A PhD student is facing severe consequences for allegedly committing a heinous crime, as Pennsylvania prosecutors have stated that she could potentially be sentenced to the death penalty if found guilty. The charges against her include the killing of her friend’s newborn baby and causing harm to his twin brother.
In court on Friday, the Alleghany District Attorney’s Office announced its intention to pursue capital punishment against Nicole Virzi. Virzi is accused of fatally injuring 6-week-old Leon Katz while babysitting him at the family’s Pittsburgh-area home in June.
Virzi, 30, was caring for the baby while Leon’s parents, Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts, took his twin sibling, Ari, to the hospital for injuries that the California woman was later accused of causing.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty in the June 15 homicide case. They have cited several aggravating factors, including the alleged use of torture during the crime.
According to reports from WTAE, doctors have determined that the injuries sustained by Leon are not accidental, but rather consistent with child abuse. This contradicts Virzi’s claim that Leon fell from his bouncer chair while she was away.
According to the county’s medical examiner, Leon’s cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head. Leon’s head CT scan revealed a significant skull fracture on the left side of his head, accompanied by several brain bleeds.
She is currently facing serious charges including homicide, aggravated assault, and child endangerment.
According to reports, Virzi was a clinical psychology student at UC San Diego’s Joint Doctoral Program. In the aftermath of the death, a fundraising page was set up referring to Virzi as a “trusted family friend.”
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Although Virzi is originally from California, she was residing in a Pittsburgh-area Airbnb when the killing occurred.
According to Virzi’s attorney, David Shrager, his client was deeply affected by Leon’s passing and maintained her innocence.
“If there was something that she would want to convey, it would just be the absolutely horrible pain that she’s feeling,” Mr. Shrager said, according to the newspaper. “These were her close friends.”
Currently, there are no women on death row in Pennsylvania and Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has made a commitment to refrain from signing any death warrants during his tenure.
According to the Post-Gazette, Virzi chose not to attend her formal arraignment on Friday and also decided to waive a preliminary hearing last month.
