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Woman pleads guilty to murdering best friend’s 6-week-old son, said she had compulsion to harm kids
NBC News • • nation
Key Points:
- Nicole Virzi, driven by a compulsion to harm children, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and other charges for killing her best friend’s infant son, Leon Katz, in Pittsburgh and was sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison.
- Virzi, a University of California San Diego doctoral student, was babysitting the newborn twins when she caused fatal blunt force trauma to Leon and injuries to his twin brother, Ari.
- The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office agreed to the plea deal to protect the community and in consultation with the victim’s family, despite originally pursuing a capital murder charge with the death penalty.
- The twins’ mother, Savannah Roberts, expressed profound trauma and loss of trust following the incident, stating she has been forever changed and struggles to leave her surviving son alone.
- Legal experts believe Virzi will likely serve the full minimum sentence and that parole is improbable due to the premeditated nature of her crimes and lack of mitigating factors.
