it via a cloud-based system?
Charles Torres King (01:52:08):
Yes. Well, what we do is wifi pull. So once the bus pulls into the yard, we can retrieve the video from it or we can pull the hard drive manually and pull it that way.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:18):
All right. So there's two alternative ways that you can pull the video?
Charles Torres King (01:52:19):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:20):
And you're familiar with both of those ways?
Charles Torres King (01:52:22):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:23):
All right. And you're familiar with how the recording system works generally for the Pinellas County Transit Authority?
Charles Torres King (01:52:29):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:31):
And in the course of your time there, how many times do you think that you've pulled a video from a bus in a year? Let's just say in a year.
Charles Torres King (01:52:40):
Probably over a thousand times.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:42):
Okay. Your Honor, if I may approach Dr. Kosowski?
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:52:44):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:52:50):
I'm going to show you what's been pre-marked as State's Exhibit 33 for identification purposes. Take a look at 33 and tell me if you recognize any writing on it.
Charles Torres King (01:52:59):
Yes. My initials and date.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:53:01):
Okay. So did you have an opportunity to view the contents of this compact disc, this DVD here and see that it was your bus video?
Charles Torres King (01:53:10):
Yes, I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:53:14):
It's a fair and accurate depiction of that which it purports to be, which is surveillance footage from one of your buses?
Charles Torres King (01:53:19):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:53:20):
And you know that this was requested by law enforcement, right?
Charles Torres King (01:53:23):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:53:24):
And it was requested back in March of 2023?
Charles Torres King (01:53:26):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:53:27):
Your Honor, at this time I'd request to move into evidence State's ID 33 and as evidence is State's 33, which is of course independent from any motion to suppress issue.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:53:37):
All right. Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:53:39):
Yes.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:53:39):
Same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:53:40):
Yes.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:53:42):
Okay. It's admitted.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:11):
Now, Mr. King, when you get one of these requests and you pull the video, you don't necessarily know what you're looking for, right?
Charles Torres King (01:54:16):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:16):
You know you're looking for video.
Charles Torres King (01:54:19):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:20):
So we've got this software program here. How many software programs does PSCA use?
Charles Torres King (01:54:28):
Two.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:28):
Two. All right. And on this particular one, what do we see here on this array on the TV screen?
Charles Torres King (01:54:37):
Highlighted in the green is the date of the video pulled.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:42):
Okay.
Charles Torres King (01:54:43):
And then down there in where the bar thing's at, you have the bus number and the time down there. Okay. And then there's different camera angles.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:54):
All right. So is this the array of cameras available on this particular bus?
Charles Torres King (01:54:58):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:54:59):
So as his honor later in deliberations wants to go to the correct times, where would you put that? Where would you type that?
Charles Torres King (01:55:07):
Over there, you see next to the yellow search box?
Mr. Vonderheide (01:55:10):
Okay. I'm going to point for you. Tell me where to... Right here?
Charles Torres King (01:55:12):
Yeah, right there.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:55:15):
Okay. So right here you would type in the time, right?
Charles Torres King (01:55:17):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:55:17):
Okay. And when you click on one of those boxes that's separated out, will that go to a full screen view-
Charles Torres King (01:55:25):
Yes, it will.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:55:26):
... of the bus? And Your Honor, I will reserve publication of the rest of this video after we've described how it works until later.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:55:48):
All right. Very good.
Mr. Vonderheide (01:55:48):
I have no further questions and I'm going to pass the witness.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:55:51):
Any cross examination?
Tomasz Kosowski (01:55:54):
No, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:55:54):
All right. Thank you, sir. You may step down.
Charles Torres King (01:55:55):
All right.
Judge Joseph Bulone (01:55:56):
All right. Let's go ahead and take a 15-minute break and then we'll continue.
(01:55:59)
All right, you can be seated. All right. State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:13:01):
State calls Dominic Cosenza.
Clerk (02:13:07):
Sir, can you step this way, please? Stand right next to me. Raise your right hand.
Court Reporter (02:13:24):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Clerk (02:13:24):
Sir, come on over here. Watch your step as you're going up the steps. Make yourself comfortable and adjust the mic. Speak in a loud, clear voice, please.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:13:35):
Good morning, sir.
Dominic Cosenza (02:13:35):
Good morning.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:13:35):
State, you may inquire.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:13:37):
Sir, can I have you state your full name and spell it for the court reporter?
Dominic Cosenza (02:13:40):
Sure. First name's Dominic. Last name is Cosenza, D-O-M-I-N-I-C, C-O-S-E-N-Z-A.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:13:48):
And sir, where are you presently employed?
Dominic Cosenza (02:13:50):
Right now I'm an automotive technician at Final Touch Reconditioning.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:13:55):
Okay. Where were you working back in March of 2023?
Dominic Cosenza (02:13:58):
I worked at Main Street Express Car Wash in Dunedin, Florida.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:01):
Okay. What was your title there?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:03):
I was the manager, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:05):
All right. So as the manager, were you responsible for any issues that would involve surveillance videos?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:12):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:13):
All right. So you were familiar with where the cameras were located on your facility?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:17):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:18):
And you are familiar with how the data was recorded?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:23):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:24):
And you had access to download that information and provide it to whoever would need it?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:28):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:29):
Okay. So back in March of 2023, did some officers with Largo Police Department come to your location?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:35):
Yes, sir, they did.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:36):
All right. And did they ask you to download video for them?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:38):
That is correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:39):
And did you do so?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:40):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:41):
All right. So let me ask you this. Where is the Main Street Express Car Wash located?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:46):
It's at 1255 Belcher Road at the crossroad of 580 and Belcher.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:51):
Okay. 580 and Belcher. And we'll publish it a little later on, but did it have a pretty good camera system there on that?
Dominic Cosenza (02:14:57):
That is correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:14:57):
All right. So when you were asked to pull the video, did the law enforcement officers kind of tell you what time to look for?
Dominic Cosenza (02:15:06):
Sure. I think it was a little bit earlier in the morning, so we kind of did a little bit of briefing throughout the morning.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:11):
Okay. And may I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:15:13):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:14):
Oh, this is the video. I'm going to show you what's been previously marked as State's Exhibit 42 for identification purposes. Take a look at it and tell me if you recognize it.
Dominic Cosenza (02:15:24):
Yes, sir. I do.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:25):
All right. What do you recognize on that CD?
Dominic Cosenza (02:15:28):
The date and the initials.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:29):
Okay. And did you have an opportunity to view the contents of that DVD and observe that it was from your car wash?
Dominic Cosenza (02:15:36):
That is correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:36):
All right. And is that actually the same video that you pulled back in March of 2023?
Dominic Cosenza (02:15:41):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:41):
Your Honor, at this time I would request to move into evidence State's ID 42 and State's 42 with the continuing commentary that is not anything to do with any search warrants.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:15:52):
All right. Any objection?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:15:54):
Yes, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:15:54):
All right. Same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:15:54):
Yes, sir.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:15:54):
All right. Just in case.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:15:58):
And I'll reserve publication until law enforcement.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:16:01):
All right. Very good.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:16:00):
-- law enforcement.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:16:01):
All right. Very good.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:16:07):
I have no further questions. I'll pass the witness.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:16:08):
[inaudible 02:16:09]?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:16:08):
No questions, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:16:12):
Thank you. Thank you, sir.
Dominic Cosenza (02:16:13):
Thank you.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:16:13):
The state would call Robert Edwards.
Clerk (02:16:45):
Sir, can you step this way, please? Stand right next to me.
Court Reporter (02:17:02):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Robert Edwards (02:17:02):
Yes, I do.
Clerk (02:17:09):
Sir, can you step over here, please? Watch your steps. [inaudible 02:17:09]. Make yourself comfortable. Test the mic. Loud, clear voice.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:15):
Thank you, your Honor. Good morning.
Robert Edwards (02:17:16):
Good morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:18):
Will you please introduce yourself and spell your full name for the record?
Robert Edwards (02:17:21):
Couldn't hear you a little bit?
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:22):
Can you introduce yourself and spell your full name for the record?
Robert Edwards (02:17:25):
Robert Edwards.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:26):
Will you spell it for us?
Robert Edwards (02:17:27):
R-O-B-E-R-T, E-D-W-A-R-D-S.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:33):
Okay. And Mr. Edwards, where do you work?
Robert Edwards (02:17:35):
I work for the Pinellas County School Board.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:43):
Okay. And do you work at a specific school?
Robert Edwards (02:17:43):
Yes, I work at Sutherland Elementary.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:43):
Okay. And how long have you worked for Sutherland Elementary?
Robert Edwards (02:17:45):
Approximately nine years.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:47):
And what is your role there?
Robert Edwards (02:17:48):
Pardon?
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:49):
What is your role? What do you do there?
Robert Edwards (02:17:51):
I'm a school safety officer.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:53):
You're a safety officer?
Robert Edwards (02:17:54):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:55):
Okay. And were you doing that job back in March of 2023?
Robert Edwards (02:17:57):
Yes, I was.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:17:57):
Okay. Now, as part of your duties, do you have access to surveillance footage from that school?
Robert Edwards (02:18:05):
Yes, ma'am. Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:06):
So there are cameras at Sutherland?
Robert Edwards (02:18:08):
Yes, cameras.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:09):
Okay. And how many cameras are located?
Robert Edwards (02:18:12):
I have two cameras. All together, I got 30.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:15):
All together you have 30?
Robert Edwards (02:18:15):
Altogether 30.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:16):
Okay. Do you have two specific cameras that face Belcher?
Robert Edwards (02:18:20):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:20):
Okay. And do you remember speaking with law enforcement back in March?
Robert Edwards (02:18:28):
Yes, I do. March '23.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:28):
In March of 2023? Okay. And do you remember if they were looking for something specific from your surveillance footage?
Robert Edwards (02:18:34):
They was looking for a vehicle.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:36):
A vehicle?
Robert Edwards (02:18:37):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:38):
Do you remember what kind of vehicle?
Robert Edwards (02:18:39):
I think it was a gray, it's a pickup truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:42):
Pickup truck?
Robert Edwards (02:18:43):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:44):
Did you provide them with video surveillance from March 21st of-
Robert Edwards (02:18:47):
Yes, I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:49):
... of 2023?
Robert Edwards (02:18:50):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:50):
And did those two videos that you provided to them, did it capture Belcher Road?
Robert Edwards (02:18:56):
Pardon? I couldn't hear that again.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:18:57):
Did it capture Belcher?
Robert Edwards (02:18:59):
Yes, it did. Yes, it-
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:00):
And was the truck seen in those videos?
Robert Edwards (02:19:02):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:03):
May I approach the clerk?
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:19:12):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:12):
Showing Mr. Kosowski what has been pre-marked as State's 34 for identification. May I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:19:19):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:21):
All right. All right, Mr. Edwards, I'm handing you a disc. Do you recognize this?
Robert Edwards (02:19:26):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:28):
And are those your initials?
Robert Edwards (02:19:29):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:29):
Did you review what's on this disc?
Robert Edwards (02:19:31):
Yes, I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:32):
When was that?
Robert Edwards (02:19:33):
That's 9/11/26.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:38):
9/11/2026?
Robert Edwards (02:19:38):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:38):
And when you reviewed what's on this disc, did it capture surveillance footage from Sutherland Elementary School?
Robert Edwards (02:19:45):
Yes, that's correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:46):
And was that from March 21st of 2023?
Robert Edwards (02:19:49):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:50):
And are those the two cameras that are facing Belcher Road?
Robert Edwards (02:19:54):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:54):
And did you see the gray truck?
Robert Edwards (02:19:56):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:19:57):
Okay. Did you see which way it was traveling?
Robert Edwards (02:19:59):
North.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:20:00):
North?
Robert Edwards (02:20:01):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:20:01):
At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 34 for identification to State 34.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:20:07):
All right. Same objection. Same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:20:12):
Yes.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:20:14):
Thank you. Thank you. [inaudible 02:20:15].
Alexandra Spadaro (02:20:14):
Thank you, Your Honor. And we're going to reserve publication at this time. I have no further questions.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:20:25):
Any cross-examination?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:20:26):
No.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:20:28):
Sir, thank you. You may step down.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:20:34):
Thank you. State calls Kevin Healey.
Clerk (02:21:06):
Sir, step this way, please. Come stand right next to me, please.
Court Reporter (02:21:07):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Kevin Healey (02:21:07):
I do.
Clerk (02:21:26):
Sir, make your way this way. Watch your foot as you go up the steps. Have a seat. You can adjust the mic. Speak in a loud, clear voice, sir.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:21:41):
Good morning, sir.
Kevin Healey (02:21:41):
Good morning.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:21:41):
[inaudible 02:21:44] may inquire.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:21:44):
Mr. Healey, can I have you state your full name and spell your last name for the court reporter?
Kevin Healey (02:21:48):
Kevin Healey, H-E-A-L-E-Y.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:21:51):
Sir, where do you live?
Kevin Healey (02:21:54):
1612 Explorers Drive in Tarpon Springs.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:21:57):
Okay. So does your house have surveillance cameras?
Kevin Healey (02:22:01):
Yes, it does.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:02):
All right. Did you have surveillance cameras back in March of 2023?
Kevin Healey (02:22:05):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:06):
All right. So in March of 2023, were you contacted by a law enforcement officer to access your surveillance camera?
Kevin Healey (02:22:14):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:15):
All right. Let me ask you this. How many cameras do you got?
Kevin Healey (02:22:20):
On that system, eight.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:22):
Eight.
Kevin Healey (02:22:22):
Okay.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:23):
And you know it's recorded, right?
Kevin Healey (02:22:24):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:25):
And you have access to access those recordings?
Kevin Healey (02:22:29):
Yes, I do.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:30):
And how do you access those recordings?
Kevin Healey (02:22:32):
That I don't know.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:33):
Okay. Do you have a PIN number?
Kevin Healey (02:22:36):
Yes, I gave the officer the PIN number and he was able to access it.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:41):
All right. So the officer came to your house, you had the PIN number.
Kevin Healey (02:22:45):
Right.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:45):
You gave him the PIN number.
Kevin Healey (02:22:47):
Right.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:47):
And he downloaded footage from your camera system?
Kevin Healey (02:22:50):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:22:51):
All right. Let me ask you about 1612 Explorer Drive. If you head from your house in either direction, where are you going? Let's say you're going... Where is it situated on Explorer Drive? Are you on the north or the south side of the street?
Kevin Healey (02:23:07):
It's on the north side of the street.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:23:11):
Okay. So what happens if you go down to the, quote, end of the road? Is it a through road or is it in?
Kevin Healey (02:23:18):
It ends at the Gulf of America.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:23:20):
Okay. So it ends at the Gulf of America. Is there a street that takes you in another direction from there?
Kevin Healey (02:23:29):
Not from my house. Explorers Drive goes east and west.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:23:34):
Okay. Is Seaview Drive connected to that?
Kevin Healey (02:23:37):
Seaview Drive, you would go west.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:23:43):
Okay.
Kevin Healey (02:23:44):
And then it would be on your right side.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:23:48):
Okay. And when law enforcement came to your house to download video, did they give you any indication of what they were looking for on the video?
Kevin Healey (02:24:01):
They said they were looking for, I believe, a truck.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:04):
Okay.
Kevin Healey (02:24:04):
A certain type of truck.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:06):
All right. Your Honor, may I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:24:07):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:08):
I'm going to show you what's been previously marked as State's ID 43 for identification purposes. Take a look at State's 43 and tell me if you recognize it.
Kevin Healey (02:24:21):
Yes, I do.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:22):
All right. What do you recognize on that DVD there?
Kevin Healey (02:24:26):
Well, my initials and the date.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:28):
Okay.
Kevin Healey (02:24:29):
And also the address on the-
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:33):
Okay. And you had an opportunity to look at that?
Kevin Healey (02:24:35):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:36):
The imagery that is portrayed in that video, is it an accurate depiction of the cameras, one of the cameras?
Kevin Healey (02:24:42):
One of the cameras, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:43):
And that camera in particular looks out at your street?
Kevin Healey (02:24:46):
It looks out on Explorers Drive, right.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:49):
And particularly the time and the date was relevant to the time and date law enforcement showed up?
Kevin Healey (02:24:53):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:24:54):
Your Honor, at this time, I would request to move in this independently collected, not subject to a search warrant evidence to State's ID 43 as State's 43.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:25:04):
All right. Same objection and the same basis?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:25:07):
Yes, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:25:08):
Same ruling, it's admitted.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:25:09):
Thank you. And Your Honor, I will reserve publication until detective testifies.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:25:13):
All right. Very good.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:25:14):
I have no further questions.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:25:14):
Any cross-examination?
Tomasz Kosowski (02:25:14):
Nothing.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:25:18):
Thank you, sir. You may step down. State, please call your next witness.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:25:36):
Yes, your Honor. The State will call Mark Zebersky.
Clerk (02:26:01):
Sir, can you step this way, please? Come stand here next to me. Please stand and raise your right hand, sir.
Court Reporter (02:26:17):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mark Zebersky (02:26:17):
I do.
Clerk (02:26:21):
Sir, come this way. Watch your step going up the stairs. Make yourself comfortable in the seat. Adjust to the mic if you need to and speak in a loud, clear voice, please.
Mark Zebersky (02:26:29):
Okay.
Clerk (02:26:29):
Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:26:29):
Good morning, sir.
