Nicole Virzi sentenced to 35 years for killing best friend's infant son

Nicole Virzi, 32, will spend at least the next 35 years in prison for the 2024 murder of her best friend’s six-week-old son. The Pittsburgh woman, formerly a doctoral student at the University of California San Diego, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to third-degree murder and related charges. Her sentence, ranging from 35 to 80 years, follows a plea agreement that avoided a capital murder trial where the death penalty was a possibility.

The victim, Leon Katz, died after being dropped from a baby bouncer, a fall Virzi initially claimed to police late at night on June 2024. However, medical examiners determined the blunt force trauma to his head was too severe for such a short fall. The manner of death was ruled homicide. Investigators also found that her other twin brother, Ari Katz, sustained injuries from Virzi prior to Leon's death, which prompted the parents to leave the infants in her care.

Virzi told prosecutors she suffered from an uncontrollable urge to harm children. She described this as a compulsion that led to the premeditated acts committed while babysitting for Savannah Roberts and Ethan Katz. Roberts and Katz were visiting Pittsburgh at the time, and both are themselves twins. The couple had long dreamed of having twins, making the loss of one of their two infants particularly devastating.

Allegheny County District Attorney's Office stated they agreed to the plea after consulting with the family and considering community protection. The office had initially committed to pursuing the case to trial. The plea allowed for a specific sentence rather than the variable outcome of a jury verdict. Virzi's attorney did not immediately return calls for comment on the decision.

Phil DiLucente, a local criminal law attorney, noted that Virzi must serve the full 35-year minimum before becoming eligible for parole. He told NBC News that a parole board is unlikely to grant her release due to the specific circumstances of the crime. He described the case as bizarre because Virzi flew across the country to visit her best friend before committing the act.

Roberts, the mother of the twins, wrote a letter to Judge Jill E. Rangos describing the psychological impact of the tragedy. She stated that the experience fundamentally changed her personality and shattered her self-confidence. Roberts said she felt unrecognizable from her former self and struggled to forgive herself for failing to protect her children from what she called a monster.

The mother expressed ongoing difficulty trusting other adults with Ari's safety. Roberts wrote that it took nearly a year for her to use the bathroom or shower alone without Ethan Katz standing outside the door. She said she has never left Ari with a friend since the incident and is unsure if she ever will.

The case concluded with Virzi's sentencing, which ensures she will remain behind bars for a substantial portion of her life. The legal process highlighted the role of trust in the initial placement of the infants in Virzi's care. The surviving twin, Ari, now grows up with his mother watching him closely, a dynamic Roberts described as a permanent change in her daily life.