Nicole Virzi Sentenced to 80 Years for Killing Baby Leon Katz

Nicole Elizabeth Virzi, 32, accepted a 35-to-80-year prison sentence on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the murder of Leon Katz. The San Diego resident was completing a doctoral degree in psychology when she killed the 6-week-old boy during a visit to his family in Pittsburgh in 2024.

The plea deal resolved a case that prosecutors initially charged with first-degree murder, a count that carried the possibility of the death penalty. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office finalized the agreement after consulting with the babies’ family. Officials described the case as horrific, noting that Virzi used her trusted relationship with the parents to create the opportunity for the attack.

On the night of June 15, 2024, Virzi called 911 just after 11:15 p.m. to report that Leon had fallen from a baby bouncer and was struggling to breathe. A probable cause statement revealed the infant suffered a skull fracture and brain bleeds. He died the following morning. Hours after the call, Virzi admitted to police that she had harmed the child.

During a recorded interrogation, Virzi told a detective that she had an uncontrollable urge to hurt children from a very young age. She described shaking and dropping Leon, hearing his head crack on the bathroom floor tile. She also recounted other instances of hurting children throughout her life, including pinching and burning them. Prosecutors played portions of this video during a court hearing in December.

While the parents were at the hospital treating their other son, Ari, for injuries to his groin, Virzi was alone with Leon. She texted the parents reassuring messages that everything was fine at home. Leon was later taken to the same hospital. Detectives informed the parents that Leon’s death was not an accident. The force of the impact on his head was consistent with a 60 mph car crash.

Savannah Roberts, the twins’ mother, submitted a statement to the court expressing her grief. She wrote that she would never fully comprehend the depravity Virzi embodied. Roberts described the pain of remembering Leon as a happy, innocent boy while her mind is consumed by images of the abuse. She noted that Virzi had asked to watch the babies so the parents could celebrate their first wedding anniversary, an offer the couple declined to spend time with their newborns.

Virzi lived in Mission Valley when she visited Pittsburgh. Her San Diego State University profile at the time detailed her research on the interplay between psychological factors and health outcomes, specifically within female and trauma-exposed populations. She remained in an Allegheny County jail as of Thursday.