35 to 80: Sentence for mother who killed friend's infant

Nicole Virzi, 32, will spend at least 35 years in prison for the death of her best friend's 6-week-old son.

The woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to third-degree murder and other charges in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The plea spared her a trial that could have resulted in the death penalty. Judge Jill E. Rangos of the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court imposed a sentence ranging from 35 to 80 years.

Virzi was babysitting the twins, Leon and Ari Katz, for their mother, Savannah Roberts, during a 2024 visit to Pittsburgh. Roberts had taken Ari to a hospital to treat unexplained injuries on the boy. Virzi remained with Leon that night and later called 911, reporting that the infant had fallen from a baby bouncer.

Leon was transported to a children's hospital, where he died. An autopsy found blunt force trauma to his head. Investigators determined the catastrophic injuries were inconsistent with a simple fall from a bouncer seat.

Detectives also linked Virzi to the initial injuries sustained by twin brother Ari. During the proceedings, prosecutors stated that Virzi told investigators she always had a compulsion she could not control to harm kids.

In a letter to the judge, Roberts described the betrayal as shattering her trust. She wrote, "I could've never imagined that a person, let alone my best friend, was capable of the cruelty or violence Nicole displayed."