Mark Zebersky (02:26:29):
Hi, good morning.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:26:29):
[inaudible 02:26:36].
Alexandra Spadaro (02:26:35):
Thank you, Your Honor. Good morning.
Mark Zebersky (02:26:36):
Good morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:26:37):
Will you please introduce yourself and spell your full name for the record?
Mark Zebersky (02:26:41):
My name is Mark Zebersky. Last name Z-E-B-E-R-S-K-Y.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:26:46):
And is Mark M-A-R-K?
Mark Zebersky (02:26:47):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:26:48):
Okay. And where do you work?
Mark Zebersky (02:26:51):
I'm retired.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:26:52):
Congratulations.
Mark Zebersky (02:26:53):
Thank you.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:26:53):
As of when?
Mark Zebersky (02:26:55):
2018. I worked for the Essex County Department of Corrections for 15 years.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:00):
Okay. Back in March 2023, where were you working?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:04):
I was. I was hired by then.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:05):
Okay. Were you involved with the condominium complex?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:09):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:09):
Okay. How so?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:11):
Well, I was on the board and I did all the security thing. I set up all the security cameras, but basically just being on the board.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:18):
You were on the board-
Mark Zebersky (02:27:18):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:18):
... and set up the security cameras?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:19):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:20):
Okay. Seascape Condominium Complex, where is that located?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:24):
1401 Curlew Place in Tarpon Springs.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:27):
Okay. And are there surveillance cameras? How many surveillance cameras are there?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:33):
We have 11.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:33):
11?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:33):
Right.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:34):
Okay. Where are they located on the complex?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:37):
They're all around the clubhouse because it all has to be connected to the DVR in the clubhouse and they're showing a 360 of the facility.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:48):
Okay. And how are the videos kept? Are they on a drive? Are they on-
Mark Zebersky (02:27:54):
On the DVR.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:54):
DVR?
Mark Zebersky (02:27:55):
And basically it's about two weeks of storage on the DVR.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:27:59):
Okay. And how are you able to access surveillance footage from that DVR?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:03):
It's just a playback and you just go, you put in the time and date or a range of time and date and you just watch it for whatever you need to get.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:15):
Okay. So it records those videos?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:16):
That's correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:17):
And stores it for-
Mark Zebersky (02:28:17):
Digitally.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:18):
Digitally?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:18):
Right.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:19):
And stores it for a certain period of time?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:21):
About two weeks.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:22):
Okay. And does everyone have access to it or is-
Mark Zebersky (02:28:26):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:26):
No?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:26):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:27):
Okay.
Mark Zebersky (02:28:27):
I'm it.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:28):
You're it?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:28):
I'm it.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:29):
Okay. Back in March of 2023, do you recall law enforcement coming and trying to locate some surveillance footage from you?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:36):
Yes. I wasn't there. What happened was the president of the board was there and she gave them my name, the detective, the Largo detective, and he called me and said to me, "Can you please look through your video for something?"
Alexandra Spadaro (02:28:49):
Okay. Do you recall what they were looking for specifically?
Mark Zebersky (02:28:52):
He was looking for a Toyota Tundra, a silver Toyota Tundra. I said I needed a range because I couldn't just sit there for hours to look. So he told me it would be somewhere between 11:45 and maybe 12:15, somewhere around there. And he said it would be a silver Toyota Tundra and it would have something possibly red in the back.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:15):
Okay.
Mark Zebersky (02:29:15):
That what I identified?
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:17):
And when they're talking about that timeframe, is that referring to March 21st of 2023?
Mark Zebersky (02:29:23):
I though it was March 23rd. No, March 21st. Yeah, whatever that day was. Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:27):
How about this? Did you pull something for them?
Mark Zebersky (02:29:29):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:29):
And did it have a date and timestamp?
Mark Zebersky (02:29:31):
Correct. Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:32):
May I approach the clerk? I'm showing Dr. Kosowski what's been marked as State's 41 for identification. May I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:29:44):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:47):
Okay. Mr. Zebersky, I'm handing you what's been pre-marked as State's 41 for identification. Do you recognize this?
Mark Zebersky (02:29:52):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:29:53):
And what is it?
Mark Zebersky (02:29:54):
It's the camera that's in the front that shows a car, a Toyota. Well, whatever it is, a silver truck headed west on Curlew Place. The only thing is that the timestamp is off by six minutes because every few minutes it'll add... Every few days it'll add a day. I'm sorry, a minute or so. So it has to be calibrated monthly. But when I look to see the live time, it was six minutes off. So it would be, even though the timestamp says 11:59 on Tuesday the 21st, it was actually 11:53.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:30:27):
11:53 on March 21st, 2023?
Mark Zebersky (02:30:29):
That's correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:30:30):
Okay. And this still picture, is this kind of like a screen grab or a picture of the surveillance footage that captured this truck back [inaudible 02:30:38]?
Mark Zebersky (02:30:37):
It's a snapshot because what it was, was when it flew by, you couldn't catch it. So I had to do frame by frame and the frame that it was... It was only in two of the frames, so I was able to take a snapshot of it.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:30:50):
Okay. And is this snapshot, does this fairly and accurately depict what you provided to law enforcement back in March?
Mark Zebersky (02:30:54):
That's exactly what I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:30:56):
Exactly what you provided?
Mark Zebersky (02:30:56):
Exactly.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:30:57):
Okay. At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 41 for identification as State's 41.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:31:03):
All right. Same objection and the same basis.
Tomasz Kosowski (02:31:05):
Yes, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:31:06):
Same ruling.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:08):
Thank you. Permission to publish?
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:31:10):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:11):
Thank you. Can you see that okay?
Mark Zebersky (02:31:16):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:17):
Okay. Is this that gray truck, the silver truck that they were looking for that you found?
Mark Zebersky (02:31:23):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:23):
Okay. And you said that they identified there might be something in the bed of that truck?
Mark Zebersky (02:31:27):
They said the way you'd be able to tell. I said there's so many silver trucks that go by. He said, "Well, look for something that's orange or red in the back of the truck."
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:36):
Okay. And does this still or snapshot capture that?
Mark Zebersky (02:31:38):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:39):
Okay. And you had mentioned that it was going west on Curlew, right?
Mark Zebersky (02:31:45):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:45):
So is this road right here Curlew?
Mark Zebersky (02:31:46):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (02:31:47):
Okay. Thank you. I have no further questions at this time. Thank you, sir.
Mark Zebersky (02:31:55):
Okay.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:31:57):
Any cross examination? All right. Thank you, sir. You may step down.
Mark Zebersky (02:31:59):
Thank you.
Clerk (02:31:59):
Watch your step, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:32:04):
Your Honor, we've been very efficient again this morning for some reason, so our witnesses will be here at noon. I don't know maybe this is the appropriate time to take our sort of afternoon break.
Judge Joseph Bulone (02:32:21):
All right. Well, we can either do that or we can take a half an hour break before lunch, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. So let's do this. Let's take an hour for lunch. Since we're not in a time crunch at all for the convenience of our court observers, give them a whole hour [inaudible 02:32:40]. So we'll see you back at 12:30.
Mr. Vonderheide (02:32:21):
Okay. Thank you, Your Honor.
Clerk (02:32:21):
All rise.
Speaker 8 (02:50:00):
(silence)
Judge (03:32:22):
... Hear it if you were talking to yourself. I would see your lips moving and I would see you talking to yourself.
Mr. Kosowski (03:32:26):
I object to this microphone being here.
Judge (03:32:28):
All right, fine. Then we'll just take it away. Okay? But don't talk to yourself too loudly because you might interrupt things. Okay? Is that okay with you?
Mr. Kosowski (03:32:43):
Will you take it away right now please?
Judge (03:32:44):
You can talk to yourself in a soft tone of voice. Okay?
Mr. Kosowski (03:32:45):
Will you take it away right now please?
Judge (03:32:45):
Yeah, sure. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (03:32:45):
[inaudible 03:32:51].
Judge (03:33:05):
All right. Any other issues? Mr. Kosowski?
Mr. Kosowski (03:33:10):
No, your Honor.
Judge (03:33:10):
All right. State, any issues we need to talk about?
Mr. Vonderheide (03:33:12):
No, Your Honor.
Judge (03:33:13):
All right. So they have taken the microphone away. All right. State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:33:19):
State calls Jennifer Bure.
Speaker 10 (03:33:30):
Step this way, officer.
Speaker 11 (03:33:31):
Stand right next to me. [inaudible 03:33:42].
Speaker 12 (03:33:41):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Speaker 11 (03:33:47):
Come on over here. Make yourself comfortable in the seat and adjust the mic. Good afternoon, ma'am. You may inquire.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:01):
Officer Bure, could you please state your full name and spell your last name for the court reporter?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:04):
Jennifer Bure, and last name is B-U-R-E.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:07):
And where are you presently employed?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:09):
Largo Police Department.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:10):
All right. So how long have you been with Largo Police Department?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:13):
15 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:14):
Okay. Have you been in law enforcement for longer than that?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:17):
20 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:17):
20 years. All right. So where have you worked besides Largo Police Department?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:22):
I was a police officer in Lake County, Illinois.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:24):
Okay. And when did you do that?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:28):
When did I come back?
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:29):
Yeah.
Jennifer Bure (03:34:31):
April of this year.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:33):
Okay. And when did you leave for Lake County, Illinois?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:35):
2017.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:37):
Okay.
Jennifer Bure (03:34:41):
2016 ... I've moved multiple times.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:43):
All right. So you've left Largo PD multiple times and come back?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:46):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:46):
So one of those times that you were with Largo Police Department would've been in March of 2023?
Jennifer Bure (03:34:50):
Correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:34:51):
Okay. And on a date in March of 2023, were you called out to 1501 Belcher Road?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:01):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:01):
Why were you called out to that location?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:03):
I was originally dispatched as a welfare check. Jake Blanchard called in concerned that his employee, Steven Cozzi, was in the office and now nowhere to be found.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:14):
Okay. Were you the first responding officer to that scene?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:16):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:17):
And what time of day did you arrive?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:19):
We were dispatched around 11:45.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:21):
Okay. And did you just write a police report as a result of the work that you did in this case?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:27):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:28):
All right. So if you need to refer to it to refresh your recollection, do you have a copy to help yourself?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:32):
I do.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:32):
Okay. So you get there at about 11:45-ish in the morning. Is that building located in Pinellas County, Florida?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:41):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:41):
All right. Who did you meet with first?
Jennifer Bure (03:35:44):
Jake Blanchard.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:35:45):
Tell me about Jake Blanchard's demeanor.
Jennifer Bure (03:35:48):
He was visibly upset. When he spoke with me, his hands would shake. He spoke very fast, very panicky, kind of one direction to the other, tried to show me around the office and explained why he had a concern.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:36:05):
All right. So tell me about where's the first place that he led you to?
Jennifer Bure (03:36:07):
Into Steven's office to just kind of show the state in which it was left.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:36:12):
All right. Tell me about the state that you observed his office in.
Jennifer Bure (03:36:16):
I believe he had a couple of computer screens up. One specifically was like, he was mid-email. He was conducting a formal email to somebody.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:36:25):
And when you got there, because the pictures we have are from later on with forensics, they show the screens turned off or a screensaver. When you got there, could you actually observe it was in the middle of an email?
Jennifer Bure (03:36:36):
Yeah, I could see some court documents on one and there was court paperwork on the ... It was like an L-shaped desk, so he had multiple things out. His phone was still plugged in playing like Pandora, whatever station he'd had it on.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:36:52):
All right. So his phone is there, it's plugged in and it's playing music?
Jennifer Bure (03:36:54):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:36:54):
What else was in the office?
Jennifer Bure (03:36:56):
His keys, his wallet, his lunch that he brought in that morning. He had a coat rack with sweaters and jackets he would use if he had to go to court for the day.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:37:08):
Okay. So it appeared that it was in a state as if he was coming right back to the office?
Jennifer Bure (03:37:13):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:37:14):
All right. And is Jake Blanchard, again, he's frantic, he's showing you around the space?
Jennifer Bure (03:37:19):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:37:20):
Is he explaining to you why this is all unusual?
Jennifer Bure (03:37:22):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:37:23):
All right. Where do you go from there?
Jennifer Bure (03:37:24):
He showed me into the building's bathroom and showed me the spots of interest in that.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:37:33):
All right. Well, let's describe the bathroom. How did he take you there? Do you remember which door you exited out of?
Jennifer Bure (03:37:37):
I believe we went out the ... So Steven's office had one door and then a rear exit door and that exit door that took you out to the ... This is the most confusing building ever, but it took you out to another hallway and then where the restrooms were.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:37:52):
All right. So you go into this main hallway out there and it goes to where the restrooms are. Did you ever go to the left to look at the other suites that were in that-
Jennifer Bure (03:38:00):
I canvassed that whole building throughout the time there.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:38:03):
Okay. We'll talk about that in a second. So you go to the bathroom first. Did you go into the bathroom?
Jennifer Bure (03:38:08):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:38:08):
What did you observe when you got into the bathroom?
Jennifer Bure (03:38:10):
The first thing that I observed and noticed was the extremely strong smell of bleach. The bathroom was kind of a mess. There was a trash can to the right wall full of tissue and toilet paper. Next to the counter, it's like a single stall sink, was a urinal that's just open. And then there's one stall with a lockable bathroom door and then the toilet in there. And the door, when you open the stall door, was a big blue stain on the wall. And I asked Jake about that. I assumed that was whatever the bleach scent was coming from. He said that was not there this morning when everyone arrived to work. There was blood underneath on the outside of the toilet bowl and some splatter throughout the bathroom area.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:39:03):
All right. Did you see some kind of in the area of the urinal as well?
Jennifer Bure (03:39:06):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:39:06):
All right.
Jennifer Bure (03:39:06):
There was along the exterior wall of the bathroom stall.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:39:09):
When you saw that bathroom, did you think that that was a normal situation for-
Jennifer Bure (03:39:13):
No, that was my second red flag, I guess, if you will.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:39:17):
What did you do as a result of having observed that mess in unusual circumstances in the bathroom?
Jennifer Bure (03:39:26):
Took this as this isn't somebody who just walked away to go smoke a cigarette outside the property. And again, my thought process at the time was, I don't really know what I have, but I need to have people stay out of this room. So Jake brought a box and I wrote out of service or out of order on it, and I told all the staff that was in the building to please stay out of that bathroom. And there was only a few people and most of them really, they knew not to go near the bathroom.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:39:57):
All right. So Mr. Blanchard brings you a box, like what, two feet long or something?
Jennifer Bure (03:40:01):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:01):
And you wrote out of order on it with a marker?
Jennifer Bure (03:40:03):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:04):
Okay. Later on in your time having been there, did you have an officer posted to make sure nobody went into that bathroom?
Jennifer Bure (03:40:11):
I did. My second backup, Officer Jones, I instructed him that he needed to guard the space.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:16):
All right. And did he do so?
Jennifer Bure (03:40:17):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:17):
All right. So after you observed the bathroom, you do the box with out of order on it. Where do you go from there?
Jennifer Bure (03:40:25):
My order of when I did these things might be jumbled because they were done multiple times.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:30):
Sure.
Jennifer Bure (03:40:30):
I went out to Jake's car to just see if, confirm it was in fact there, added the plate to the call.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:35):
When you say Jake's car, who do you-
Jennifer Bure (03:40:36):
Not Jake's car. Steven's car, excuse me.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:38):
Okay.
Jennifer Bure (03:40:39):
There was no suspicious circumstances about the vehicle. It was completely secured. Nothing.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:40:43):
And did you call in the plate, make sure everything was good?
Jennifer Bure (03:40:45):
I did. I believe I went back out to the car multiple times just to cross my Ts. I went through every office in that building, including the electrical closet, and then at some point Michael showed up on scene.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:05):
Okay. Did you talk to him?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:06):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:07):
What was Michael's demeanor like?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:09):
He was a little bit calmer than Jake was, but still very concerned. This was not usual for him. He kind of explained that Steven had a very typical pattern to his days, and that's when we started going through let's check credit card activity. Maybe he walked to the gas station and got a soda or something. But again, all of his cards were typically in the wallet, which was still on scene.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:33):
All right. So you're checking out bank activity, went to his car. I want to go back to where you went through all these other suites that were in this office building. Do you recall how many empty suites there were in the building?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:46):
Too many.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:47):
Too many?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:47):
Oh, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:48):
More than one?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:49):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:50):
More than two?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:51):
Definitely.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:51):
All right. And when you access them, do you recall if those doors were locked or unlocked when you accessed them?
Jennifer Bure (03:41:57):
They were all open for us to access.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:41:59):
Okay. And you went through those suites?
Jennifer Bure (03:42:02):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:02):
What did you observe when you were in those suites?
Jennifer Bure (03:42:04):
Most of them just had spare chairs and office equipment, like tables in them. There was nothing on the walls, nothing.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:11):
None occupied by a business?
Jennifer Bure (03:42:12):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:12):
All right. Did the doors to the outside appear to be open just for anybody to come into those suites?
Jennifer Bure (03:42:20):
No, you couldn't enter. I know several people that were coming to assist would try a door and they were locked from the inside.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:26):
So while you could access them from the inside, they were unlocked. Coming in from the outside, they were locked?
