A Pennsylvania mother delivered an emotional statement in court after Nicole Virzi, her former best friend and one-time maid of honour, pleaded guilty to killing her infant son and injuring his twin brother.
Virzi, 32, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to third-degree criminal homicide over the death of six-and-a-half-week-old Leon Katz and injuries sustained by his twin, Ari, at the family’s home in Pittsburgh in June 2024.
The boys’ mother, Savannah Roberts, described the impact of the crime on her family and her sense of security.
“I’m a twin, my husband is a twin, and it was always our dream to have twins. We thought our dream had come true,” Roberts said.
She added that the incident had changed her life permanently.
“This has eradicated my sense of safety across every domain of my life. I will never fully understand the torture and murder that Nicole inflicted on my twins.”
Mother Describes Lasting Emotional Impact
Roberts told the court that her confidence had been severely affected by what happened to her children.
“My own self-confidence is completely shattered. Nicole’s actions have completely changed me as a person,” she said.
She also described the difficulty of reconciling the crime with the person she had once trusted.
“I’ve learned that the bogeyman is real and monsters really do live under the bed,” Roberts said.
Virzi’s parents, New York cardiologist Dr Peter J. Virzi and Jennifer Graham, were present in court as Roberts delivered her statement.
Guilty Plea Replaces Trial That Could Have Carried Death Penalty
Virzi had been expected to stand trial earlier in October after initially pleading not guilty to six charges involving criminal homicide, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Her lawyers had requested a postponement, saying they needed additional time to prepare a defence against the possibility of a death sentence.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty. However, Virzi’s guilty plea to third-degree criminal homicide carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison in Pennsylvania.
Her lawyers previously argued that she had been coerced into making an involuntary confession during an interrogation lasting approximately 13 hours. A judge ruled that prosecutors could use the confession as evidence in the case.
Virzi Admitted to Shaking and Dropping the Baby
During a police interview, Virzi admitted to repeatedly shaking and dropping Leon while alone with him, saying she had become angry about caring for the children.
“Something about that built up a lot of anger in me,” she told lead detective Janine Triolo in a videotaped confession.
She said she had shaken the infant hard and dropped him several times.
“I heard some kind of crack,” Virzi said, also describing an incident in which she allegedly turned the baby upside down on the tiled bathroom floor.
“Something just came over me I couldn’t control,” she said. “I’m telling you this because I can’t keep lying about it.”
Virzi also told investigators that she had not intended to kill Leon.
“I did not want him to die,” she said. “That was not my goal. I just wanted him to feel a little pain.”
In another part of the interview, she said she had experienced what she described as an uncontrollable urge to hurt children from a young age.
Medical Findings Linked Leon’s Injuries to Blunt Force Trauma
Prosecutors said Leon suffered a skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds, which were identified through a CT scan. His twin brother, Ari, also sustained injuries.
Leon was pronounced dead several hours after emergency services were called to the family’s home on June 15, 2024.
An autopsy later determined that his injuries resulted from blunt force trauma and were consistent with child abuse.
Virzi’s Account of the Events Before Leon’s Death
Virzi and Roberts had met while working as research coordinators in the graduate psychology department at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
In June 2024, Virzi visited Roberts and her family in Pittsburgh for a weeklong stay.
On June 15, Virzi reportedly noticed a bloody injury around Ari’s groin area. The parents then took Ari to hospital, leaving Virzi to care for Leon.
Virzi told police that she went to the kitchen to prepare a bottle for the baby and heard screaming when she returned. She claimed Leon had fallen from his bouncer chair and called 911.
Leon later died from his injuries.
Arrest Followed Overnight Stay at Airbnb
After the incident, Virzi returned to the Airbnb where she was staying. She was arrested the following morning.
According to TribLive’s earlier reporting, investigators questioned her for more than 11 hours. She initially denied involvement in Leon’s death before admitting that she had shaken and dropped him.
Parts of her videotaped confession were played during a court hearing last autumn.
At the time of the case, Virzi was weeks away from completing her PhD in clinical psychology at the University of California, San Diego.
Family Continues to Face the Consequences of the Case
The death of Leon and the injuries to Ari have remained central to the criminal proceedings against Virzi.
The guilty plea came after the case had been preparing to proceed to trial, where the prosecution had sought the death penalty. Under the plea, Virzi admitted guilt to third-degree criminal homicide in connection with Leon’s death.
