A San Diego woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing her best friend’s 6-week-old son and injuring his twin brother in a Pittsburgh case that has drawn national attention.
Nicole Virzi, 32, was sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison after admitting to third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of endangering a child’s welfare. The plea agreement, reached with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, avoids a trial and potential death penalty charges.
Virzi, a former doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of California San Diego, had been visiting Pittsburgh in June 2024 to help care for her best friend Savannah Roberts’ newborn twins, Leon and Ari Katz. Roberts and her partner, Ethan Katz, took Ari to the hospital after discovering wounds on his body, and Virzi offered to watch Leon.
Later that night, Virzi called 911, claiming Leon had fallen from a baby bouncer. The infant was rushed to a children’s hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Medical examiners later ruled his death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head, with the manner of death classified as homicide.
Investigators determined the severity of Leon’s injuries could not have resulted from a short fall. Autopsy reports showed a severe skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds, consistent with intentional abuse. Ari, the surviving twin, had also suffered injuries that prompted his hospitalization, which authorities later linked to Virzi.
In court filings, prosecutors stated Virzi told investigators she had “a compulsion she could not control to harm kids” throughout her life. She admitted to shaking Leon and dropping him intentionally, including onto a tile floor, though she claimed she did not intend for him to die.
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office stated that while they were committed to pursuing the case to trial, they agreed to the plea after consultations with the victim’s family and consideration of community safety. Virzi’s sentencing ensures she will remain incarcerated for decades, though the exact length of her term will be determined by a judge at a later date.
Virzi’s legal team has not publicly commented on the case. The Katz family has not issued a statement since the plea agreement was announced.