Jennifer Bure (03:42:32):
No, I believe that they were all deadbolted. So one of them, I even tried to go out and I remember I had to fiddle with it to get it to open so I could exit to the parking lot.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:39):
All right. So when you're in one of those ... Well, let me ask this way. When you're inside the building, you were able to access those empty-
Jennifer Bure (03:42:47):
The empty offices, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:48):
Right. But to get out of those, you would have to turn a deadbolt?
Jennifer Bure (03:42:51):
Yes. And someone would have to secure it behind me.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:42:54):
All right. So if somebody had to leave out of one of those empty suites, they would have to have a key to lock the deadbolt or somebody would have to lock it behind them?
Jennifer Bure (03:43:02):
That's correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:43:02):
And you found all of those exterior doors to be locked and bolted?
Jennifer Bure (03:43:06):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:43:06):
Okay. Anything of note or unusual in those empty suites other than stacked up furniture?
Jennifer Bure (03:43:14):
Off the top of my head, no.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:43:17):
Would you have documented it if there was?
Jennifer Bure (03:43:18):
Yeah. If there was a broken window or a screen missing, those are typically things that we note.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:43:23):
Okay. So if there's no documentation and no one followed up with it, then that didn't exist?
Jennifer Bure (03:43:27):
Right.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:43:28):
Okay. So you checked all the empty suites. Where do you go kind of from there and there?
Jennifer Bure (03:43:35):
I started having other officers go to Steven's house and clear the building to make sure that he didn't somehow return home. I was concerned there was a medical emergency and that maybe he'd left to change his clothes and was embarrassed by what happened so that he'd kind of gotten home. In the mix of that, Michael showed up and we were just trying to make sure that he wasn't at home.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:43:56):
Okay. And you said a medical emergency. Was there that much blood that you observed that you thought something really bad happened?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:02):
Right. Yeah, and it was in the bathroom, so I was also wondering. I had officers go to nearby businesses and bars, walk up and down sidewalks, and then I notified my sergeant that I think he needed to come out.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:17):
Do you know about how long from when you first arrived to when you called your sergeant to say they needed to come out?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:24):
I can't recall.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:26):
Over an hour?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:26):
I would say over an hour, but it was around lunchtime.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:30):
Okay. At some point, do you end up in the vet's office?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:34):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:35):
In the administrative offices?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:36):
Mm-hm.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:36):
And why were you in the administrative offices of the-
Jennifer Bure (03:44:39):
That's where the employees were that could give me access to surveillance.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:44):
Okay. And did you meet with one of the employees who gave you access to surveillance?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:48):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:48):
And were there any detectives on scene at that point when you were looking?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:51):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:53):
Okay. And so do you remember the name of the lady that gave you access?
Jennifer Bure (03:44:55):
I don't. She was pretty blonde.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:44:57):
Okay. You would've written her name down?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:00):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:01):
And if she had testified earlier, obviously you wrote her name down and we found out her name.
Jennifer Bure (03:45:04):
Okay. What's her name?
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:06):
She's on your body camera.
Jennifer Bure (03:45:07):
Okay. Yes, she is.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:09):
Okay. You sat there with her and watched the surveillance video. Did you have any context for what you ... Did you know who anybody was?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:15):
No. I kind of wanted to just start at the beginning of the day and see when Steven arrived and when he left. I was trying to find out where we went.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:24):
Did someone come with you to point out where Steven was in the surveillance ever at any point?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:30):
As far as Jake or ...
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:32):
Yeah.
Jennifer Bure (03:45:32):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:33):
Okay. So you were just watching the surveillance footage throughout?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:35):
Mm-hm.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:37):
Did detectives later show up and then you were with them when they watched surveillance footage as well?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:42):
I started giving them a rundown to show them what I'd found through the surveillance.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:46):
All right. And do you recall which detective showed up there?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:49):
Detective Hunt was the first to show up to kind of assess if ISD needed to respond.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:55):
Okay. And then did Detective Bolton show up as well at some point?
Jennifer Bure (03:45:58):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:45:59):
All right. Did they view the surveillance with you?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:01):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:02):
And how long from start to when you checked out of that scene were you there, if you can recall?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:08):
I didn't leave until almost 7:00 PM.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:10):
All right. So you were there from 11:45-ish to 7:00 PM?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:13):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:13):
And during that time, was the bathroom protected from people entering it until forensics arrived?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:20):
I was still on scene when forensics got there, and that's when they officially secured it and started processing.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:26):
Okay. Was Officer Jones there protecting the door for most of it?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:30):
If he hadn't been, I believe he got relieved by Officer Alameda. Somebody relieved him at some point so he could go home.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:37):
So you and Largo Police Department ensured that someone was protecting the crime scene until then?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:42):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:44):
All right. Did you also meet with a Rebecca Waters that day?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:46):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:48):
Okay. And did she describe to you kind of what she had observed that morning as well?
Jennifer Bure (03:46:53):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:46:57):
At some point, do you enter Mr. Cozzi into FCIC and CIC as a missing person?
Jennifer Bure (03:47:01):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:47:10):
May I have a moment?
Judge (03:47:11):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (03:47:29):
I have nothing further for this witness. I'll pass the witness to Dr. Kosowski.
Judge (03:47:32):
Okay. Any cross-examination?
Speaker 13 (03:47:33):
No, Your Honor.
Judge (03:47:35):
All right. Thank you. Ma'am, you may step down. State, please call your next witness.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:48:11):
Yes, Your Honor. The State of Florida calls Detective Jerry Hunt.
Speaker 12 (03:48:22):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Jerry Hunt (03:48:26):
I do.
Judge (03:48:26):
Detective. Good afternoon sir.
Jerry Hunt (03:48:39):
Good afternoon, Your Honor.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:48:42):
Thank you, Your Honor. Good afternoon.
Jerry Hunt (03:48:43):
Good afternoon.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:48:44):
Will you please state your name and spell it for the record?
Jerry Hunt (03:48:47):
Jerry Hunt. J-E-R-R-Y H-U-N-T.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:48:51):
And where do you work?
Jerry Hunt (03:48:52):
I currently work for the Largo Police Department.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:48:54):
How long have you worked for Largo?
Jerry Hunt (03:48:57):
I transferred to the police department in December of 2007.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:49:00):
Where'd you transfer from?
Jerry Hunt (03:49:02):
I was a civilian, worked for the rec and parks division and went to the police academy, became a police officer.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:49:06):
Okay. And what is your current position at Largo Police Department?
Jerry Hunt (03:49:10):
I currently work for the Training and Recruiting Division, and I'm the agency's recruiter.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:49:14):
Okay. And how long have you held that position for?
Jerry Hunt (03:49:18):
I left homicide back in July of last year, so just over a year.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:49:22):
Okay. And what are your duties now as a recruiter?
Jerry Hunt (03:49:24):
I work with the training division. I do recruiting events. I speak at colleges and make contacts with criminology divisions and look for the next generation of law enforcement to hire.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:49:36):
Okay. Now you said that you left homicide, and when was that? I'm sorry. When did you leave the Homicide Unit?
Jerry Hunt (03:49:43):
Last year in July.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:49:44):
July of last year. How long were you in the homicide unit?
Jerry Hunt (03:49:48):
I transferred into the Investigative Services Division in December of 2020, and then probably around April or May of 2021, I was in there temporarily until I got a full-time spot.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:50:01):
Okay. In addition to homicides, what other cases did you handle when you were in that position?
Jerry Hunt (03:50:06):
So we're part of the Crimes Against Persons Division, so it's all robbery, homicide, sex crimes, crimes against children.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:50:12):
Okay. And can you tell the court about your training, the training that you went through in order to become a detective in that unit?
Jerry Hunt (03:50:20):
Yeah, so I had extensive training as a patrol officer. I was one of our crime scene investigators, so I did advanced and basic crime scene investigation, crime scene photography. I worked as a traffic homicide investigator for a number of years before I became a detective. And then when I became a detective, I went to interview and interrogation, kinesics, did basic homicide investigation, child homicide investigations, infant and child death investigations. I sat on the child abuse death review board for Pasco and Pinellas Counties to review death cases of children and things like that.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:50:56):
Okay. So you'd mentioned that I think you started in 2021?
Jerry Hunt (03:50:59):
Yeah, 2021 with CAP.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:01):
Okay. And CAP is Crimes Against Persons?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:02):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:03):
So then you would've been working in this capacity back in March of 2023?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:07):
That is correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:08):
So on March 21st, 2023, did you ultimately respond to 1501 South Belcher Road in Largo to investigate what was initially believed to be a missing person?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:18):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:19):
Okay. And is that location in Pinellas County?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:21):
Yes, it's in Largo, Florida in Pinellas County.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:23):
Now, who was that missing person?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:25):
Steven Cozzi.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:27):
Approximately what time did you get to 1501 South Belcher?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:30):
I was contacted around 1:32 by Sergeant Reckla, who was the patrol sergeant, and Detective Bolton and I responded, and we got on scene at 1:51.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:39):
1:51? Is that where the Blanchard Law is located?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:43):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:43):
Okay. Did any other detectives go with you?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:46):
Initially, it was just myself and Detective Bolton.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:48):
And Detective Bolton?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:49):
Correct. And then after we had been on scene for a little while and we determined that we needed more assistance, we did a call-out for the entire division.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:51:56):
The entire division. How many people is that?
Jerry Hunt (03:51:59):
It was all the property crimes detectives and the CAP detectives, so probably like eight people.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:05):
Okay. So were you and Detective Bolton the two first responding detectives?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:10):
That's correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:11):
Okay. Were there other law enforcement officers on scene, like patrol officers?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:15):
Yes. Patrol had been on scene. Officer Bure was the primary patrol officer, and Officer Jones was also on scene.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:20):
Okay. Did you meet with Officer Burr and Officer Jones when you got there?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:24):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:25):
And prior to your arrival, did any of them locate or review surveillance footage capturing the entrance and exit to where the law firm is located?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:34):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:35):
Did you ultimately review that surveillance footage?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:37):
I later reviewed it, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:38):
And was Steven Cozzi identified in the surveillance footage?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:41):
He was identified as arriving to work that morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:44):
Okay. Who identified him?
Jerry Hunt (03:52:47):
I believe we did a screenshot and showed it to Mr. Blanchard.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:52:51):
Okay. And you were about to say what time he was seen arriving, and when was that?
Jerry Hunt (03:53:05):
He was arriving at 8:37 AM that morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:53:07):
Okay. And did you see what he was wearing?
Jerry Hunt (03:53:10):
He had a red sweater and some jeans.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:53:13):
Did you see anything else while you were reviewing that surveillance footage that points to the entrance of where the Blanchard Law Firm is located that was relevant to your investigation?
Jerry Hunt (03:53:23):
We had located a male enter the business that was somewhat odd. We didn't know who he was. He was dressed in jeans. He had a long sleeve white shirt on, a backpack. He was carrying a box that was over his shoulder.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:53:39):
And do you know what time that person arrived that you didn't know who it was at the time?
Jerry Hunt (03:53:43):
That was at 8:34 AM that he was seen entering the business.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:53:47):
Entering the actual door where the law firm was at 8:34?
Jerry Hunt (03:53:49):
Yeah, the main door was into the foyer.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:53:51):
So prior to Steven arriving is when he is walking in with this box and a backpack?
Jerry Hunt (03:53:55):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:53:56):
Okay. Did you ultimately enter Suite B, or building B, because there's two buildings?
Jerry Hunt (03:54:03):
Yes. The property has two buildings. Building A is out to the north. That's where the surveillance camera is located that points to building B and we entered building B.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:54:11):
Okay. And did you enter through that atrium?
Jerry Hunt (03:54:14):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:54:15):
What did you see when you entered the building?
Jerry Hunt (03:54:18):
As you enter into the atrium, the law office is on the left. There's a technical group on the right. There's a door straight ahead that kind of leads into a hallway where there's a bathroom. That's the area where Officer Jones was. There was a box that was placed there that had an out of order sign. I later learned that Mr. Blanchard had placed that box there after he had contacted the police when Mr. Cozzi had gone missing.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:54:42):
Okay. Now, Officer Jones, you said was standing outside that door?
Jerry Hunt (03:54:45):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:54:45):
And do you know what the purpose of that was?
Jerry Hunt (03:54:48):
At that time, we were relayed that there had been blood found in the bathroom. There was a very strong odor of cleaning supplies and cleaning products that had been used. So he was there just kind of maintaining security of that.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:55:01):
Preserving what could potentially-
Jerry Hunt (03:55:02):
Preserving anything that could be, yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:55:04):
Potentially be a crime scene?
Jerry Hunt (03:55:05):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:55:05):
Because you didn't at the time when you arrived?
Jerry Hunt (03:55:07):
At the time when we got there, we didn't really know what we had, so we were trying to figure it out.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:55:11):
Okay. Now, did you enter the men's bathroom?
Jerry Hunt (03:55:13):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:55:14):
And when you entered the men's bathroom, what did you observe?
Jerry Hunt (03:55:17):
Inside the bathroom, I was kind of taken over by an overwhelming smell of ... It smelled like very strong bleach. There was a blood swipe on the outside of the door, there was a red liquid consistent with blood. There were blood droplets next to the urinal on the partition that divides the urinal and the stall area where the toilet is. There was some blood smearing on the front of the toilet bowl. There was a very dark red liquid on the ground, like remnants where there was swirling kind of going toward the drain. And then there was portions of the wall next to the toilet were damaged, like the paint was kind of coming off and things like that. There was discoloration on the wall.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:56:02):
Now when you say the paint was kind of coming off, is that what you would normally see, just like big paint chippings or was it something that was more concerning?
Jerry Hunt (03:56:08):
It looked like a chemical reaction.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:56:11):
A chemical reaction. Why do you say that? What color was it?
Jerry Hunt (03:56:13):
It was just kind of like a light bluish, like fading of the paint and it was just kind of smeared in areas. There's good photographs of it.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:56:23):
Okay. And the court's seen those photographs. You mentioned previously that Jake Blanchard was able to identify Steven Causey in a screenshot of that surveillance footage?
Jerry Hunt (03:56:33):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:56:34):
So did you speak with him and find out what was going on from his perspective?
Jerry Hunt (03:56:39):
Detective Bolton and I made contact with him. We did a kind of precursory interview with him to find out what was going on. He was obviously the initial complainant that had called police.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:56:48):
And before we talk about what he said while you were speaking to him, what was his demeanor like?
Jerry Hunt (03:56:53):
He was kind of upset, kind of frantic, kind of concerned for the wellbeing of Mr. Cozzi. He described him as a great employee. He had missed a telephonic hearing that morning and it was out of character for him and he left all his personal items behind. His vehicle was in the parking lot and no one knew where he was, so he was rightfully concerned for his wellbeing.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:57:13):
Did he tell you what time ... While he's describing this, does he sound startled and upset and frantic?
Jerry Hunt (03:57:19):
Yeah, he was upset. Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:57:20):
And while he was talking to you about this, did he tell you what time that telephonic hearing was?
Jerry Hunt (03:57:24):
It was scheduled for 10:30 that morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:57:26):
And he had missed that hearing?
Jerry Hunt (03:57:27):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:57:28):
Did he tell you what the matter was for that hearing, what the case was at that time?
Jerry Hunt (03:57:33):
I believe it was a civil case involving Dr. Kosowski.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:57:35):
Okay. Did he also talk to you about whether or not there was a security system inside of the building?
Jerry Hunt (03:57:47):
Yeah. So they have a contract with Ironshield Security. There's security sensors on the doors and he had checked that security system and there had been an opening and closing event that had been logged at 9:50. The ...
Jerry Hunt (03:58:00):
... and closing event that had been logged at 9:50. The law office has a rear entrance that goes right into Mr. Cozzi's office. And that was the door that was registered as having that opening and closing event.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:58:13):
Okay. And that door into Steven Cozzi's office, does that lead into the hallway where the men's restroom is located?
Jerry Hunt (03:58:19):
Yes. So the hallway, it's kind of like an L, so it leads into the side of the hallway to go directly into the long portion where the doors are for the restroom.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:58:29):
Now, while you're inside building B, do you see any videos, surveillance, or cameras that are actually inside of that building?
Jerry Hunt (03:58:35):
So for the law office, there was a doorbell camera that was there. I inquired whether or not there would be a live feed surveillance. I learned from the office and then also from the security company later on that it only captures video if the button's pressed and the button hadn't been pressed, so there was nothing inside the business-
Alexandra Spadaro (03:58:54):
So you actually reached out to the company, the Iron Shield company?
Jerry Hunt (03:58:58):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:58:58):
And you had confirmed that there was no button pressed in order for it to trigger that recording?
Jerry Hunt (03:59:03):
That is correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:59:04):
Okay. Did you have an opportunity to speak with Rebecca Waters?
Jerry Hunt (03:59:11):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:59:12):
And while you were speaking with her, is she the one who informed you about the Ring or the doorbell?
Jerry Hunt (03:59:12):
She is.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:59:12):
Okay. While you're speaking with her, did you notice that there was any other surveillance footage that you wanted to look into at that time?
Jerry Hunt (03:59:27):
So obviously we wanted to view all of the external surveillance and that takes time, try to get a timeline and things like that of anybody who had been coming and going.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:59:37):
In addition to the surveillance footage that was capturing the entrance into building B, was there other video surveillance along the perimeter of that property?
