The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office will seek the death penalty against Nicole Elizabeth Virzi of California, who is accused of killing her friend’s newborn son in June and injuring his twin. If convicted, she would become the first woman on death row in Pennsylvania.
Nicole Virzi, 30, of San Diego, California, who was pursuing a master’s degree at the University, is being held without bail in the Allegheny County Jail after being accused of being responsible for the death of 6-week-old Leon Katz on June 15.
Charged with murder, aggravated assault and endangering a minor
The prosecutor’s office said Virzi waived her preliminary hearing last month and was indicted late last week on charges of murder, aggravated assault and child endangerment. She was not present in court for the arraignment.
Although Nicole Virzi has no criminal record, if a jury finds her guilty of the charges against her, those convictions will count as a criminal record for sentencing purposes.
Pennsylvania law includes 18 aggravating factors that prosecutors can cite in seeking the death penalty. In Virzi’s case, the prosecutor’s office cited four, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
And which are: the defendant committed the murder while committing a felony; the crime was committed by means of torture; the victim was under 12 years of age; and the defendant has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence.
She took care of her friend’s children
Nicole Virzi was caring for baby Leon after his parents and friends, Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts, took his twin brother, Ari, to the hospital for injuries to his body, which the woman was also accused of, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
According to official documents, Virzi called 911 around 11:15 p.m. on June 15 to report that Leon had fallen out of a bouncer chair, hit his head, and was losing consciousness.
Leon, 6 weeks old, was taken to Children’s Hospital and pronounced dead the next morning, the outlet reported. The medical examiner’s office said the boy had suffered a severe skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds, according to the complaint.
Blunt force trauma to the head
“The injuries were consistent with having been sustained as a result of child abuse, as these are injuries inflicted that are not natural or accidental,” the coroner said, WTAE reported.
The county medical examiner determined Leon’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Leon suffered a severe skull fracture on the left side of his head, along with multiple brain bleeds.
Police said Nicole Virzi had no explanation for the severity of Leon’s injuries. She said she found Leon lying on his left side on the ground with a large bump on his head.
Detectives wrote in the complaint that it is approximately 18 inches from the highest point of the bouncer seat to the floor.
His twin with serious injuries
But doctors also told investigators that Leon’s twin, Ari, had small scratches on both sides of his face, two bruises below his belly button, and swelling, bruising, redness and scratches on his genitals.
Medical professionals said the injuries to both children were unnatural and indicative of abuse.
There are currently no women on death row in Pennsylvania, and Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has vowed not to sign any death warrants while in office.
With information from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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