Pittsburgh woman gets 35 to 80 years

Nicole Virzi, 32, faces a minimum of 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of Leon Katz in Pittsburgh. The sentence, set between 35 and 80 years, was handed down in Allegheny County court on Wednesday. Virzi had originally been charged with capital murder, which carried the possibility of the death penalty. She opted for the plea deal to resolve the case.

The victim was six weeks old at the time of his death. His mother, Savannah Roberts, had asked Virzi, a doctoral student at the University of California San Diego, to watch the infant while she took her other twin son, Ari, to the hospital. Virzi was visiting from San Diego to see Roberts, who she described as her best friend. The incident occurred in June 2024 in the family home.

Virzi contacted police late that night, stating that Leon had fallen from a baby bouncer. Paramedics rushed the infant to a nearby children’s hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Investigators reviewed the scene and determined the injuries were too severe to result from a fall of that height. Police took Virzi into custody shortly after the call.

The criminal complaint filed by Pittsburgh police identified the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. The manner of death was ruled homicide. Prosecutors also found that the injuries sustained by Ari, which prompted the parents to leave him in Virzi’s care, were caused by Virzi. She admitted to investigators that she always had a compulsion she could not control to harm kids.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office agreed to the plea after consulting with the victim’s family. A statement from the office noted that they were committed to pursuing the case to trial but considered the best interest of the community and its protection. They decided to offer the plea and sentence to secure a conviction.

Savannah Roberts wrote to Judge Jill E. Rangos, stating that Virzi’s actions have fundamentally changed her. Roberts said she feels unrecognizable and that her self-confidence is forever shattered. She described Virzi as a monster and said she will never forgive herself for failing to protect her babies. Roberts noted that it took nearly a year for her to use the bathroom or shower alone without her husband standing outside the door to watch her and their surviving son.

Phil DiLucente, a local criminal law attorney, noted that Virzi must serve the full minimum sentence of 35 years before becoming eligible for parole. He said it is highly unlikely a parole board would ever allow her to leave prison. DiLucente described the case as bizarre, pointing out that Virzi flew across the country to visit her best friend before committing a premeditated act. An attorney for Virzi was not immediately available for comment.

Roberts said the couple had always dreamed of having twins. She worries that she will never be able to let Ari out of her sight. She wrote that she has still never been able to leave Ari alone with a friend and does not know if she ever will. The surviving twin, Ari, is now older, but the trauma remains for the family.