Nicole Virzi Sentenced to 80 Years for Killing Friend's Newborn

Nicole Virzi, 32, received a prison sentence of 35 to 80 years on Wednesday after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and related charges in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

The guilty plea resolved the case that began in 2024, when Virzi was caring for Leon and Ari Katz, the 6-week-old twins of her close friend, Savannah Roberts. Prosecutors stated that Virzi avoided a potential death penalty trial by admitting to the crimes.

According to court records, Virzi initially watched Leon after Roberts took Ari to a hospital for unexplained injuries. Later that night, Virzi called emergency services claiming Leon had fallen from a baby bouncer. Medics rushed the infant to a children’s hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy determined that Leon died from blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators concluded that the severe injuries were inconsistent with a fall from a bouncer. Detectives also linked Virzi to the injuries Ari sustained during the same period of care.

During court proceedings, prosecutors revealed that Virzi told investigators she always had a compulsion she could not control to harm kids. This admission provided a context for the actions taken while babysitting the newborns in Pittsburgh.

Roberts addressed the sentencing judge, Jill E. Rangos, in a letter describing the impact of the loss. She wrote that Virzi’s betrayal shattered her trust, noting she could never have imagined her best friend was capable of the cruelty or violence displayed.