Jerry Hunt (03:59:45):
There were some surveillance. I think there was a camera in the vet office that went outside a door to get a portion of the parking lot.
Alexandra Spadaro (03:59:52):
Okay. Did Steven Cozzi's husband, Michael Montgomery, did he respond to the scene?
Jerry Hunt (04:00:02):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:00:03):
And did you have an opportunity to speak with him?
Jerry Hunt (04:00:05):
Yes. Detective Bolton and I both had a preliminary interview with him as well.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:00:08):
And before talking about what he said, did he also appear upset?
Jerry Hunt (04:00:12):
He was very upset and frantic.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:00:14):
Startled?
Jerry Hunt (04:00:14):
Very concerned for his husband's wellbeing.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:00:17):
And while speaking with you, did he give statements about the event that would've caused this reaction, leading up to it that morning and the fact that it didn't make sense that he was missing?
Jerry Hunt (04:00:26):
Yeah. I mean, he said that the morning was a normal morning. His husband, Mr. Cozzi, had brought him coffee and he left. There was no concerns about anything. He knew that he had the hearing today with the case for Dr. Kosowski. He had mentioned about that there had been a contentious deposition about a month or so prior and there had been a confrontation, a verbal confrontation inside the bathroom of the law office. He thought that was odd that he had brought that up, that it had startled him and he had cause for concern for that, that it was kind of not in the normal of what happens with the law he practices.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:01:03):
Did you later get approached by someone named Carol Celeste Bacher?
Jerry Hunt (04:01:08):
Yes, Ms. Bacher approached me while I was on scene.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:01:10):
And without telling us the specifics about what she said, did she describe a startling encounter that took place?
Jerry Hunt (04:01:17):
She did. She had mentioned that she had located somebody in the office building that morning that seemed out of place and was startling and concerning.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:01:25):
Was she ultimately given a photo pack?
Jerry Hunt (04:01:27):
Detective Gay later gave her a photo pack, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:01:31):
Okay. Now, did you speak with any other employees at that location?
Jerry Hunt (04:01:35):
Yeah, I spoke with numerous employees after the rest of the detectives came, mainly employees with the veterinary clinic that's on scene.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:01:45):
Okay. Had anybody seen Steven?
Jerry Hunt (04:01:46):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:01:48):
So after you speak with these employees, Steven's not there, you see blood in the bathroom, everybody's concerned about his wellbeing. Do you go and look for additional surveillance at different locations to try and locate Steven?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:00):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:01):
And where do you go?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:02):
I went specifically to the Circle K that's located about a block north of this office complex. It's on the corner, the northeast corner of 142nd and Belcher.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:12):
Okay. And you said it was... Where was it in respect to Blanchard Law firm?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:18):
About a block north.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:19):
Block north?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:19):
On the same side of the road.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:21):
And were you able to recover the surveillance footage from Circle K and enter it into your evidence?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:27):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:27):
May I approach the clerk?
Judge (04:02:47):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:48):
I'm showing Dr. Kosowski what's been pre-marked as State's 44 for identification [inaudible 04:02:51] May I approach the witness?
Judge (04:02:49):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:50):
Detective Hunt, I am handing you what's been pre-marked as State's 44 for identification. Do you recognize this?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:51):
I do.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:02:52):
And what is it?
Jerry Hunt (04:02:54):
This is a video surveillance from Circle K that captures what we took that day. My signature's on it and it's dated today because I reviewed it prior to coming to testify.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:06):
Okay. Now, as a detective in Largo, are you pretty familiar with the streets in Largo?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:11):
I am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:11):
Familiar with Belcher Road?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:12):
I am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:13):
And are you even familiar with the Circle K?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:15):
I am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:16):
Okay. And when you reviewed that surveillance, did it fairly and accurately depict what the roads looked like back on March 21st of 2023?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:24):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:25):
Okay. And in addition to the surveillance footage that is on that disc, are there also screenshots of the surveillance footage?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:30):
There are.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:31):
And what do those screenshots depict?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:33):
It depicts a gray Toyota Tundra with the contents of the bed in it.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:39):
Okay. And did those fairly and accurately depict the Tundra driving on Belcher Road around that time?
Jerry Hunt (04:03:43):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:03:43):
At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 44 for identification as State's 44.
Jerry Hunt (04:03:48):
All right. Any objection?
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski (04:03:50):
Yes, I have some object to that testimony as it concerns the observations [inaudible 04:03:55] search and forensic examination of the Tundra.
Judge (04:03:58):
Could you repeat that?
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski (04:04:01):
I object him mentioning the Tundra.
Judge (04:04:05):
All right. Overruled. It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:04:08):
Thank you, Your Honor. Permission to publish?
Judge (04:04:09):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:04:13):
Now, before we walk through the surveillance, Detective Hunt, why was this gray Toyota Tundra of interest to your investigation?
Jerry Hunt (04:04:19):
So Detective Moore had located the gray Tundra arriving prior to the unknown male coming into the complex. It also matched the description of a vehicle that was seen a week prior when a unknown suspicious person was found in the utility closet of the business and an employee, Ms. Henrichs, I believe her name was, confronted them. She followed them and saw that they left in a gray Toyota Tundra with a yellow New Jersey tag.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:04:51):
In addition to the information that Ms. Henrichs gave, you said you reviewed surveillance footage from 1501 Belcher, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:05:00):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:05:00):
And in the surveillance footage of the camera that's facing building B, the entrance into the Blanchard Law firm, at some point on March 21st, do you see someone walking out wheeling a wagon?
Jerry Hunt (04:05:12):
I do.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:05:13):
Okay. And do you remember around what time that was?
Jerry Hunt (04:05:16):
That male left at 10:22 AM.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:05:21):
Okay. And at some point, is that wagon then taken to where that Toyota Tundra was parked?
Jerry Hunt (04:05:26):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:05:27):
And is the Toyota Tundra then seen leaving that location?
Jerry Hunt (04:05:29):
It is.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:05:30):
And around what time was that?
Jerry Hunt (04:05:32):
The Toyota Tundra leaves around, I think the timestamp on that video was 11:16 AM. It had the wagon and the wagon had a large content of something in it covered by a red or orange blanket, which is what you'll see in the surveillance video.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:05:47):
Okay. So Mr. Vonderheide, if we can go to this middle footage right here. Do you know... Oh, before we actually [inaudible 04:05:58] play, this is the Circle K, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:06:00):
Yeah. So you can see the pumps there that be located on the west side of the property, the property's on the east side of Belcher Road, that's capturing northbound and southbound traffic, and that's a camera that's facing off the west side of the building facing west.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:06:17):
Okay. So this road right here, this is Belcher Road?
Jerry Hunt (04:06:20):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:06:20):
Okay. Now, around what time do you... Actually, before we do this, did you see anything else in the surveillance that was of interest to you to further investigate where this Toyota Tundra was going?
Jerry Hunt (04:06:31):
So I saw a PSTA bus in the video, and due to my time as a traffic homicide investigator, I'm well aware that PSTA has phenomenal camera systems and we've utilized their camera systems to capture things of evidentiary value for traffic homicides.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:06:46):
Okay. So when we hit play on this video, will we see a PSTA bus go first heading north on Belcher?
Jerry Hunt (04:06:52):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:06:54):
And then will we see that Toyota Tundra?
Jerry Hunt (04:06:54):
And then you'll see the Toyota Tundra, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:06:58):
Okay. And do you remember what time that occurred approximately?
Jerry Hunt (04:07:01):
The bus is around 11:15 and the Tundra is 11:15:34.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:07:21):
All right. So we're going to publish now. The timestamp here shows to be March 21st, 2023 at 11:14:50 in the morning. Will you just let us know when we see that PSTA bus?
Jerry Hunt (04:07:42):
It's right there moving right now, the large bus.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:07:45):
Okay. I'm going to point to make sure I see it. Is this it right here?
Jerry Hunt (04:07:51):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:07:52):
Heading north?
Jerry Hunt (04:07:52):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:07:59):
Okay. And you mentioned that not long after you see this gray Toyota Tundra. Will you let us know when you see it?
Jerry Hunt (04:08:04):
Yes, ma'am.
(04:08:04)
It should be entering the frame right there.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:08:28):
Can you pause it? Is that right there?
Jerry Hunt (04:08:32):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:08:32):
Okay. And you had mentioned that it had been seen with something in the back, maybe something bright covering over it.
Jerry Hunt (04:08:38):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:08:38):
Are you able to see that when it passes by a little further?
Jerry Hunt (04:08:42):
If it goes a little further, you'll be able to zoom in and you'll be able to see the red contents in the bed of the truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:08:49):
[inaudible 04:08:49] when you can see it.
Jerry Hunt (04:08:51):
I think you missed it. It needs to be back just a little bit more. You'll get a better view.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:08:55):
How about this? The screenshots of the surveillance, is that accurate as well?
Jerry Hunt (04:08:58):
That would be an accurate representation, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:00):
Okay. So we can publish that. Thank you. All right. So this looks like a little bit of a different angle. Is this another camera that was located on the property at Circle K?
Jerry Hunt (04:09:22):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:23):
Still facing Belcher?
Jerry Hunt (04:09:24):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:24):
And can we zoom in just a little bit? Sorry, [inaudible 04:09:28] too. Is this that gray Toyota Tundra?
Jerry Hunt (04:09:24):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:24):
Okay. If we just go to the next one. Is that that same Tundra?
Jerry Hunt (04:09:38):
That's the same Tundra. And if you go up a little bit, you can see the red contents right there at the top.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:42):
Right there?
Jerry Hunt (04:09:42):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:43):
Okay. Now, at this point, you guys are trying to track down anything, trying to locate Steven, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:09:51):
Absolutely.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:09:54):
You mentioned that your time as a traffic homicide investigator, you learned that the PSTA bus footage is really great, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:10:00):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:10:01):
And so as a result, now knowing that it passed and the truck came not long after that, did you contact anyone at PSTA in an attempt to obtain surveillance footage from that particular bus?
Jerry Hunt (04:10:12):
I did. I had to contact Eddie Kester, who was with their security division. I reached out to him. He did a search because they have GPS as well, so he was able to narrow down the bus that was in that corridor at that timeframe, and then was able to download the surveillance from that bus the following morning, and he got that to detectives.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:10:29):
Okay. And that video has already been entered and we're going to publish it at a different time. But prior to receiving that footage, did you make any other efforts that day to try and locate the gray Toyota Tundra?
Jerry Hunt (04:10:40):
At that point, we didn't have anything else other than that Tundra, so we continued to kind of leapfrog down the corridor, checking businesses surveillance to follow its path of travel to hopefully find out where it went in an attempt to locate Mr. Cozzi.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:10:57):
Now, is this a multi-day process?
Jerry Hunt (04:10:59):
It was.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:10:59):
So on March 21st, 2023, was Steven ever located?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:03):
No, he was not.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:04):
So let's move on to the next day, which is March 22nd, 2023. Did you continue your investigation?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:09):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:10):
And did you make contact with Steven's husband, Michael, again on this day?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:13):
Detective Bolton and I both responded to his home to do a follow-up interview.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:18):
And where was his home located?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:20):
He was located at 1957 Whitney Circle.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:23):
And is that in Clearwater?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:24):
I believe it's our jurisdiction, but it's a Clearwater address.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:28):
Okay. And when you got there, did you go inside the residence?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:31):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:31):
Why did you go inside the residence?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:33):
We went inside to take photographs of the residence. We also were given his laptop and tablet and things like that, and his husband filled out a consent search form so we could check his digital platforms to see if there was anything that we could locate on them.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:52):
Okay. And he was fully cooperative with you guys?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:53):
Absolutely.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:54):
Let you in, take photographs of his whole house?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:56):
He did.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:11:57):
And provided you with electronics to search?
Jerry Hunt (04:11:59):
He did. He also emailed me a copy of the Ring doorbell footage of his husband leaving that morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:06):
On the 21st?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:06):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:07):
Okay. And did you have an opportunity to review that?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:09):
I did.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:10):
Did you see what he was wearing when he left the house?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:12):
He was wearing the exact outfit that we saw at the law office the morning of the 21st.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:16):
That red sweater?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:18):
Red sweater, jeans. Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:20):
Okay. And carrying that same bag that he walked out with?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:22):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:22):
Okay. After you finish up at 1957 Whitney Way, did you all ultimately make your way back to the Blanchard Law firm at 1501 Belcher Road South?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:33):
Yes. At that time, PCSO Forensics was still on scene. Because Mr. Montgomery had gone into the bathroom the day of the incident when he was missing, we wanted to make sure that we got his shoes photographed by forensics while they were on scene.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:45):
So he went back with you guys, you Detective Bolton?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:48):
He did and we also had our shoes photographed as well.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:50):
Okay. Trying to dot I's and cross T's.
Jerry Hunt (04:12:53):
Absolutely.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:12:54):
And was Mr. Montgomery cooperative with providing photographs of his shoes and even a buccal swab?
Jerry Hunt (04:12:59):
He was very cooperative, yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:13:03):
Okay. Now when you went back, you said forensics was actively processing. Once they were done, what did you do?
Jerry Hunt (04:13:09):
Once they were done, it's our practice to do a walkthrough with forensics once the crime scene's clear and they've done all their processing so they can kind of show us, "Hey, this is what we found, this is what we did," so we have firsthand knowledge of it if we have to write search warrants or testify to it later.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:13:26):
Okay. And was Steven located on March 22nd, 2023?
Jerry Hunt (04:13:30):
He was not.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:13:31):
At any point in the day, were you informed whether a gray Toyota Tundra was captured on a Flock camera going on West Klosterman Road?
Jerry Hunt (04:13:41):
Yes. I was notified by Detective Gay that she had been manually searching the Flock camera on Klosterman because we had followed the Tundra up to the Tarpon Springs area on business surveillance cameras. And she went through and manually looked through all the photos because we didn't have a tag, and she located the Toyota Tundra with the New Jersey tag, with the wagon and the red blanket over the contents in the back of the bed of the truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:14:09):
Now that Flock photo that you're talking about, was that from March 21st, 2023?
Jerry Hunt (04:14:13):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:14:15):
May I approach the clerk?
Judge (04:14:16):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:14:46):
I'm showing Dr. Kosowski was been pre-marked as State's 46 for identification.
(04:14:46)
Thank you. At this time, Your Honor, there is a business records affidavit that's attached to this. I would be asking to move it into evidence under 90.803 subsection 6, subsection A and subsection C as a business record and under 90.902 subsection 11 as it is self-authenticating.
Judge (04:15:01):
[inaudible 04:15:05]
Alexandra Spadaro (04:15:05):
Yes. Yes.
Judge (04:15:06):
All right. Any objection?
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski (04:15:08):
Yes.
Judge (04:15:09):
All right. What's your objection?
Dr. Tomasz Kosowski (04:15:10):
Subject to a continuing objection based on previously litigated motions to suppress.
Judge (04:15:17):
All right. It's admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:15:18):
Thank you, Your Honor. Permission to publish that one Flock photograph that Detective Hunt was talking about?
Judge (04:15:24):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:15:38):
Okay. Now, Detective Hunt, now that the photograph is up, is that the New Jersey license plate you're referring to?
Jerry Hunt (04:15:44):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:15:45):
And is there a date and timestamp and a location specifically of where this Flock camera was located and when the picture was taken?
Jerry Hunt (04:15:52):
Yes, it's located on the bottom of the photograph.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:15:54):
Okay. And what is that date and timestamp? It might help if you have the actual paper. One second.
Jerry Hunt (04:16:05):
Thank you. I appreciate it.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:05):
May I approach the clerk?
Judge (04:16:06):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:13):
Thank you. Here you go.
Jerry Hunt (04:16:13):
Sorry. I didn't bring my glasses.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:15):
That's okay. That's okay.
Jerry Hunt (04:16:17):
It's March 21st, 2023, and the timestamp is 11:51:32 Eastern Standard Time.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:24):
Okay. And is this West Klosterman?
Jerry Hunt (04:16:26):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:26):
In Tarpon Springs?
Jerry Hunt (04:16:27):
Yes, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:32):
Okay. And in the bed of that truck, what do you see?
Jerry Hunt (04:16:32):
I see a wagon and I see the contents overflowing it, covered by a red blanket, and it's consistent with what we observed on the surveillance at the law office when it was being drug out by the unknown male.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:45):
Okay. Did this outline in this wagon, did it concern you?
Jerry Hunt (04:16:49):
It looks like a body to me.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:51):
May I approach the witness?
Judge (04:16:59):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:16:59):
Were you able to determine the color of that wagon?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:03):
It looks black to me.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:05):
Do you [inaudible 04:17:07] described it as blue [inaudible 04:17:08] that time?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:09):
Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:19):
Okay. Now, was this truck ultimately tracked to the residence of 511 Seaview Drive in Tarpon Springs?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:26):
It was.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:27):
And was that through all the various surveillance footage that you were talking about?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:30):
That is correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:31):
And did you learn who that residence belonged to or who owned that house?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:35):
Dr. Kosowski is the owner of that house.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:38):
Okay. So March 22nd, the day ends, still no Steven, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:43):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:44):
So next day, March 23rd, 2023, do you and Detective Bolton go to that residence?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:50):
We do.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:50):
And around what time did you get there?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:54):
It was probably around like 11:25 AM.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:17:56):
And what was your intention when you went there?
