--- title: "Nicole Virzi is sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison for killing her best friend's infant son" description: "Virzi admitted killing a 6-week-old and injuring his twin brother while babysitting, and she must serve the full 35-year minimum before parole." url: https://legal.skoop.news/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-a-years-l--11-01/ published: 2026-11-01T15:32:36.439704-05:00 modified: 2026-11-01T15:32:36.439768-05:00 section: "Legal & Consumer Rights" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["nicole virzi", "Judge Jill E", "Ari Katz", "Ethan Katz", "Phil DiLucente", "Savannah Roberts", "Leon", "Pennsylvania", "Pittsburgh", "judge"] hashtags: ["#JudgeJillE", "#AriKatz", "#EthanKatz", "#Judge", "#law"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Graham_County_Courthouse_at_12_North_Main_Street_in_Robbinsville%2C_North_Carolina_06.jpg/1280px-Graham_County_Courthouse_at_12_North_Main_Street_in_Robbinsville%2C_North_Carolina_06.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # Nicole Virzi is sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison for killing her best friend's infant son > Virzi admitted killing a 6-week-old and injuring his twin brother while babysitting, and she must serve the full 35-year minimum before parole. Published 2026-11-01 · Updated 2026-11-01 · Legal & Consumer Rights, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Nicole Virzi was sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). - Virzi was a close friend of the victim's mother, Savannah Roberts, and was visiting Pittsburgh in 2024 to help with the newborn twins [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). - An autopsy found Leon died from blunt force trauma to the head, and investigators concluded the injuries could not have resulted from a bouncer fall [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). ## The sentence Nicole Virzi was sentenced to 35 to 80 years in prison [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). She admitted killing her best friend's 6-week-old son and injuring his twin brother while babysitting in Pennsylvania, prosecutors said [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). Virzi must serve the full 35-year minimum before she is eligible for parole, according to attorney Phil DiLucente [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). She had been charged with capital murder, with the possibility of the death penalty, before opting to plead guilty [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). ## What happened in Pittsburgh Virzi was a close friend of the victim's mother, Savannah Roberts, and was visiting Pittsburgh in 2024 to help with the newborn twins [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). The twins were named Leon and Ari Katz [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). In June 2024, the twins' parents, Roberts and Ethan Katz, took Ari to the hospital after discovering wounds on his body [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). When they did, Virzi offered to watch Leon [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). Leon was rushed to a nearby children's hospital, where he was pronounced dead [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). ## What investigators found An autopsy found Leon died from blunt force trauma to the head, and investigators concluded the injuries could not have resulted from a bouncer fall [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). His death was ruled a homicide [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). Scans found a severe skull fracture to the left side of his head along with multiple brain bleeds, according to Virzi's arrest report [[3]](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-29/san-diego-woman-pleads-guilty-in-killing-of-her-best-friends-baby). Investigators quickly determined the severity of Leon's injuries could not have been caused by a fall from such a short height, and they took Virzi into custody [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). Detectives also determined Virzi caused Ari's initial injuries [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). A doctor determined the injuries to both boys were consistent with child abuse [[3]](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-29/san-diego-woman-pleads-guilty-in-killing-of-her-best-friends-baby). Virzi told investigators she had an uncontrollable compulsion to harm kids [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). ## Why prosecutors offered the plea The district attorney's office said the plea agreement was reached after ongoing consultation with the family and consideration of community protection [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). Prosecutors said Virzi used her trusted relationship with the Roberts/Katz family to place herself in a position to commit her acts [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). ## What Roberts told the judge Roberts wrote to Judge Jill E. Rangos that Virzi's betrayal shattered her trust and that she could never have imagined a best friend capable of such cruelty [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/). She said her self-confidence is forever shattered and she will never forgive herself for failing to protect her babies from Virzi [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). Roberts said she has still never been able to leave Ari alone with a friend [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). She said Ari is now doing well and has grown into a caring, loving friend [[3]](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-29/san-diego-woman-pleads-guilty-in-killing-of-her-best-friends-baby). ## What this means for readers If you follow the case, the sentence is 35 to 80 years, and the full 35-year minimum must pass before Virzi is eligible for parole [[1]](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/) [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). The plea came after Virzi, who had faced a capital murder charge with the possibility of the death penalty, chose to plead guilty [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). Prosecutors said Virzi gained access to the twins through a trusted relationship with the family [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). Roberts wrote that she has not been able to leave Ari alone with a friend [[2]](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390). ## Sources 1. [Woman who killed best friend’s newborn said she had a years-long compulsion to hurt children, reports say](https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/10/30/woman-who-killed-best-friends-newborn-said-she-had-years-long-compulsion-hurt-children-reports-say/) — firstalert4.com 2. [Woman pleads guilty to murdering best friend's 6-week-old son, said she had compulsion to harm kids](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-pleads-guilty-murdering-best-friends-6-week-old-son-said-compuls-rcna606390) — nbcnews.com 3. [San Diego woman pleads guilty in the killing of her best friend's baby](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-10-29/san-diego-woman-pleads-guilty-in-killing-of-her-best-friends-baby) — latimes.com Image: Photo (illustrative): Harrison Keely / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graham_County_Courthouse_at_12_North_Main_Street_in_Robbinsville,_North_Carolina_06.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/