A PhD student has been charged with homicide and could face the death penalty following the death of a 6-week-old baby in Pittsburgh. Nicole Virzi, 30, is accused of killing baby Leon Katz and injuring his twin brother while babysitting in June.
According to court documents, Virzi, a doctoral student, contacted police on June 15, claiming one of the infant twins had fallen from a bassinet. Leon Katz was immediately taken to a children’s hospital but was later pronounced dead. The following day, injuries were discovered on Leon’s twin brother, including bruises and scratches. Medical examinations revealed that the injuries to both babies were not accidental or naturally occurring.
An autopsy determined that Leon Katz suffered a severe skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds. The medical examiner concluded the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, classifying it as a homicide.
Virzi, who was staying at an Airbnb in Pittsburgh, initially told police that Leon was in a bouncer seat when she left the room briefly. Upon returning, she claimed to have found him on the floor. She also suggested the surviving twin’s scratches happened when she attempted to place him in a car seat. The twins’ parents have denied that the children sustained any injuries under their care.
Prosecutors from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office are seeking the death penalty in this case, citing torture as an aggravating factor. Defense attorney David Shrager, representing Virzi, stated that his client maintains her innocence and had a close relationship with the twins’ parents. “This was not the direction we hoped the case would go,” Shrager told NBC News. “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.”
Nicole Virzi was pursuing her doctorate in behavioral medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Information from the university website indicates she was enrolled in the joint doctoral program in clinical psychology. She is currently being held without bond in the Allegheny County Jail.
Pennsylvania is a state where the death penalty is legal, although executions are rare. While over 100 individuals are on death row in the state, including a single woman, no executions have taken place since 1999. Governor Josh Shapiro has stated he will not sign execution warrants during his term and has called for the abolition of the death penalty in Pennsylvania.