Jerry Hunt (04:17:59):
To do a knock and talk, to try to make contact with whoever's at the residence.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:18:02):
And when say knock and talk, are you just saying a consensual encounter?
Jerry Hunt (04:18:05):
Yeah. I mean-
Alexandra Spadaro (04:18:05):
Knock on the door, talk to the person inside?
Jerry Hunt (04:18:07):
Yeah. Something investigators do. You knock on the door, make contact with somebody, identify them, have a consensual encounter, find out what's going on, see if you can see anything else of evidentiary value in plain view.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:18:24):
Okay. And when you got there to do that, were you successful? Were you able to speak with Dr. Kosowski?
Jerry Hunt (04:18:24):
No. Nobody answered the door. There was nothing to indicate anyone was home.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:18:29):
Now, let's talk about 511 Seaview Drive because the court has not seen photographs of that residence yet. What kind of road is it located on? Is there a dead end almost?
Jerry Hunt (04:18:41):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:18:41):
And what does it lead up to?
Jerry Hunt (04:18:44):
So the road runs, I believe it's north and south, and then there's a curve that goes around, it's a dead end, and then there's a kind of a marsh wetland area that's owned by the county, and then there's a county park just north of that neighborhood.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:18:57):
And is that 511 Seaview Drive, is that located right up next to that marshland in the county property?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:02):
Yeah, it's a waterfront property, and it's located right next to that marshland.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:19:05):
Is it the last residence on that road?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:08):
Yes, before. There's a little curb that goes around, but on that road, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:19:12):
Okay. And how many stories is it?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:15):
It's numerous. It has a bottom level, kind of a garage area, and I think it's another story on top.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:19:23):
Okay. So garage, two-car or one-car garage?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:26):
I believe it was a two-car garage down below that you can pull in.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:19:29):
And when you guys got there, did you see any cars or trucks in the driveway?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:33):
Nothing was in the driveway.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:19:35):
At that time, did you see a gray Toyota Tundra anywhere in the area?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:39):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:19:41):
So after you go and you do your knock and talk and nobody answers, what do you do?
Jerry Hunt (04:19:46):
We're on the property, take into account that the residence is on the water and there's that county-owned marshland. We kind of do a canvas of that marshland area to see if anything was thrown over there or discarded or if there was any items of evidentiary value.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:20:02):
And that marshland that you walked on, did you all double check with the property appraiser's website to make sure that was not part of Dr. Kosowski's property?
Jerry Hunt (04:20:09):
Yes. Detective Wedin had checked the property appraiser's website and we learned that it was not part of the parcel that is owned by Dr. Kosowski.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:20:16):
Okay. So you walked down that marshland and it might seem self-explanatory, but muddy, wet?
Jerry Hunt (04:20:23):
Yeah, overgrown, muddy, wet. I had been wearing dress shoes. From being an arson investigator, I had a pair of fire boots in my car, so I put those on.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:20:31):
Okay. Now, when you walked down that easement and searched the county's property, did you locate Steven?
Jerry Hunt (04:20:39):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:20:40):
So he's still missing at this point on March 23rd, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:20:42):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:20:44):
At any point of searching that area, did you actually go onto Dr. Kosowski's property other than when you knocked on the door to do a knock and talk?
Jerry Hunt (04:20:50):
No, we were very purposeful in that. His property was fenced in. When we were at the neighbor's residence that's to the south at 503, there was delineation of shell and grass that kind of went down the property line, so we were very purposeful to not step on his property.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:21:11):
Okay. And when you said that you went to the property next door to him, are you talking about the Lucidis?
Jerry Hunt (04:21:14):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:21:15):
And why did you go to the Lucidis property?
Jerry Hunt (04:21:18):
We checked to see about surveillance. Detective Compton secured that surveillance. That's how we had determined that the truck had gone there. And then we went in the backyard to kind of zoom in and take photographs of what we could see in plain view from the neighboring residence.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:21:35):
And when you say in the backyard, you're talking the Lucidis backyard?
Jerry Hunt (04:21:38):
We were in the Lucidis backyard photographing what could be lawfully seen from her property of Dr. Kosowski's residence.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:21:46):
Okay. And does this residence lead up to a body of water?
Jerry Hunt (04:21:50):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:21:53):
And did you see Steven anywhere when you were looking?
Jerry Hunt (04:21:55):
No. We never located Mr. Cozzi.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:21:56):
Okay. Now, was a search warrant ultimately obtained for 511 Seaview Drive?
Jerry Hunt (04:22:02):
Yes. Detective Bolton authored that and it was secured and obtained.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:22:06):
Okay. And do you know when that was?
Jerry Hunt (04:22:08):
It was later that evening. I know that we contacted the Tarpon Springs Police Department to serve the warrant for us since we were out of our jurisdiction. Their SWAT team came to serve the warrant because of the totality of the circumstances in the case we're investigating. And then Crawford and I think it was Milton from Tarpon Springs PD are the ones that actually served the warrant, affected the warrant, and did the searching and collecting of any evidence inside.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:22:32):
So you, along with other detectives from Largo Police Department, were there waiting out in the road waiting for the warrant to be obtained and then ultimately served by Tarpon, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:22:43):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:22:44):
And you mentioned that SWAT came in first. Was that to clear the residence, make sure there was nobody inside, no danger once you all were to enter and actually look and see what you could find?
Jerry Hunt (04:22:54):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:22:55):
Okay. Now, when SWAT went in and cleared the residence, was Tomasz Kosowski home?
Jerry Hunt (04:23:00):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:23:00):
Okay. After the residence was cleared, did you actually see a Tarpon Springs police officer read that search warrant?
Jerry Hunt (04:23:08):
Yes. I believe he read it on body camera as well, so there should be a video of that.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:23:12):
Okay. And although Tarpon Springs served the warrant, were you all there... You had knowledge of the case, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:23:17):
Absolutely.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:23:18):
You were the ones investigating this case from the start?
Jerry Hunt (04:23:20):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:23:21):
And were you there to kind of talk to them and advise them on what could be relevant and things like that?
Jerry Hunt (04:23:27):
Yeah. So obviously we've been invested in this case for a number of days. They have no knowledge of the case whatsoever, so it's very reasonable that if they were in there just searching for items, they may see something and they wouldn't know that it's part of the case, but we might see something and be like, "Oh, that matches something that we found at another crime scene." And it's important that we have the opportunity to be there to kind of help direct and guide and ensure that nothing's missed.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:23:51):
So while you're there directing and guiding, they're the ones that are actually collecting the evidence and processing the scene along with Pinellas County Forensics, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:23:58):
Yes, them along with the Sheriff's Office Forensics Division.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:00):
And they had jurisdiction as well?
Jerry Hunt (04:24:02):
They had jurisdiction. They were also listed in the warrant.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:03):
Okay. At any point, did you enter the home with Tarpon Springs Police after the warrant was served?
Jerry Hunt (04:24:12):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:12):
And at any point, did you go into the garage?
Jerry Hunt (04:24:16):
Yes. I actually only stayed on the first level. I never went to the second level of the residence.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:21):
In the garage, were there any vehicles located?
Jerry Hunt (04:24:24):
The Toyota Tundra was located, and I believe there were two motorcycles that were located as well.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:30):
Okay. And the Toyota Tundra, did it still have that New Jersey license plate on it?
Jerry Hunt (04:24:34):
It did not.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:37):
Okay. Did you ultimately learn whether or not that Tundra was registered to Dr. Kosowski?
Jerry Hunt (04:24:43):
From my understanding, it was not a registered motor vehicle, but it had been purchased a number of months prior by Dr. Kosowski. Detective Sinney had got that information. I would rely on him for the specifics of that.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:24:56):
Okay. And did you ultimately learn whether or not he had any vehicles that were actually registered to him?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:02):
I believe he had a Toyota Corolla, and I think he had the motorcycle, one of the motorcycles in there were registered to him.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:07):
Toyota Corolla, what color was that?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:09):
Red.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:10):
And was that car located at the residence when you looked in the garage?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:14):
That car was not located at the residence. In fact, that car was seen leaving the residence on the surveillance of 503 and was identified as being Dr. Kosowski's vehicle by his neighbor.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:28):
And that was the Lucidis
Jerry Hunt (04:25:29):
Correct, the wife.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:34):
Okay. Now, you're in the garage. Are you collecting anything?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:36):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:36):
Are you touching anything?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:37):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:38):
Are you seizing any items of evidence?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:39):
No, ma'am.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:40):
Are you doing more of a walkthrough when you're there?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:41):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:42):
Okay. And was Steven located at that residence?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:45):
He was not.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:47):
Did you stay throughout the night while the sheriff's office and Tarpon Springs Police Department searched it?
Jerry Hunt (04:25:53):
I was there for a good portion of the evening. I think I left around 2:30 in the morning.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:25:57):
And did other members of law enforcement from Largo Police Department actually stay on scene with them to help guide and talk to them about what might be relevant?
Jerry Hunt (04:26:04):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:26:04):
Okay. So let's fast-forward to March 24th, 2023. We're on now day four of Steven still being missing. On that day, you have now found the truck, you've seen certain things of interest, but not Tomasz Kosowski. Is that fair?
Jerry Hunt (04:26:21):
That's correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:26:22):
Now, another thing I want to talk about was in that truck, did you notice anything that was unusual while you were on the premises?
Jerry Hunt (04:26:30):
I observed what appeared to be blood in the bed of that truck.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:26:34):
Okay. So now we have blood, a truck, and no Dr. Kosowski.
Jerry Hunt (04:26:37):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:26:38):
So what do you do as a result?
Jerry Hunt (04:26:39):
On Friday, we attempt to locate the Corolla, myself and Detective Wedin drive to Miami. There were three addresses we had located with an intelligence person at the agency that could be possible locations where he might be. So Detective Wedin and I responded to South Florida to see if we could locate the Corolla.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:27:00):
And were you successful?
Jerry Hunt (04:27:03):
We made it safely to Miami, but we did not locate the Corolla or Dr. Kosowski.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:27:08):
Okay. So as a result, was a BOLO issued for him and his car?
Jerry Hunt (04:27:11):
A BOLO was issued, and then I also utilized the time to draft a narrative for a search warrant for the Corolla. That way, if it was located out of our jurisdiction and we had to pair up with another agency in another district to have it signed, it would be ready to go.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:27:27):
Okay. So while you're doing that, a BOLO is issued. And just for the record, what is a BOLO? What does it stand for?
Jerry Hunt (04:27:33):
Be on the lookout. So it was just if they had contact with the Corolla that they would seize it, contact us, and then we could procure the search warrant for it.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:27:43):
And did that go out to other law enforcement? Could they access that BOLO?
Jerry Hunt (04:27:46):
Yes. It went out through NCIC, FCIC and was issued throughout the state.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:27:53):
Okay. So while you're attempting to locate Dr. Kosowski in South Florida, the BOLO's being issued and you're starting to draft a narrative for a search warrant on that Corolla. Were you ever informed that Steven was located back in Pinellas County on this day?
Jerry Hunt (04:28:06):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:28:07):
Okay. So now let's move on to day five of Steven being missing. It's March 25th, 2023. On this day, was Tomasz Kosowski located?
Jerry Hunt (04:28:16):
He was.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:28:16):
How?
Jerry Hunt (04:28:17):
So we had had a LPR hit. Sergeant Caravella had contacted me to let me know we believe that Dr. Kosowski was traveling back to the Pinellas County area. We coordinated with the Tarpon Springs Police Department to advise them of our assumptions, and they ultimately conducted a traffic stop on the Corolla when it was in Tarpon Springs on Orange Street.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:28:44):
Okay. So you said an LPR hit. What is that?
Jerry Hunt (04:28:46):
A license plate reader.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:28:47):
Okay. And so you're informed that a license plate reader hit, that he's coming back to Tarpon Springs area, and Tarpon Springs conducts the traffic stop on 34 West Orange Street, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:28:58):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:28:58):
And is that Tarpon Springs' jurisdiction?
Jerry Hunt (04:28:59):
It is.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:29:01):
So Largo didn't conduct that traffic stop, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:29:02):
We did not.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:29:04):
Okay. Do you know who conducted that traffic stop from Tarpon Springs?
Jerry Hunt (04:29:08):
I know that Officer Rose and Officer Gibson were there. I think there was a third officer, but I don't recall his name.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:29:13):
Okay. So you're informed of this, and do you, along with Detective Bolton, respond to that location where the traffic stop occurred?
Jerry Hunt (04:29:20):
We did.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:29:21):
Around what time did you get there?
Jerry Hunt (04:29:24):
We responded around 3:20, so I think they had the traffic stop at 3:19. We were already kind of en route to the area so we could stage and be ready if they located him and conducted the traffic stop. So we were on scene moments after they had affected it.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:29:40):
Okay. And you had mentioned that you started drafting a narrative for a search warrant at that time. Did you ultimately finish that narrative and submit a search warrant to the judge to get signed?
Jerry Hunt (04:29:52):
Yeah, so I needed to have the location where the vehicle would be. I also wanted to verify the VIN on the vehicle to make sure there wasn't a scrivener's error in DAVID or in the tax collector's portal. So I verified those things and submitted it and got the warrant signed.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:06):
And when you say DAVID, are you talking about DHSMV records?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:08):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:09):
So you confirmed that the VIN that's registered to him on that red Toyota Corolla is in fact the one that was stopped with Dr. Kosowski driving, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:17):
That is correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:17):
And after that is when you obtained a search warrant on that vehicle?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:20):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:21):
Okay. Now again, it's now in Tarpon Springs jurisdiction. You obtained the warrant because you're one of the lead investigators, but did you serve that warrant on the vehicle?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:29):
No, Tarpon Springs served the warrant.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:32):
Okay. And was that, again, Officer Rose who conducted the traffic stop who read the warrant?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:35):
She read the warrant on body camera or on her in-car camera. And then it was also gave Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Forensics the ability to process the warrant.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:47):
Okay. So the forensics unit from the sheriff's office, they ultimately arrived to that location, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:51):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:30:52):
And did they begin to process the vehicle?
Jerry Hunt (04:30:54):
They did precursory things while on scene, photographs, some swabs, two cell phones were collected and provided to Detective Wedin, and then they sealed the vehicle, transported it back to their vehicle processing area so they could process it for DNA evidence in a controlled environment.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:31:16):
Okay. Prior to transporting it to the processing bay, was the trunk opened?
Jerry Hunt (04:31:21):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:31:22):
And did you observe what was in the trunk?
Jerry Hunt (04:31:25):
Yeah, there was a ballistic vest, there was a bag, there was some other items in there. All of that was inventoried later on when it got back to the processing bay.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:31:34):
Was Steven located?
Jerry Hunt (04:31:36):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (04:31:39):
You'd mentioned that there were cell phones that were collected from inside the Corolla. Was that done by you or anybody from Largo Police Department?
Jerry Hunt (04:31:47):
No. One of the cell phones was collected from a cup holder by Officer Rose who provided it to us and it was given to Detective Wedin. He's one of our detectives that does digital media and things like that for cell phone extractions. And then a second cell phone was located by Supervisor Klein with the-
Jerry Hunt (04:32:00):
... and then a second cell phone was located by Supervisor Klein with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office forensics division. And the cell phone was again given to Detective Whedon.
Attorney (04:32:08):
Okay, so collected by either Tarpon Springs or the Sheriff's office ,and then transferred custody to Largo?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:13):
That is correct.
Attorney (04:32:17):
Did you collect any items from that vehicle?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:19):
No.
Attorney (04:32:19):
Did you see anybody from Largo collect items from that vehicle?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:21):
No.
Attorney (04:32:24):
After the vehicle was a precursory process, you said it was then transferred to the evidence processing bay at the sheriff's office, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:32):
Yeah, they seal the vehicle, they put evidence tape on it, ensure that it's sealed, and then they transfer it.
Attorney (04:32:37):
When you say seal the vehicle, what do you mean?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:39):
They put evidence tape over the doors and things like that to show that it's not been tampered with during the transport.
Attorney (04:32:45):
And how was it transported? Was it just driven away?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:48):
No, it was towed on a flatbed.
Attorney (04:32:50):
Okay. And did an officer from Largo Police Department follow that tow truck to the evidence bay?
Jerry Hunt (04:32:56):
Detective Allred was put in charge of the warrant portion of the Corolla. He followed it to the processing bay and then did everything that needed to be completed in reference to the inventory to submit the completed search warrant at the end of the portion of that investigation.
Attorney (04:33:14):
Okay. Now that's being done kind of off scene now at this point. At any point, does anyone from Largo try and obtain what's called a body warrant that night?
Jerry Hunt (04:33:24):
Yes.
Attorney (04:33:25):
And what is a body warrant?
Jerry Hunt (04:33:26):
So a body warrant would be a warrant that would give us permission to collect physical evidence off of the person, specifically Dr. Kosowski in this case. It would be fingernail clippings and scrapings. It would be DNA swabs, photographs, things like that.
Attorney (04:33:43):
Okay. And did you author that search warrant or was somebody else from Largo that did that?
Jerry Hunt (04:33:47):
Detective Moore authored that search warrant.
Attorney (04:33:50):
And is that a detective with Largo?
Jerry Hunt (04:33:51):
Yes.
Attorney (04:33:53):
Was he on site when he was drafting that warrant or was he somewhere else?
