San Diego Woman Pleads Guilty in Pittsburgh Newborn Death
Nicole Virzi, a 32-year-old former doctoral candidate from San Diego, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and related charges in the 2024 death of six-week-old Leon Katz and the abuse of his twin brother, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office announced. Virzi admitted to investigators that she intentionally harmed the infants during a postpartum visit in Pittsburgh, telling authorities she harbored a lifelong compulsion to hurt children, according to court transcripts cited by the Los Angeles Times. The plea spares Virzi a potential trial and a possible death sentence for first-degree murder, landing her facing a prison term of 35 to 80 years.
The tragedy unfolded in June 2024 when Virzi traveled to Pennsylvania to visit her best friend, Savannah Roberts, and meet the family’s newborn twin boys, latimes.com reported. During the stay, Virzi alerted the parents to unusual injuries she allegedly discovered on the surviving twin, Ari. While the parents took Ari to the hospital, Virzi offered to babysit Leon at the home. Police reports state that Leon suffered fatal injuries while in Virzi’s care. Virzi called 911 and initially claimed the infant had fallen from a bouncer seat onto a tile floor after she left him momentarily to retrieve a baby bottle in the kitchen.
Conflicting Accounts and Interrogation Admissions
Medical evaluations immediately contradicted Virzi’s initial claims of an accidental fall. Hospital scans revealed that Leon suffered a severe skull fracture on the left side of his head along with multiple brain bleeds, according to the arrest report. Following her arrest, Virzi participated in a 13-hour-long interrogation where she ultimately confessed to intentionally shaking and dropping both infants, nypost.com reported. Virzi stated to detectives that she had struggled with an uncontrollable urge to harm children from a very young age, though she maintained during questioning that she “didn’t want him to die.” A doctor determined the injuries to both boys were “consistent with having been sustained as a result of child abuse.”
Plea Deal Details and Family Impact
Under the negotiated plea deal, Virzi pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Emma Schoedel stated that prosecutors agreed to the plea in part to honor the wishes of the grieving family and spare them the trauma of a trial, nypost.com reported. In an emotional statement submitted to the court, the twins’ mother, Savannah Roberts, expressed profound shock over the betrayal by someone she considered family. “Now, I struggle to make even basic decisions about Ari’s care for fear that I could make a choice that inadvertently causes him harm,” Roberts wrote. Despite the devastating loss of Leon, Roberts shared that the surviving twin, Ari, is now thriving and growing into a caring child. Ari “has grown into the most caring, loving friend to those around him,” Roberts wrote, adding, “Being his mom brings me more joy and comfort than anything in my life ever has.” Roberts also noted, “Yet as Leon’s mom too, every milestone, accomplishment, and birthday that Ari reaches is shadowed by the realization that Leon should be experiencing just as much of life, by his brother’s side.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What specific charges did Nicole Virzi plead guilty to?
Virzi pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder, aggravated assault, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.
What prison sentence does Virzi face?
Following her guilty plea, Virzi faces a prison sentence ranging from 35 to 80 years, avoiding a trial and a potential death penalty.
What university was Virzi attending prior to her arrest?
Virzi was a doctoral candidate at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego), studying clinical psychology and nearing the completion of her degree.
More on San Diego
Worth a look