Nicole Virzi, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at UC San Diego, has been sentenced to 35 to 80 years in Pennsylvania state prison after pleading guilty to killing six-week-old Leon Katz. The baby was the son of a friend, and Virzi also admitted injuring his twin brother. The plea deal means she will not face the death sentence that was once on the table.
According to WTAE, Virzi has been ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years and a maximum of 80 years. She had been facing a potential death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder. The station also reports that Virzi did not speak during the plea hearing.
Three Guilty Pleas in a Pittsburgh Apartment Case
Per WPXI, Virzi pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of children. The station reports the incident took place in a Walnut Street home in June 2024. Court documents cited by WPXI say the baby's twin, Ari, was found with scratches, bruising and swelling sustained while he was in Virzi's care.
Under Pennsylvania law, all kinds of murder other than the first and second degrees are third-degree murder, which is classified as a first-degree felony.
What Happened to Leon While His Parents Were at the Hospital
WTAE reports that Virzi was babysitting Leon inside his parents' apartment while they had taken his twin brother to UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for injuries to the twin's genital area. While his parents were away, Leon was fatally hurt. As NBC News reported, Leon suffered a severe skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds, and the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head, resulting from homicide.
The case drew wider attention in part because of Virzi's academic path. CNN reported she had been pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology through a joint program at San Diego State University and UC San Diego.
Statements From a 13-Hour Interrogation
During a 13-hour interrogation, Virzi described what she did to the infant, according to the account reported by WTAE. Quoting her, the station reported: “I shook him a couple times - hard. And I dropped him a couple times - hard.” She also told investigators she flipped the infant upside down on the bathroom tile floor.
Virzi also told detectives that for years she had felt an urge to harm children, the Tribune-Review reported. No motive for the killing or the twin's injuries has been established in the reporting.
Why Prosecutors Took the Deal
Deputy District Attorney Emma Schoedel said the plea partly honored the wishes of Savannah Roberts and Ethan Katz, WTAE reported. Schoedel said the parents did not want to endure the additional traumatization of a trial. The New York Post reports that the district attorney's office described the case as horrific and said the family endured crushing emotional pain and grief.
The Post also reports that a Pittsburgh police officer told the Daily Mail he was disappointed in the plea deal and that Virzi had confessed. The Post further notes that Virzi initially claimed innocence through a lawyer.
