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<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#261e1e;font-size:14px"><strong>Court documents show the Allegheny County DA&#8217;s Office is seeking the death penalty against Nicole Virzi after she allegedly, &#8216;tortured friends&#8217; baby to death while babysitting him&#8217; </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#261e1e;font-size:14px"><strong>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</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#261e1e;font-size:14px"><strong>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&#8217;s Pittsburgh home in June </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#261e1e;font-size:14px"><strong>Police allege she inflicting a fracture to baby Leon&#8217;s skull and several bleeds on the brain picked up by a CT scan, Leon&#8217;s twin brother, Ari Katz, survived </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#261e1e;font-size:14px"><strong>Virzi reportedly, is in shock at learning the DA is seeking capital punishment </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6 wp-block-paragraph" style="color:#261e1e;font-size:14px"><strong>Virzi, though she&#8217;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 </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Nicole-Virzi-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467264" style="width:833px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>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&#8217;s Pittsburgh home in June. She is charged with homicide, child endangerment, and aggravated assault</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A PhD student accused of murdering her friend&#8217;s six-week-old baby was surprised by the prosecution&#8217;s decision to pursue the death penalty, if she&#8217;s convicted.<br>Nicole Virzi, 29, is in custody awaiting a pre-trial conference, charged with murdering Leon Katz while she was babysitting him at the family&#8217;s Pittsburgh home in June. She has been accused of inflicting horrific injuries on both of her friend&#8217;s six-week-old twin boys, resulting the in the death one child.<br>The PhD candidate was surprised by the prosecution&#8217;s decision to pursue the death penalty, if she&#8217;s convicted.<br>Police allege &#8216;baby sitter&#8217; Nicole Virzi is responsible for inflicting a fracture to his skull and several bleeds on the brain picked up by a CT scan. She&#8217;s also accused of injuring Leon&#8217;s twin brother Ari, who survived.<br>She is charged with homicide, child endangerment, and aggravated assault. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Leon-Katz-1-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467276" style="width:836px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>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 </strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Ironically, Virzi is a PhD student focusing on behavioral medicine. According to her <a href="https://psychology.sdsu.edu/doctoral/clinical/nicole-virzi/">UC San Diego bio</a>, her &#8216;research aims to explore the complex interplay between psychological factors—such as depression, stress, negative affect, and trauma— and critical health outcomes and behaviors.&#8217;<br>&#8216;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,&#8217; she said. <br>The doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology, denies any wrongdoing and her lawyer maintains her innocence. <br>Defense attorney David Shrager said he has discussed the possibility that the state would pursue the death penalty with his client, but he wasn&#8217;t expecting it to happen.<br>&#8216;I did not believe [it] was going to happen,&#8217; he said. <br>&#8216;Obviously we discussed this as a possibility&#8230; I was aware it could.&#8217;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Nicole-Virzi-3-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467275" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Irony: Nicole Virzi is a PhD student focusing on behavioral medicine. Her &#8216;research aims to explore the complex interplay between psychological factors—such as depression, stress, negative affect, and trauma— and critical health outcomes and behaviors&#8217;</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Virzi took the news &#8216;as well as can be expected,&#8217; he said, noting it was &#8216;obviously very difficult news and not what we were hoping was going to happen.&#8217;<br>In spite of the shock, Shrager and his client are &#8216;confident in our defense of the case.&#8217;<br>&#8216;She looks forward to having an opportunity to tell her truth,&#8217; he said.<br>Shrager said he alerted Virzi&#8217;s family as soon as he found out about the prosecution&#8217;s decision, describing it as another &#8216;difficult conversation.&#8217;<br>&#8216;But they&#8217;re remaining positive,&#8217; he said.<br>Virzi&#8217;s family will be at her next court appearance, scheduled for September 13, as they prepare to &#8216;support their daughter fully and completely, 100 per cent.<br>&#8216;They have been very clear that they love their daughter and will stand by her,&#8217; he said.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Nicole-Virzi-2-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467263" style="width:839px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>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 &#8211; She&#8217;s shocked the DA&#8217;s office is seeking the death penalty, if she&#8217;s convicted </strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The accused killer was continuing to babysit tiny Leon while his parents were at UPMC Children&#8217;s Hospital of Pittsburgh with his twin, Ari, after Virzi said she spotted an injury on his groin area, police said.<br>She told cops that she had gone into the kitchen to get the baby a bottle when she suddenly heard screaming.<br>When she returned she said the baby had fallen out of his bouncer chair. She then called 911.<br>According to court filings reveals &#8216;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,&#8217; a doctor told investigators, </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/David-Shrager-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467266" style="width:837px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>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</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Police allege she is responsible for inflicting a fracture to baby Leon&#8217;s skull and several bleeds on the brain picked up by a CT scan. <br>She&#8217;s also accused of injuring Leon&#8217;s twin brother Ari, who survived. <br>Court documents show that the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty against Virzi.<br>The filing, which laid out the reasons for seeking the death penalty, reads: &#8216;The defendant committed the killing while in the perpetration of a felony. The offense was committed by means of torture.&#8217;<br>Virzi was a &#8216;trusted friend&#8217; of the babies&#8217; parents Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts who was watching the twins while on her college break.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Parents-parents-Ethan-Katz-and-Savannah-Roberts-with-their-twin-boys-Leon-and-Ari-Katz-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467260" style="width:826px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Virzi was a &#8216;trusted friend&#8217; of the babies&#8217; parents Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts [photo], whom they entrusted with watching their twins Ari and Leon, while on her college break. </strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Police allege Virzi told officers that she&#8217;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.<br>Virzi statedd that she spotted an injury to her son Ari&#8217;s groin area, notified his parents and continued to babysit Leon as they took Ari to UPMC Children&#8217;s Hospital of Pittsburgh to get the injury assessed.<br>According to court filings, a doctor told investigators &#8216;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.&#8217;<br>Virzi maintains her innocence regarding injuries to the children she was minding.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Twin-boys-Leon-and-Ari-Katz-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-467271" style="width:841px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph"><strong>According to court filings, a doctor told investigators &#8216;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&#8217;</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">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.<br>&#8216;She&#8217;s using her time in there productively and is making the best of the situation as she&#8217;s able,&#8217; he said. &#8216;Her parents&#8230; they visit her frequently.&#8217; <br></p>

Babysitter charged in death of her infant ward, may face death penalty – Clinical Psychology PhD candidate, Nicole Virzi, allegedly murdered friend’s six-week-old son
