Court documents show the Allegheny County DA’s Office is seeking the death penalty against Nicole Virzi after she allegedly, ‘tortured friends’ baby to death while babysitting him’

Virzi is charged with homicide, child endangerment, and aggravated assault in the death of six-week-old Leon Katz and injuries to his twin brother Ari Katz

Nicole Virzi, 29, a PhD candidate in clinical psychology, s in custody awaiting a pre-trial conference, charged with murdering Leon while babysitting him at the family’s Pittsburgh home in June

Police allege she inflicting a fracture to baby Leon’s skull and several bleeds on the brain picked up by a CT scan, Leon’s twin brother, Ari Katz, survived

Virzi reportedly, is in shock at learning the DA is seeking capital punishment

Virzi, though she’d discussed with her attorney the possibility that the state would pursue the death penalty, is in shock learning the DA is seeking capital punishment

Nicole Virzi, [photo], is in custody awaiting a pre-trial conference, in the death of Leon Katz while she was babysitting him at the family’s Pittsburgh home in June. She is charged with homicide, child endangerment, and aggravated assault

A PhD student accused of murdering her friend’s six-week-old baby was surprised by the prosecution’s decision to pursue the death penalty, if she’s convicted.
Nicole Virzi, 29, is in custody awaiting a pre-trial conference, charged with murdering Leon Katz while she was babysitting him at the family’s Pittsburgh home in June. She has been accused of inflicting horrific injuries on both of her friend’s six-week-old twin boys, resulting the in the death one child.
The PhD candidate was surprised by the prosecution’s decision to pursue the death penalty, if she’s convicted.
Police allege ‘baby sitter’ Nicole Virzi is responsible for inflicting a fracture to his skull and several bleeds on the brain picked up by a CT scan. She’s also accused of injuring Leon’s twin brother Ari, who survived.
She is charged with homicide, child endangerment, and aggravated assault.

Virzi was babysitting six-week-old Leon Katz and his twin brother when he sustained a skull fracture, along with several bleeds on the brain. Police allege Virzi inflicted the injuries picked up by the CT scan

Ironically, Virzi is a PhD student focusing on behavioral medicine. According to her UC San Diego bio, her ‘research aims to explore the complex interplay between psychological factors—such as depression, stress, negative affect, and trauma— and critical health outcomes and behaviors.’
‘I am particularly interested in exploring these relationships within female and trauma-exposed populations. By concentrating on these relationships, my research aims to shed light on the unique challenges and opportunities for intervention within these vulnerable groups,’ she said. 
The doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology, denies any wrongdoing and her lawyer maintains her innocence.
Defense attorney David Shrager said he has discussed the possibility that the state would pursue the death penalty with his client, but he wasn’t expecting it to happen.
‘I did not believe [it] was going to happen,’ he said.
‘Obviously we discussed this as a possibility… I was aware it could.’

Irony: Nicole Virzi is a PhD student focusing on behavioral medicine. Her ‘research aims to explore the complex interplay between psychological factors—such as depression, stress, negative affect, and trauma— and critical health outcomes and behaviors’

Virzi took the news ‘as well as can be expected,’ he said, noting it was ‘obviously very difficult news and not what we were hoping was going to happen.’
In spite of the shock, Shrager and his client are ‘confident in our defense of the case.’
‘She looks forward to having an opportunity to tell her truth,’ he said.
Shrager said he alerted Virzi’s family as soon as he found out about the prosecution’s decision, describing it as another ‘difficult conversation.’
‘But they’re remaining positive,’ he said.
Virzi’s family will be at her next court appearance, scheduled for September 13, as they prepare to ‘support their daughter fully and completely, 100 per cent.
‘They have been very clear that they love their daughter and will stand by her,’ he said.

Nicole Virzi, [photo], maintains her innocence, claiming the baby had fallen out of his bouncer chair when she went to the kitchen to get a bottle – She’s shocked the DA’s office is seeking the death penalty, if she’s convicted

The accused killer was continuing to babysit tiny Leon while his parents were at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh with his twin, Ari, after Virzi said she spotted an injury on his groin area, police said.
She told cops that she had gone into the kitchen to get the baby a bottle when she suddenly heard screaming.
When she returned she said the baby had fallen out of his bouncer chair. She then called 911.
According to court filings reveals ‘The injuries sustained by both [Leon and Ari], were consistent with having been sustained as a result of child abuse, as these are inflicted injuries that are not natural and not accidental,’ a doctor told investigators,

Defense attorney David Shrager, [photo], said though he had discussed the possibility that the state would pursue the death penalty with his client, he was not expecting it to happen

Police allege she is responsible for inflicting a fracture to baby Leon’s skull and several bleeds on the brain picked up by a CT scan.
She’s also accused of injuring Leon’s twin brother Ari, who survived. 
Court documents show that the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty against Virzi.
The filing, which laid out the reasons for seeking the death penalty, reads: ‘The defendant committed the killing while in the perpetration of a felony. The offense was committed by means of torture.’
Virzi was a ‘trusted friend’ of the babies’ parents Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts who was watching the twins while on her college break.

Virzi was a ‘trusted friend’ of the babies’ parents Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts [photo], whom they entrusted with watching their twins Ari and Leon, while on her college break.

Police allege Virzi told officers that she’d gone into the kitchen to get one of the twins a bottle when she suddenly heard screaming. When she returned she said the baby had fallen out of his bouncer chair. She then called 911.
Virzi statedd that she spotted an injury to her son Ari’s groin area, notified his parents and continued to babysit Leon as they took Ari to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to get the injury assessed.
According to court filings, a doctor told investigators ‘the injuries sustained by both (twins are) consistent with having been sustained as a result of child abuse, as these are inflicted injuries that are not natural and not accidental.’
Virzi maintains her innocence regarding injuries to the children she was minding.

According to court filings, a doctor told investigators ‘the injuries sustained by both boys, consistent with having been sustained as a result of child abuse, as these are inflicted injuries that are not natural and not accidental’

Shrager said Virzi is trying to remain positive in custody and managing as well as can be expected as she awaits her day in court.
‘She’s using her time in there productively and is making the best of the situation as she’s able,’ he said. ‘Her parents… they visit her frequently.’