Jerry Hunt (04:33:56):
He'd been on site, but then left. Ultimately, we attempted to do it through CloudGavel, which is a digital warrant program that the county uses, but unfortunately there wasn't a template for a body warrant, so CloudGavel couldn't be used, so they had to hand write the warrant and respond to the office and print it out and then take it to the judge to have it signed. They couldn't do it digitally.
Attorney (04:34:18):
At that time, CloudGavel was pretty new?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:20):
It was a brand new system. We were having numerous issues with it in numerous different cases.
Attorney (04:34:26):
So while this is all going on, are you still on scene where the traffic stop was located?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:30):
Yes. Detective Bolton and I remained on scene.
Attorney (04:34:32):
And where was Tomasz Kosowski during all of this?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:35):
Dr. Kosowski was secured in handcuffs and he was in the rear of a Tarpon Springs police cruiser.
Attorney (04:34:41):
Now when you say he was secured in handcuffs, was that in front of his person or behind his person?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:45):
Behind his back.
Attorney (04:34:46):
Okay. And that's initially, right?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:48):
Yes.
Attorney (04:34:49):
So after his arms are placed behind his back and he's handcuffed, he's then placed in the back of a cruiser?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:53):
Yes.
Attorney (04:34:54):
Did you make contact with him while he's sitting in that vehicle multiple times throughout the night?
Jerry Hunt (04:34:59):
Yes.
Attorney (04:35:01):
And do you see him in the courtroom today?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:02):
I do.
Attorney (04:35:03):
Will you please point to him and identify an article of clothing that he's wearing?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:07):
Dr. Kosowski's located behind you. He has a set of orange scrub shirt and a white undershirt on underneath that.
Attorney (04:35:15):
May the record reflect that the witness has identified Dr. Kosowski?
Clerk (04:35:17):
The record shall [inaudible 04:35:20].
Attorney (04:35:19):
Now inside of this cruiser, was there in-car camera?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:23):
Yes.
Attorney (04:35:24):
And was it recording at the time?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:25):
Yes.
Attorney (04:35:26):
Did it capture your interactions with him?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:28):
Yes, it captured those, and then we also used a body camera to capture all of our interactions with Dr. Kosowski.
Attorney (04:35:34):
Have you had an opportunity to review the in-car camera?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:37):
Yes.
Attorney (04:35:37):
And did you see yourself in it multiple times?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:39):
I did.
Attorney (04:35:39):
And did you see where Dr. Kosowski was the entire time that you were on scene?
Jerry Hunt (04:35:43):
Yes.
Attorney (04:35:43):
May I approach the clerk?
Judge (04:35:45):
Your may.
Attorney (04:35:45):
May I approach the witness?
Judge (04:36:01):
You may.
Attorney (04:36:01):
Detective Hunt, I'm handing you what's been pre-marked as State's 45 for identification. Do you recognize this?
Jerry Hunt (04:36:08):
I do.
Attorney (04:36:08):
And what is it?
Jerry Hunt (04:36:09):
This will be a video excerpt from the back of the Tarpon Springs police cruiser. I noticed my signature on it and today's date from when I reviewed it earlier.
Attorney (04:36:18):
And you say an excerpt. How long was that in-car camera footage in total?
Jerry Hunt (04:36:24):
Well over nine hours.
Attorney (04:36:25):
Okay. This portion, how long is it?
Jerry Hunt (04:36:28):
I think it's 27 minutes.
Attorney (04:36:30):
Okay. And what does it depict?
Jerry Hunt (04:36:33):
It's going to depict radio traffic on the in-car radio of the Tarpon Springs cruiser where they mentioned that the body warrant has been procured. It will capture a conversation that I have with Dr. Kosowski where I also explained to him that the body warrant has been procured and that it's going to depict him slipping his handcuffs from behind his back to the front of his person and begin to place his fingers in his mouth and immediately start meticulously kind of scraping his fingernails on his teeth to clean them and to suck on his fingers and cuticles before the body warrant is able to be served.
Attorney (04:37:13):
I'm sorry, I didn't mean interrupt you.
Jerry Hunt (04:37:14):
Before the body warrant's able to be served.
Attorney (04:37:16):
So it's before the body warrant is able to be served, but after you inform him of the body warrant?
Jerry Hunt (04:37:20):
Correct.
Attorney (04:37:21):
And after reviewing that today, does it fairly and accurately depict him in the back of that cruiser on March 21st, 2023 and your interaction with him?
Jerry Hunt (04:37:29):
It does.
Attorney (04:37:30):
At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 45 for identification of State 45.
Judge (04:37:35):
All right. Any objection?
Dr. Kosowski (04:37:36):
Yes.
Judge (04:37:39):
Okay. And that's based upon the motion to suppress?
Dr. Kosowski (04:37:41):
[inaudible 04:37:43].
Judge (04:37:41):
All right. Overruled, so it's admitted.
Attorney (04:37:41):
Thank you. Permission to publish?
Judge (04:37:41):
You may.
Attorney (04:45:57):
[inaudible 04:38:23].
(04:45:57)
To be clear, Detective Hunt, who's making that noise, the knocking sound?
Jerry Hunt (04:46:01):
Dr. Kosowski.
Attorney (04:46:02):
So it's not Largo or anybody knocking on the windows?
Jerry Hunt (04:46:02):
No.
Video: Detective Hunt (04:46:02):
[inaudible 04:48:05].
Video: Dr. Kosowski (04:46:02):
Could I have them [inaudible 04:48:16] please. [inaudible 04:49:07].
Video: Detective Hunt (04:46:02):
How you doing?
Attorney (04:46:02):
I'm going to pause it real quick. Detective Hunt, is that you?
Jerry Hunt (04:50:18):
That is me.
Attorney (04:50:21):
And is that you making contact with Dr. Kosowski?
Jerry Hunt (04:50:21):
Yes.
Attorney (04:50:21):
Is this where you're about to inform him of the body warrant.
Jerry Hunt (04:50:53):
Yes.
Video: Detective Hunt (04:50:53):
[inaudible 04:50:54].
Video: Dr. Kosowski (04:50:53):
[inaudible 04:50:54].
Video: Detective Hunt (04:50:53):
Are you doing okay? [inaudible 04:50:58]. Okay?
Video: Dr. Kosowski (04:50:53):
[inaudible 04:51:09].
Video: Detective Hunt (04:50:53):
[inaudible 04:51:26]. All right. [inaudible 04:51:44].
Video: Dr. Kosowski (04:50:53):
[inaudible 04:56:09].
Attorney (05:05:45):
Now, Detective Hunt, at the time that this was all going on, did you know that he did that? Had you seen it?
Jerry Hunt (05:05:54):
No, not at the time. It was after we were reviewing the in-car surveillance quite a bit after his arrest.
Attorney (05:06:01):
Is when you learned that he was attempting to destroy any-
Detective Hunt (05:06:00):
After his arrest.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:06:01):
Is when you learned that he was attempting to destroy any possible evidence?
Detective Hunt (05:06:04):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:06:06):
Okay. Now, in addition to whatever that was, did he also ask to go to the bathroom at some point and you told him, "You can just as long as you don't wash your hands."
Detective Hunt (05:06:15):
Yes. He said he needed to use the restroom. We coordinated that. We took him to Tarpon Springs PD. I did ask him not to wash his hands. He used the restroom and then began washing his hands, so I had to stop him when he started washing his hands.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:06:28):
So in addition to him sucking on each of his fingers, he also washed his hands after you told him not to?
Detective Hunt (05:06:32):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:06:33):
Okay. Now was he then transported after all of this to go have the body warrant done?
Detective Hunt (05:06:42):
Yes. So after we received the body warrant on scene, we took him back to Tarpon Springs PD, and then we facilitated that warrant with the sheriff's office who served the warrant for us. And then PCSO Forensics collected all the evidence.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:06:56):
Okay. Now, were members of Largo Police Department there when the body warrant was served?
Detective Hunt (05:07:02):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:03):
Okay. Were other members of law enforcement followed the truck to the evidence bay, right?
Detective Hunt (05:07:09):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:09):
And that would be Largo Police Department. We talked a little bit about that. Detective Allred, I think is who you said.
Detective Hunt (05:07:13):
He followed the Corolla.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:14):
The Corolla?
Detective Hunt (05:07:15):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:16):
I'm sorry if I misspoke.
Detective Hunt (05:07:17):
Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:17):
Just to be clear, that processing bay, is that Largo's jurisdiction?
Detective Hunt (05:07:22):
It is.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:24):
Okay. So then he's transported on March 26th, 2023, right, to go get the body warrant done?
Detective Hunt (05:07:29):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:32):
And who served that warrant?
Detective Hunt (05:07:33):
It was Deputy Spicer with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:36):
Okay. Sheriff's office jurisdiction?
Detective Hunt (05:07:40):
Well, it was at Tarpon Springs Police Department, but the sheriff has jurisdiction throughout the entire county.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:44):
Exactly. Okay. So how did that body warrant take place? Were they collecting items of evidence, swabs, things like that?
Detective Hunt (05:07:51):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:52):
Okay. Photographs were taken of him?
Detective Hunt (05:07:54):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:07:54):
Okay. Now we're into March 26th, 2023. Was he ultimately arrested for the murder of Steven Cozzi?
Detective Hunt (05:08:02):
He was. Detective Bolton completed an affidavit for his arrest and he was transported by Tarpon Springs PD to Pinellas County Jail.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:08:08):
So March 26th, 2023, Steven's still missing?
Detective Hunt (05:08:11):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:08:12):
And did you still continue your investigation after he's arrested to try and locate Steven?
Detective Hunt (05:08:18):
Yeah, the investigation was ongoing for quite some time.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:08:22):
Okay. Were additional warrants obtained in the following days?
Detective Hunt (05:08:25):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:08:25):
And did you obtain any of those warrants?
Detective Hunt (05:08:28):
I assisted in the infotainment warrant that was drafted by Detective Moore and then for the two vehicles. And then I also authored a cell site warrant for the IMEI number that was associated to the Corolla.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:08:43):
Okay. When was the last warrant that you drafted an attempt to locate Steven?
Detective Hunt (05:08:48):
I did that warrant, it was signed on April 20th of 2023 by Judge Saracusa, and then the state served that digital warrant to AT& T.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:00):
Now that April 2023 date, Steven's still missing?
Detective Hunt (05:09:03):
Correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:04):
And are you aware that some members of the Largo Police Department later on go down to South Florida to go search a dumpster and the Collier County Landfill?
Detective Hunt (05:09:15):
That is correct.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:16):
Did you take part in that?
Detective Hunt (05:09:17):
I did not.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:18):
Okay. And as we sit here today, has Steven been found?
Detective Hunt (05:09:22):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:23):
May I have a moment to confer?
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:09:43):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:43):
Just one more thing, Detective Hunt, I just want to clarify. You had mentioned early on in the investigation when you were looking for Dr. Kosowski in South Florida, I think it was March 24th is when you-
Detective Hunt (05:09:54):
It was that Friday, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:09:55):
In 2023. And that's when you started drafting that narrative for a search warrant on the Corolla, right?
Detective Hunt (05:10:00):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:10:00):
Okay. You hadn't located it, right?
Detective Hunt (05:10:04):
The Corolla? No.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:10:05):
So really, were you just drafting the probable cause that you had in order to search the Corolla?
Detective Hunt (05:10:09):
I was drafting the probable cause narrative. That way when the Corolla was located, we could put the information about the Corolla and where it was located so we could procure a warrant.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:10:21):
Right. And where it was located, that would matter on what jurisdiction would ultimately serve the warrant?
Detective Hunt (05:10:25):
Correct. What court circuit, what agency, all of those things.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:10:31):
Okay. I have no further questions for this witness. Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:10:33):
Any cross-examination?
Mr. Vonderheide (05:10:34):
No, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:10:34):
All right. Thank you. Sir, you may step down.
Detective Hunt (05:10:37):
Thank you, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:10:38):
All right. State, is your next witness pretty short?
Mr. Vonderheide (05:10:44):
Give me 15 to see who's outside.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:10:45):
Sure.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:10:45):
Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:10:45):
All right. We'll take a 15-minute break. All right, you may be seated. All right. So I think everyone's here but Mr. Kosowski, so we're bringing him in. All right. State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:27:22):
State calls Major Jeffrey Crawford.
The Reporter (05:27:24):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:27:53):
I do. I do.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:28:02):
Good afternoon, sir.
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:04):
Good afternoon, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:28:07):
You may inquire.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:08):
Major Crawford, could you please state your full name and spell your last name for the record?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:11):
Jeffrey Crawford, C-R-A-W-F-O-R-D.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:15):
All right. Where are you presently employed?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:16):
Tarpon Springs Police Department.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:18):
All right. What's your current rank?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:19):
Major.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:20):
How long have you been Major?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:21):
About a year and a half.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:22):
All right. So how long have you been with Tarpon Springs Police Department?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:25):
16 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:26):
All right, sir. Back in March of 2023, what was your rank back then and what was your assignment?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:33):
I was a sergeant then and then overseeing the Detective Bureau.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:37):
Okay. And did it come to your attention on that particular evening that Tarpon Springs had to serve a search warrant back in March of 2023?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:46):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:47):
All right. Do you remember the day, if you can recall or look at your... Did you actually draft a report in this case?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:52):
No, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:28:53):
Okay. How were you called out there? How did you get to the scene?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:28:57):
I think my operational major at that time had notified me we were probably assisting Largo with executing a search warrant.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:03):
Okay. And was that actually a search warrant that had been authored by your agency?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:09):
No, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:10):
But legally speaking, it was in your jurisdiction, so you had to serve it?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:13):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:14):
All right. And were you responsible for calling in some of your Tarpon Springs detectives to serve that search warrant?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:22):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:23):
Okay. And did you call them in?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:25):
I did, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:25):
All right. And about what time did everybody arrive there?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:28):
The time we executed the search warrant?
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:30):
Yeah, correct.
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:31):
It was around 11 o'clock that night.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:32):
All right. And do you remember the address off the top of your head?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:35):
Seaview. Maybe 511 Seaview, I believe.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:38):
Okay. 511 Seaview, that's in Tarpon Springs jurisdiction?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:40):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:40):
All right. So did one of your detectives read the search warrant to the residence?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:46):
He did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:47):
All right. Is that policy that you guys do?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:48):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:49):
So literally one of your officers, sworn officer with Tarpon Springs Police Department, reads a search warrant to a house even when somebody's not home?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:56):
That's correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:29:57):
All right. And that happened in this case?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:29:59):
That did happen, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:00):
Did your detectives all read that search warrant basically to themselves to know what you were looking for?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:06):
We read it. Yes, sir. Became familiar with it.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:09):
Did Tarpon Springs PD direct that search warrant?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:13):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:15):
Okay. Were there members of Largo Police Department present inside that residence to assist if it was necessary?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:20):
Yes, they were.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:21):
Were members of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office forensics team there also in the house processing the scene?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:28):
Yes, sir, they were.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:29):
All right. And as it relates to the collection of evidence, was that both your detectives and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office forensics team?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:37):
That is correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:37):
All right. Was a member of the state attorney's office present there as well?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:44):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:44):
All right. Making sure that jurisdiction was followed?
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:30:47):
Correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:48):
All right. Your Honor, may I have a moment?
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:30:53):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:30:56):
I have nothing further. I'll pass the witness.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:30:58):
All right. Any questions, Mr. Kosowski?
Tomasz Kosowski (05:31:01):
No, your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:31:01):
Thank you, sir. You may step down.
Major Jeffrey Crawford (05:31:05):
Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:31:06):
State, please call your next witness.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:31:07):
Yes, Your honor. State would call Detective Richard Owens.
The Reporter (05:31:10):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Detective Richard Owens (05:31:50):
Yes, I do.
Court Official (05:31:51):
Detective, come on over this way. Put yourself comfortable with the chair. You can adjust as well.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:31:52):
Good afternoon, sir.
Detective Richard Owens (05:31:52):
Hello.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:32:03):
Ms. Spadaro, you may inquire.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:03):
Thank you. Good afternoon.
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:04):
Good afternoon.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:05):
Will you please state your full name and spell it for the record?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:08):
My name is Richard Owens. It's R-I-C-H-A-R-D, Owens, O-W-E-N-S.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:13):
And where do you work?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:14):
Largo Police Department.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:15):
And how long have you worked there?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:16):
28 years.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:17):
What is your current assignment?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:19):
Currently, I'm assigned to the Investigative Services Division. I'm a property crimes detective.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:25):
Okay. And how long have you been doing that for?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:26):
Just under four years.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:28):
And can you talk to us about the training that you went through in order to become a detective in that unit?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:33):
Well, they base it on a lot what you've done through your career. I've been a lot of different things in the career. I was a detective in narcotics, then street crimes, field training officer. And then you go to individual schools for those specific things. And in property crimes, unfortunately, we deal with a lot of fraud, so it's a lot of fraud-based training.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:52):
Okay. Were you working in this capacity back in March of 2023?
