Nicole Virzi, 32, took a plea deal Wednesday in the killing of a six-week-old infant she was babysitting, admitting to homicide and to injuring the baby’s twin brother.
The UC San Diego PhD student pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal homicide in the death of Leon Katz and to charges related to harming his twin. She had been facing a potential death sentence if convicted of first-degree murder. The slain infant’s family wanted to avoid a trial.
Virzi did not speak during her plea hearing. Her defense attorney told the court, “No words of apology would be sufficient.”
The case stems from June 2024, when Virzi was watching Leon while her former best friend, Savannah Roberts, took the twin to a hospital with an injury to his genitals. Police later determined Virzi had caused that injury. While alone with Leon, Virzi inflicted fatal injuries including a severe skull fracture and brain bleeds. She initially claimed the baby had fallen from a bouncer seat while she went to the kitchen for a bottle.
During a 13-hour police interrogation following the baby’s death, Virzi made a chilling admission about her motivations. “From a very, very young age, I don’t know what it is, but I always had this urge – almost like a compulsion I can’t control – to hurt kids,” she allegedly told investigators.
She also detailed the physical abuse she inflicted on Leon. “So when I was alone with (Leon), I shook him a couple times – hard. And I dropped him a couple times – hard,” she said during the interrogation. She further admitted to flipping the infant upside down on a bathroom floor.
Virzi expressed an inability to stop herself. “Something just came over me. I couldn’t control it,” she said. “I’m telling you this because I can’t keep lying about it.”
The plea deal came after Virzi initially claimed innocence through a lawyer. She has been ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years and a maximum of 80 years in state prison.
Allegheny County Deputy District Attorney Emma Schoedel said prosecutors made the deal in part to honor the family’s wishes. “This was a horrific case in which Virzi used her trusted relationship with the Roberts/Katz family to place herself in a situation where she could commit her horrendous acts,” the DA’s office said in a statement. “Throughout the criminal justice process, the Roberts/Katz family has continued to endure crushing emotional pain and grief.”
A Pittsburgh police officer who responded to the family’s home expressed frustration with the reduced charges in an interview. “To go from murder-one to this? It’s pretty amazing,” he said. “We know she did it. She confessed to it.”
Virzi was weeks away from completing her PhD at UC San Diego when the killing occurred. The case drew national attention due to the stark contrast between her academic pursuits and the violence she admitted to committing against the infants entrusted to her care.
