Pittsburgh woman sentenced to 80 years for killing 6-week-old twin

Nicole Virzi, 32, will spend between 35 and 80 years behind bars for the death of Leon Katz, a 6-week-old infant she was caring for in Pittsburgh. The sentence was handed down Wednesday in Allegheny County, following her guilty plea to third-degree murder.

The incident occurred in 2024 when Virzi visited Pittsburgh to help her friend, Savannah Roberts, with newborn twins Leon and Ari Katz. After the parents took Ari to a hospital for unexplained injuries, Virzi stayed to watch Leon. She later called 911, stating that Leon had fallen from a baby bouncer. Medical staff pronounced him dead at a children’s hospital.

An autopsy determined Leon died from blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators concluded the injuries were too severe to result from a fall out of a bouncer. Detectives also established that Virzi caused the initial injuries sustained by twin brother Ari during the same period.

During the legal proceedings, prosecutors revealed that Virzi told investigators she had a years-long compulsion to hurt children that she could not control. This testimony provided context for the specific nature of the harm inflicted on the infants.

Savannah Roberts addressed the court in a letter to Judge Jill E. Rangos, describing the event as a shattering of trust. Roberts wrote that she never imagined her best friend was capable of the cruelty and violence Virzi displayed.

The plea deal allowed Virzi to avoid a potential death penalty trial. She was formally sentenced to a minimum of 35 years and a maximum of 80 years in prison.