Detective Richard Owens (05:32:55):
Yes, I was.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:32:57):
And on March 21st, 2023, do you recall a call that came in Largo's jurisdiction regarding what they thought was a missing person?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:04):
I do, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:04):
And how did you get involved?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:07):
Well, that day I wasn't so much involved as it was the following day.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:10):
Okay. What did you do the following day?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:12):
I arrived at the office. They had a set of keys from Mr. Blanchard who ran the office. And they just requested that I return the set of keys to him once the Pinellas County Forensics Unit was done processing the crime scene.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:24):
So did you respond to 1501 Belcher Road South?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:27):
I did, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:28):
And when you got there, did you make contact with Michael Montgomery?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:33):
No.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:33):
Okay. Did you ever make contact with Michael Montgomery and obtain his buccal swab?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:37):
Yes, I did. Some of the days ran together is what we were doing, but I believe it was the 24th. I responded to his residence. I think Detective Bolton asked me to respond, obtain a buccal swab from Mr. Montgomery.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:50):
Okay. Now, when you responded to that residence, was Steven still missing?
Detective Richard Owens (05:33:55):
He was, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:33:56):
And so obviously you couldn't obtain a buccal swab from Steven. Did you in any other means try and obtain something that would be able to do a DNA profile if they were to compare that to something else?
Detective Richard Owens (05:34:07):
We did. I attempted to find something that was just used by him and used by him only. And he had an Oral B toothbrush, electric toothbrush, so I took the head of the electric toothbrush and submitted that for processing.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:34:20):
Okay. Now, buccal swab, the court's familiar, but just for the record, what is a buccal swab?
Detective Richard Owens (05:34:24):
Buccal swab, it's saliva. We usually obtain it from the mouth. It's for DNA purposes. We have a certain procedure we follow, which is every piece of evidence we use a separate set of gloves. So I obtained the toothbrush with one set of gloves, switched them out, and then obtained the buccal swab from Mr. Montgomery.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:34:41):
Okay. And is it kind of like a really long Q-tip that swabs the inner cheeks?
Detective Richard Owens (05:34:44):
It is, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:34:45):
Okay.
Detective Richard Owens (05:34:45):
Sometimes it has one, sometimes it has two in a package, and then you swab the inside of the cheeks, obtain the sample. Place it back in the same packaging. And then process it in the evidence envelope.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:34:55):
And you had mentioned that you switched gloves in both when you collected the toothbrush that was Steven Cozzi's and the buccal swabs you obtained from the suspect.
Detective Richard Owens (05:35:01):
We do. Anything with DNA, we have to switch gloves.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:03):
May I approach the court?
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:35:04):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:11):
I'm showing Dr. Kosowski what has been pre-marked as State's 47 and 48. [inaudible 05:35:22].
Tomasz Kosowski (05:35:18):
Do that stay there?
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:18):
Mm-hmm.
Tomasz Kosowski (05:35:18):
Okay.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:18):
May I approach the witness?
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:35:18):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:30):
Okay. So first, Detective Owens, I'm going to hand you 47 for identification. Can you look at that and just tell me if you recognize it?
Detective Richard Owens (05:35:38):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:39):
And?
Detective Richard Owens (05:35:39):
This is the packaging I placed. This is our Largo Police envelope. So these are the swabs from Mr. Montgomery.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:46):
Okay. So that's Mr. Montgomery's buccal swab?
Detective Richard Owens (05:35:47):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:47):
And I see that there's evidence tape that's located on that. Are those your initials?
Detective Richard Owens (05:35:52):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:35:53):
Okay. And after you put the buccal swab into the envelope, do you seal it with the evidence tape initially?
Detective Richard Owens (05:35:58):
Yes. It gets sealed and then, yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:00):
And dated?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:00):
Dated.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:01):
And why do you do that?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:03):
Just for evidentiary purposes, to track who had the items at the time.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:07):
Okay.
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:08):
Chain of custody.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:09):
And is that package in the same or substantially the same condition as it was when you collected the buccal swab and put it in the envelope and sealed the package?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:15):
Yes, it is.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:17):
Okay. And then I'm going to hand you what's been pre-marked as State's 48 for identification. Can you just look at that and tell me if you recognize it?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:23):
I do.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:24):
Okay.
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:24):
Again, it's our Largo Police Department evidence packaging and this is the Oral B toothbrush head. I obtained it from Mr. Montgomery, but it's the victim, Mr. Cozzi.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:34):
Mr. Cozzi's?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:35):
Yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:36):
Same thing. Is there evidence tape with your initials and a date of when it was collected?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:39):
There is. It has my date, ID number, and my initials on the back.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:43):
Okay. And is that in the same or substantially the same condition as it was when you collected the toothbrush and then packaged it?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:48):
It is, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:36:49):
Okay. And do both of them have a Largo Police Department number?
Detective Richard Owens (05:36:53):
They do. We have a property room number on the front. So it has the case number, property room number, date and time. And then any information about the case and then the description of the item.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:37:02):
Okay. What about this barcode that's on both of them?
Detective Richard Owens (05:37:05):
That's used to log in evidence.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:37:06):
To log in evidence and keep track of it?
Detective Richard Owens (05:37:07):
Correct, yes.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:37:08):
Okay. At this time, the state would offer into evidence what's been pre-marked as State's 47 and 48 for identification as State's 47 and 48.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:37:16):
All right. Any objection to this?
Detective Richard Owens (05:37:17):
Yes, sir.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:37:18):
Okay. The same basis?
Detective Richard Owens (05:37:20):
Yes.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:37:21):
All right. It's overruled. They're admitted.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:37:24):
Thank you, Your Honor. So after you collected both a buccal swab from Michael Montgomery and the two brush that belonged to Steven Cozzi, what did you do with those items of evidence?
Detective Richard Owens (05:37:35):
I was requested to transport them to Pinellas County Forensic Lab just for testing. They have their own process where they... We do a form at Largo Police Department to enter the items into the property section just for chain of custody. And then I remove them. I drove them personally over to the Pinellas County Forensics Lab, and then they have the same procedure to process them, paperwork that's completed to enter them into property over there for testing.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:37:59):
All right. So you drop them off at the Pinellas County Forensics Laboratory for them to do the testing. You're not the one who's doing the DNA testing?
Detective Richard Owens (05:38:05):
I am not, no.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:38:05):
That's them, that's their role?
Detective Richard Owens (05:38:06):
Yeah.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:38:08):
After that, what other roles did you take in this investigation?
Detective Richard Owens (05:38:12):
Well, different days. I was requested to do different things throughout the day and what we're doing. One of the items I had to obtain or attempt to obtain was any video related to a truck that was observed during this process. So I responded to Tarpon Springs Middle School and met with the SRO Johnson. She reviewed the cameras with me and we observed this same truck we were looking for on video. I think the time was like 11:56 on that date in question on the 21st. And then it came up, I think it was northbound on... I don't remember the name of the street. It was a northbound street in Tarpon and then made a left-hand turn. So heading westbound on Explorers Drive, which is a road that heads back to where Mr. Kosowski lives.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:38:57):
Okay. And the SRO already got those videos in, but ultimately was that Toyota Tundra tracked back to Dr. Kosowski's residence?
Detective Richard Owens (05:39:03):
Yes, it was.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:39:04):
May I have a moment to confer?
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:39:12):
You may.
Alexandra Spadaro (05:39:12):
I have no further questions. Thank you.
Detective Richard Owens (05:39:12):
Okay. Thank you.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:39:12):
Any cross examination?
Detective Richard Owens (05:39:12):
No, Your Honor.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:39:12):
All right. Thank you, sir. You may step down.
Detective Richard Owens (05:39:13):
Thank you, sir. Have a good day.
Judge Joseph Bulone (05:39:17):
State, please call your next witness.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:39:19):
State calls Lance Wagner.
The Reporter (05:39:20):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole-
The Reporter (05:40:00):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:05):
I do.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:06):
Sorry, can you come up here? Get yourself comfortable.
Judge (05:40:07):
Good afternoon, sir.
Lance Wagoner (05:40:07):
Good afternoon.
Judge (05:40:20):
Mr. Vonderheide, you may inquire.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:21):
Good afternoon, sir. Could you please state your full name and spell your last name for the record?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:25):
My name is Lance Wagoner. My last name is W-A-G-O-N-E- R.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:31):
Where are you presently employed, sir?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:32):
I'm employed with the Largo Police Department.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:35):
How long have you been with them?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:36):
26 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:37):
What's your current assignment?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:39):
I'm a financial crimes detective.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:41):
Okay. How long have you been a financial crimes detective?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:43):
Since 2020.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:40:44):
All right. So as it relates to being a financial crimes detective, what's your training experience that specialized for that?
Lance Wagoner (05:40:52):
I've had training specializing in investigating financial crimes, bank statements, anything related to any kind of accounts, anything like that.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:41:06):
Okay. And specifically back in March of 2023, were you assigned to help locate in the investigation involving Steven Cozzi as the victim?
Lance Wagoner (05:41:18):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:41:18):
Okay. And just starting out from the very beginning, what was your first assignment in the case?
Lance Wagoner (05:41:25):
The day following that the incident was first reported, I assisted in attempting to locate any kind of surveillance video of the Toyota Tundra. And then from there, I also assisted standing by while they obtained the search warrant for Dr. Kosowski's residence in Tarpon Springs.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:41:47):
Okay. Let me back you up a little bit. Were you the only one tasked with finding the surveillance related to the Toyota Tundra?
Lance Wagoner (05:41:54):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:41:55):
How many, and I say of you, Major Crimes detectives with Largo Police Department were tasked with finding the surveillance footage?
Lance Wagoner (05:42:02):
I think at one point, almost all of us were attempting to locate surveillance footage as the truck was identified going northbound on Belcher Road.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:42:10):
And does this literally mean you all were separated out going door to door at Belcher Road?
Lance Wagoner (05:42:15):
Yeah, pretty much any intersection with a house or business that had a camera, we tried to stop there and see if they had video.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:42:21):
And are you all communicating with each other to convey what you're finding on the surveillance footage?
Lance Wagoner (05:42:26):
Absolutely. So we're not overlapping ourselves or someone finds something at one intersection. We're trying to go to the next intersection just to try to keep finding the video.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:42:36):
And particularly in your portion of this, did you locate any footage?
Lance Wagoner (05:42:41):
No, I did not. I think I had a blurry image of a truck at a Walgreens at Belcher and Sunset Point Road, and you just couldn't tell for sure if it was the vehicle.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:42:52):
All right. So you looked maybe same timeframe, but it was too far away for you to identify anything?
Lance Wagoner (05:42:57):
That is correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:42:57):
Okay. So 511 Seaview Drive, Tarpon Springs, Florida, Dr. Kosowski's residence, did it become a sort of part of the investigation during that day?
Lance Wagoner (05:43:09):
It did. Once Detective Compton had obtained surveillance footage from the neighbor's residence of the truck, at that point, obviously his residence became a focal point.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:43:21):
Okay. Did you go to the residence at any point?
Lance Wagoner (05:43:24):
No. I stood by while two detectives had gone to the door to try to make contact with someone inside, and then the rest of the time we were standing out front while a search warrant was going to be obtained.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:43:39):
All right. And no members of Largo Police Department entered the house without a search warrant being-
Lance Wagoner (05:43:43):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:43:44):
All right. Did you have any part in serving a search warrant or participating in that [inaudible 05:43:51] on the house?
Lance Wagoner (05:43:51):
No, I did not.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:43:52):
All right. So let's continue on and we'll go chronologically because bank records take time, don't they?
Lance Wagoner (05:43:59):
They do.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:43:59):
And Amazon records, which you also found take time to-
Lance Wagoner (05:44:02):
They definitely do.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:44:03):
All right. So at some point, did you get a LPR hit during the course of March 23 that maybe Dr. Kosowski's Corolla was heading back towards his residence?
Lance Wagoner (05:44:18):
Yes. There was one on the night that the search warrant was being obtained for the residence. The red vehicle was westbound on Tamiami Trail near Alligator Alley that evening.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:44:32):
All right. And that's kind of, I mean, no offense to the Tamiami Trail down there, but it's kind of in the middle of nowhere, right?
Lance Wagoner (05:44:37):
It is. It is. It's not Alligator Alley. It's not a multi-lane highway.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:44:40):
Okay. And so presumably he would be passing through on his way back north to Tampa Bay?
Lance Wagoner (05:44:46):
That is correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:44:47):
All right.
(05:44:47)
Your Honor, at this time I would request to move the evidence. It state's Exhibit 50 for identification purposes. It's state's Exhibit 50 pursuant to 9803 subsection 6, Florida statute 90.902 sub 11. It is a certification of custodian of records for the Motorola license plate reader vigilant system.
Judge (05:45:14):
All right. Do you want to see that, Mr. Kosowski? It looked like you did.
Dr. Kosowski (05:45:32):
Yeah.
(05:45:32)
Thank you.
Judge (05:45:33):
All right. Any objection?
Dr. Kosowski (05:45:35):
Yes.
Judge (05:45:36):
All right.
Dr. Kosowski (05:45:37):
Yes.
Judge (05:45:37):
The usual reason?
Dr. Kosowski (05:45:39):
Yes, sir.
Judge (05:45:40):
All right. Overruled. It's admitted.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:45:41):
And just in response, it is not related to any search warrant or anything that would be found in a search warrant. So I think the objection is not appropriate for this particular item.
Judge (05:45:51):
Right. Well, that's why I'm overruling [inaudible 05:45:55] allowing him to admit. Most of the things that he's objected to were not the subject of a search warrant. Some of them are, but most aren't.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:46:06):
So let's talk about the traffic stop that happened in Tarpon Springs. Were you present for the traffic stop of the Toyota Corolla driven by Dr. Kosowski?
Lance Wagoner (05:46:13):
I was. I arrived after the vehicle had been stopped by Tarpon Springs PD.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:46:16):
Okay. And what was your particular role in that part of the investigation?
Lance Wagoner (05:46:20):
I basically stood by with the other detectives in case Detective Compton needed anything done, and I was there up until PCSO Forensics had arrived on scene.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:46:33):
Okay. So you didn't have any role in searching the Toyota Corolla, didn't do anything as it relates to the Toyota Corolla?
Lance Wagoner (05:46:39):
No, I never did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:46:40):
All right. So let's move on. In the chronological order, let's talk about a landfill in South Florida. At some point, were you asked to go to South Florida for a recovery operation?
Lance Wagoner (05:46:52):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:46:53):
What day and where did you go?
Lance Wagoner (05:46:56):
So it was approximately a week later. Evidence had been obtained that possibly Mr. Cozzi's remains were in the landfill. A specific area of the landfill had been identified, and I, along with 7 or 8 other detectives and probably 10 or 11 patrol officers who also volunteered to help, went through multiple days sifting through the landfill.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:47:24):
All right. Were you there for every day of this recovery operation?
Lance Wagoner (05:47:28):
No, I was not there the first day and a half, but I was there for the remaining two days.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:47:35):
Okay. And then describe that to me. What was that like, that experience?
Lance Wagoner (05:47:38):
So I mean, it's mountains of garbage that had been compacted down over days. We had forklifts come in and bulldozers removing just mounds of trashes and then they would dump it and we would sift through it all day long from sunrise to sunup, just nonstop attempting to find anything.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:03):
And would there be, it was a hot day?
Lance Wagoner (05:48:06):
It was very hot.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:07):
All right. Was there heat also kind of off gassing off the surface of the trash itself?
Lance Wagoner (05:48:11):
Yes, nonstop.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:13):
All right. And was anything readily identifiable out there really?
Lance Wagoner (05:48:18):
No. The way it was described to me was every time a garbage truck comes and dumps off a load of garbage, it gets compacted down multiple feet, and then the next one comes in and the next one comes in, it just gets ... So by that time, it's very difficult to locate anything that you're trying to find.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:35):
And I'm assuming, I'll ask you though, was there an odor involved with this in digging in the landfill?
Lance Wagoner (05:48:40):
Very much so, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:44):
Okay. Were you able to locate anything in your time down there?
Lance Wagoner (05:48:46):
No, we did not.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:47):
All right. So now let's talk about your specialty, your expertise, right? Financial crimes. Did you issue a number of subpoenas related to finances in this case?
Lance Wagoner (05:48:59):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:48:59):
Okay. Now, specifically as it relates to Dr. Kosowski, did you issue subpoenas for some of his records?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:05):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:49:07):
All right. Did you issue subpoenas as well for Mr. Cozzi?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:11):
I didn't specifically, but I believe some other detective did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:49:15):
Okay. So if we had those and put them in evidence later, that wouldn't have been your responsibility?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:18):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:49:19):
All right. So let's talk about Dr. Kosowski's records. Did you attempt to get an Amazon account for him from a Gmail account?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:26):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:49:27):
All right. Did that return anything of value to you?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:30):
No, there was no transactions in that account.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:49:32):
Okay. So then did you follow up with another Amazon account?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:36):
Yes. We were able to identify a Yahoo email account that was also linked to Amazon, so I reissued a subpoena to Amazon to obtain the account information for that one.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:49:47):
Okay. Now, was there a number of sort of parties' names associated in that Amazon account?
Lance Wagoner (05:49:52):
Yes. There was multiple names, multiple addresses, and multiple accounts kind of linked to that Amazon account.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:00):
And were you able to delineate ... Actually, was there another person in there who was buying things on that account?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:06):
Yes, very much so.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:07):
What was the name of that person?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:09):
Teresa Bobo.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:09):
Okay. Did you guys later find out the relationship between Dr. Kosowski and Teresa Bobo?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:14):
I did not personally, no.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:15):
Okay. And have you looked at Amazon records in your career, I'm presuming?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:20):
Very many, very much so. Yeah, many times.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:22):
All right. So how many years do you think you've been analyzing Amazon records?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:26):
Going back to 2020 when I first started doing this.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:29):
All right. And so tens, hundreds, thousands, what do you think?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:34):
I've probably, I mean, just guessing, I've subpoenaed Amazon over 20 times.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:39):
Okay. And these records, I'm not sure we'll be able to put them up here on the board because they're long, right?
