Pittsburgh, PA — A PhD student from California, Nicole Virzi, could face the death penalty if convicted of the horrific crime of killing her friend’s 6-week-old baby and injuring his twin brother. The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office announced its intent to seek capital punishment during a court hearing on Friday, citing aggravating factors, including allegations of torture, as grounds for the rare legal pursuit.
Virzi, 30, has been charged with homicide, multiple counts of aggravated assault, and endangering the welfare of children. The charges stem from an incident on June 15 when she was babysitting the twin sons of Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts, friends she had known in Pittsburgh.
According to the criminal complaint, Virzi called the police on the evening of June 15, claiming that one of the twins, Leon Katz, had fallen from a bassinet. The baby was rushed to a nearby children’s hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The following evening, Virzi reported finding injuries on Leon’s twin brother, Ari, including scratches, bruising, and swelling. Medical examinations revealed that both twins had sustained injuries inconsistent with accidents, leading authorities to suspect child abuse.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Leon Katz died from blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in a severe skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds. The cause of death was ruled as homicide.
Virzi, who was staying at an Airbnb in Pittsburgh, initially told police that Leon had tumbled from his bouncer chair while she was briefly out of the room. She also claimed that Ari’s injuries occurred when he flailed his arms as she attempted to place him in a car seat.
The twins’ parents have denied inflicting any injuries on their children.
The District Attorney’s Office has pointed to evidence suggesting that the crime involved torture, which is a key factor in its decision to pursue the death penalty.
David Shrager, Virzi’s defense attorney, expressed his dismay at the prosecution’s decision. “This was not the direction we hoped the case would go,” Shrager stated. “We strongly disagree with the allegations made by the DA’s office regarding the death penalty. We will of course be litigating this case aggressively until the truth comes out.”
Virzi, who was pursuing her doctorate in behavioral medicine as part of a joint clinical psychology program at the University of California, San Diego, is currently being held without bond in the Allegheny County Jail.
While Pennsylvania is one of 27 states where the death penalty remains legal, executions have been rare, with none carried out since 1999. Governor Josh Shapiro, who took office last year, has announced that he will not issue any execution warrants during his term and has called for the abolition of the death penalty in the state.
The case has sent shockwaves through both the local community and the academic circles in which Virzi was involved, as the legal process moves forward with the potential for a death penalty trial.