Lance Wagoner (05:50:46):
Yes, they are.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:50:47):
For lack of a better term.
Lance Wagoner (05:50:48):
Amazon responds to subpoenas in Excel format, so it's sales rows of whatever you're asking for over whatever period of time.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:51:02):
Is digitally the best way to present these Amazon records, you think?
Lance Wagoner (05:51:03):
No.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:51:06):
Or else it would be like five feet long?
Lance Wagoner (05:51:07):
Yes, it would be just like any kind of Excel sheet.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:51:10):
Your Honor, at this time I'm going to request to move into evidence. It's State's Exhibit 49 for identification purposes as State's Exhibit 49. It's an official business record from Amazon with an affidavit on the front. It is a disc with those records as the contents of the disc. I filed a notice of request to enter these business records back on March 18th of 2025. So pursuant to Florida Statute 9803 sub 6 and Florida Statute 9902 sub 11, I'm asking to enter these Amazon records.
Judge (05:51:44):
All right. Any objection?
Dr. Kosowski (05:51:45):
Yes, sir.
Judge (05:51:45):
All right. Usual?
Dr. Kosowski (05:51:45):
Yes.
Judge (05:51:45):
All right. Overruled. Admit it.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:51:45):
So moves 49 in as 49.
Judge (05:51:50):
Okay. Makes sense.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:52:00):
All right. We'll put those in the record and ... I'm not sure we'll be able to pull it up here on the board because it's an Excel spreadsheet, but you did analyze that Excel spreadsheet at your office, right?
Lance Wagoner (05:52:12):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:52:13):
Okay. And you were looking for relevant purchases?
Lance Wagoner (05:52:16):
Yeah, anything related to the crime that could be attributed to anything used.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:52:23):
Okay. And so would you be able to delineate who made the purchase and where the purchase went to from the records itself?
Lance Wagoner (05:52:31):
Yeah. So one thing that Amazon was good at is they will, because you can purchase something on your account and send it to someone else's address. So Amazon will give you the customer name, who purchased it, what credit card, and where you shipped it to.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:52:46):
Okay. So on the relevant purchases, would it be Dr. Kosowski's name that would be the purchaser or his email ID?
Lance Wagoner (05:52:54):
Yeah. So the email that we requested, which was the Yahoo one, I got all these purchases back under his account.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:02):
So as it relates to where it was shipped, would you also be able to see the address where it was shipped?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:07):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:07):
And did you know the relevant target addresses?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:10):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:10):
Okay. Is there one in Miami?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:12):
There is.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:12):
All right. And there's the one at 511 Seaview in Tarpon Springs?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:15):
Correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:16):
Does it also list the credit card that was used?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:18):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:19):
All right. Were you able to follow up and see that he actually had those credit cards in his name?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:23):
Yes, those were the Discover cards.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:25):
Okay. So as it relates to relevant things that were purchased on Amazon, was there something involving some sort of electronic tag device?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:35):
There was.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:36):
Were you able to ... And where was that shipped to?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:39):
I believe that one was shipped to the address in Tarpon.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:42):
Okay. And were you able to tell exactly what specific model that was?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:47):
No, I could not.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:53:51):
Okay. What other relevant purchases do you believe there was on that Amazon card?
Lance Wagoner (05:53:55):
So there were two foldable Gorilla Carts that were purchased in December of '22.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:03):
Okay.
Lance Wagoner (05:54:04):
Blue and red in color.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:06):
Where was the red one sent to?
Lance Wagoner (05:54:08):
So I believe the red one was sent to the Miami address, and then the other one was sent to the address in Tarpon.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:14):
All right. And did you later look into these Gorilla Cart models?
Lance Wagoner (05:54:19):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:20):
Okay. Did you buy one yourself?
Lance Wagoner (05:54:22):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:23):
Just for personal use?
Lance Wagoner (05:54:24):
Yeah, and just to see what it was. If it matched the description.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:28):
Okay. And did you do further research just additionally independent of buying your own of a Gorilla Cart?
Lance Wagoner (05:54:36):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:37):
If I showed you a make and model of a Gorilla Cart, specifically a blue one, would you recognize that?
Lance Wagoner (05:54:43):
Yeah.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:54:43):
[inaudible 05:54:45].
Judge (05:54:45):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:09):
I'm going to show you what's been previously marked as State's Exhibit 25 for identification purposes. Take a look at this and tell me if this comports with a Gorilla Cart that you would've seen research.
Lance Wagoner (05:55:19):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:20):
And also the one that for your personal use as well, does this comport with that?
Lance Wagoner (05:55:24):
It does.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:25):
Would it assist if you were able to look inside?
Lance Wagoner (05:55:27):
Sure.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:33):
For the record, I'm showing you the bottom of the box.
Lance Wagoner (05:55:35):
Okay.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:35):
See those?
Lance Wagoner (05:55:37):
Yep. I see the folded up wheels.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:38):
Okay. Now let me flip it around. Open the top just to see what's at the top.
Lance Wagoner (05:55:47):
Okay.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:50):
All right. And do you recognize that?
Lance Wagoner (05:55:51):
I do.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:52):
Is that a blue Gorilla Cart consistent with what was purchased on the Amazon records?
Lance Wagoner (05:55:56):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:55:58):
Your Honor, at this time I'd request to move into evidence State's Exhibit 25 for identification purposes as State's Exhibit 25.
Judge (05:56:09):
All right. Any objection?
Dr. Kosowski (05:56:09):
[inaudible 05:56:09] try and pull it out of the box and show [inaudible 05:56:09].
Mr. Vonderheide (05:56:09):
Sure. Would you like to unfold it? Would you like me to unfold it?
Dr. Kosowski (05:56:11):
I'm fine if you do it.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:56:11):
Okay. I would love to do that.
(05:56:11)
Any objection to it yet?
Dr. Kosowski (05:56:27):
Sure. Yes.
Judge (05:56:29):
All right. What's the basis of your objection?
Dr. Kosowski (05:56:31):
Product of a search warrant.
Judge (05:56:35):
All right. Overruled. Any other objections?
Dr. Kosowski (05:56:40):
I'm sorry. No, Your Honor.
Judge (05:56:42):
All right. So it's admitted then.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:56:43):
Okay. State's Exhibit 25.
(05:56:50)
Were there any other relevant purchases that you saw on the Amazon account?
Lance Wagoner (05:56:54):
Yes. So there was also five rolls of silver heavy duty duct tape that was also purchased.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:57:03):
Okay. Where did that go to? What address did that go to?
Lance Wagoner (05:57:05):
I believe that also went to the Tarpon Springs address.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:57:09):
Okay. Anything else?
Lance Wagoner (05:57:13):
Not that I can think of. I'd have to over, but I think that was it.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:57:16):
All right. Did you also pull some bank records because of a purchase of a Toyota Tundra to a Mark Otto?
Lance Wagoner (05:57:22):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:57:25):
All right. And were you able to corroborate payments to Mark Otto as it relates to the Toyota Tundra?
Lance Wagoner (05:57:29):
Yes. So I subpoenaed Dr. Kosowski's Bank of America accounts. There was two of them that were returned. And then I had requested back to November of 2022, and I did locate direct payments to Mr. Otto.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:57:47):
Okay. And that was corroborative of what?
Lance Wagoner (05:57:51):
Those were the payments made for the pickup truck.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:57:54):
The truck that was never registered that was in his garage?
Lance Wagoner (05:57:56):
That is correct.
Judge (05:58:07):
Did I miss this or was it not testified to the dates of the purchases?
Mr. Vonderheide (05:58:14):
Oh, sure. The dates of the purchase of the Gorilla Cart, do you remember when those were?
Lance Wagoner (05:58:18):
Yes. December 10th and December 16th of 2022.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:58:22):
Okay. Are you aware that the red Gorilla Cart was located in the Miami residence?
Lance Wagoner (05:58:28):
Yes, I was told that.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:58:29):
And are you aware that there was a black Gorilla Cart with yellow striping or piping on it found in the 511 Seaview?
Lance Wagoner (05:58:36):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:58:37):
And are you aware that a blue Gorilla Cart was never recovered?
Lance Wagoner (05:58:39):
I'm aware, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:58:40):
Okay. I have nothing further. If I may collect the cart, Your Honor, to put it back in evidence.
Judge (05:58:46):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:58:46):
Thank you.
Judge (05:58:49):
All right. Any cross-examination?
Dr. Kosowski (05:58:52):
No, Your Honor.
Judge (05:58:52):
All right. Thank you, sir. You may step down.
Lance Wagoner (05:58:52):
Thank you, Your Honor.
Judge (05:58:52):
State, please call your next witness.
The Reporter (05:59:08):
Your Honor, if I can just check and see if our last witness is outside. Thank you.
(05:59:36)
Your Honor, the state would call Officer Rose.
The Bailiff (05:59:37):
Ms. Rose, step this way, please.
Mr. Vonderheide (05:59:46):
[inaudible 05:59:53].
The Reporter (05:59:46):
Do you solemnly swear the testimony you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Brittney Rose (05:59:46):
I do.
The Bailiff (05:59:46):
Ms. Rose, the honorable [inaudible 06:00:03].
Judge (05:59:46):
Good afternoon. [inaudible 06:00:13].
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:13):
Detective Rose, could you please state your full name and spell your first name and last name for the court reporter?
Brittney Rose (06:00:18):
Brittney Rose, B-R-I-T-T-N-E-Y, last name Rose, R-O-S-E.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:23):
Where are you presently employed?
Brittney Rose (06:00:24):
Tarpon Springs Police Department.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:26):
And how long have you been there?
Brittney Rose (06:00:27):
Since 2011, so 15 years.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:30):
Okay. And what's your current assignment?
Brittney Rose (06:00:31):
I'm a detective.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:32):
In what division?
Brittney Rose (06:00:36):
In the CID.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:36):
Okay. And how long have you been a detective?
Brittney Rose (06:00:38):
Since July of 2024.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:40):
All right. So back in March of 2023, what was your assignment back then?
Brittney Rose (06:00:46):
I was on patrol.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:47):
Okay. So were you involved in a traffic stop that involved a 2020 Toyota Corolla driven by a Dr. Thomas Kosowski?
Brittney Rose (06:00:54):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:00:54):
All right. And so what was your role in that particular traffic stop?
Brittney Rose (06:00:59):
I assisted at the time Corporal Gibson with the traffic stop, and then we conducted the felony traffic stop, and we detained the defendant.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:10):
Okay. So were you the first cruiser right behind him to pull him over or were you just right there behind that?
Brittney Rose (06:01:15):
I was the secondary cruiser.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:16):
Okay. Were you the person responsible for detaining and taking Dr. Kosowski into custody?
Brittney Rose (06:01:23):
Yes, I was.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:23):
All right. And where did you take him to?
Brittney Rose (06:01:25):
I took him to the rear of my patrol vehicle.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:28):
Okay. So did he remain in your patrol vehicle for the entirety of the time that he was in custody of Tarpon Springs Police Department?
Brittney Rose (06:01:34):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:35):
At one point, did you have to turn your cruiser over to somebody else?
Brittney Rose (06:01:38):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:39):
All right. So Tarpon was the one who effectuated the traffic stop, right?
Brittney Rose (06:01:45):
Correct.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:46):
Did Largo Police Department detectives show up on the scene?
Brittney Rose (06:01:49):
Yes, a short time after.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:50):
Okay. And when you say a short time after, like how quickly did they show up?
Brittney Rose (06:01:53):
I don't recall the exact time, but it was a very short time after the traffic stop was initiated.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:01:59):
And did they go about securing a search warrant for that vehicle?
Brittney Rose (06:02:05):
They did.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:06):
And so they were the affiants, but you guys were in the direction. In other words, you had to serve the search warrant, is that right?
Brittney Rose (06:02:12):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:13):
Tarpon Springs. Was the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office forensics team also involved with that search?
Brittney Rose (06:02:18):
Yes, Supervisor Klein.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:19):
Okay. And when the search warrant arrived on scene, I guess it was electronic, right? But as soon as it was printed out, they gave you a copy?
Brittney Rose (06:02:28):
Yes, sir.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:29):
Did you read the search warrant to the car?
Brittney Rose (06:02:31):
I did.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:31):
Okay. Where was Dr. Kosowski when you read the search warrant to the car?
Brittney Rose (06:02:35):
In the rear of my patrol vehicle.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:36):
Okay. Did your patrol vehicle have a camera that was operating at all times?
Brittney Rose (06:02:41):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:42):
And is that a camera that looks into the rear compartment of the vehicle?
Brittney Rose (06:02:46):
One of them, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:47):
Okay. Is there one in the front as well?
Brittney Rose (06:02:49):
Correct, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:49):
Is there another one after that?
Brittney Rose (06:02:52):
Not that I'm aware of.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:52):
Okay. So we got one in the dash and we got one in the back, right?
Brittney Rose (06:02:55):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:02:56):
So the video footage of that, if it's already entered into evidence of him in the back of a cruiser, that would be your cruiser?
Brittney Rose (06:03:03):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:04):
After you read the search warrant to the Toyota Corolla, what happened from there?
Brittney Rose (06:03:08):
I was then asked a short time later from Detective Hunt from Largo, if I can retrieve a cell phone that was inside the vehicle in the center cup holder.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:19):
Okay. Did you retrieve a cell phone in the center cup holder?
Brittney Rose (06:03:21):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:22):
All right. After you seized that cell phone out of the cup holder, what did you do?
Brittney Rose (06:03:26):
I immediately gave it to Largo Detective Weeden.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:29):
Okay. And why was that?
Brittney Rose (06:03:32):
That was at their direction.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:33):
Okay. So they could secure it in some sort of-
Brittney Rose (06:03:36):
Faraday bag.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:36):
... bag?
Brittney Rose (06:03:37):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:37):
Faraday bag, right.
Brittney Rose (06:03:38):
Yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:38):
What's that?
Brittney Rose (06:03:39):
That is just an electronic bag to help any ... no one being able to do anything to the device.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:46):
Okay. And then were you there when the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office forensics team was processing the car or they were at least going around taking pictures?
Brittney Rose (06:03:54):
For some of it, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:03:56):
All right. Did they actually, they took pictures of you reading it to the car?
Brittney Rose (06:03:59):
I believe so, yes.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:04:02):
Okay. All right. And when did you hand off your police cruiser to someone else while Dr. Kosowski was in the back of it?
Brittney Rose (06:04:07):
That was at approximately 18:05 hours.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:04:10):
Okay. May I have a moment?
Judge (06:04:13):
You may.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:04:14):
I have no further questions. I'll pass the witness.
Judge (06:04:16):
All right. Any cross-examination? Thank you, ma'am.
Brittney Rose (06:04:19):
Thank you.
Judge (06:04:19):
All right. So [inaudible 06:04:28].
Mr. Vonderheide (06:04:27):
We were very efficient again today, Your Honor. I think that's all for today. Tomorrow we're going to have forensics people testify. That's the plan for all day tomorrow. If Your Honor thinks we should bring in more witnesses, we'll look into that this evening to see if we maybe ... I don't know how late ...
Judge (06:04:45):
All right. Well, I mean, we're way ahead of schedule, so I can tell you that tomorrow we can start at 8:45 because I just have one really quick hearing at 8:30, okay? On Thursday, I think 9:15 will work. And then on Friday and Tuesday, 10:45 for both of those I think would work. So if you want to take a look at things and figure out if you want to keep the itinerary, that's fine. If you want to move them around a little bit, that's fine too, obviously.
Mr. Vonderheide (06:05:25):
Yeah, we'll figure it out, Your Honor.
Judge (06:05:25):
All right. So I think I can be done with my calendar on Friday and Tuesday at 10:45. Again, we don't have court on Monday because of Yom Kippur. That's a court holiday mandated by the Florida Supreme Court, so no court that day.
(06:05:45)
All right. Any issues we need to talk about before we adjourn for the day? State?
Mr. Vonderheide (06:05:51):
No, Your Honor.
Judge (06:05:52):
All right. Mr. Kosowski?
Dr. Kosowski (06:05:53):
No, Your Honor.
Judge (06:05:54):
All right. Very good. All right. So we'll see you tomorrow at 8:45. Do our standby lawyers have any issues or are they going to be able to get things covered?
Speaker 14 (06:06:06):
I have one matter with Judge Sercus. That's it tomorrow.
Judge (06:06:11):
Okay, good. Good. All right. So I'll tell her to please take you first if she can. Okay?
Speaker 14 (06:06:18):
Thank you.
Judge (06:06:19):
All right. And then Ms. McNeil, you have anything tomorrow?
Ms. McNeil (06:06:23):
I do not. I'll-
Judge (06:06:24):
All right. Very good. And Mr. Nolgren's here too, so everyone's been here basically the whole time. So obviously the defendant's been here the whole time. The state's been here the whole time. I've been here the whole time and it's time to adjourn for the day. We'll see you tomorrow at 8:45.
The Bailiff (06:06:38):
All rise.
