A PhD student in the US accused of killing her friends’ baby and abusing his twin brother could face the death penalty if convicted.
Nicole Virzi has been charged with murdering six-and-a-half-week-old Leon Katz while she babysat him at the family’s home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The 29-year-old is also accused of abusing Leon’s twin brother Ari.
Virzi was a friend of the twins’ parents Ethan Katz and Savannah Roberts, and was watching the boys while on a college break, authorities said.
Ethan and Savannah found Ari had a mysterious injury to his groin area and scratches on his face, and decided to take him to hospital, leaving Leon in Virzi’s care.
Virzi claims that while they were away, she went to the kitchen to get a bottle and Leon fell from his bouncer, according to police and court records.
Virzi asserts she found Leon lying on the floor, picked him up, and saw ‘a large bump to the left side of Leon’s head.
Paramedics rushed Leon to hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead at 5:47am on Father’s Day, June 15, police said.
Doctors found that the injuries – a fracture to the skull and several bleeds on the brain – were ‘consistent with having been sustained as a result of child abuse’ and not an accident, reports WTAE.
Doctors examining Ari’s injuries also felt they were caused by child abuse.
Court documents obtained by WPIX show the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty against Virzi.
Prosecutors believe a number of aggravating factors justify the death penalty, including an allegation that Virzi tortured Leon.
However, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has promised to refuse any death warrants sought during his time in office.
Virzi who was reportedly a clinical psychology student at UC San Diego’s Joint Doctoral Program.
She is a graduate of Pepperdine University and holds a graduate degree in clinical psychology from San Diego State.
She is the daughter of highly respected cardiologist, Peter J Virzi, who is affiliated with Mt. Sinai Doctors in Manhattan.
Virzi was charged with criminal homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child on June 16.
She is currently being held without bail at the Allegheny County Jail.
Her attorney David Shrager told The New York Post his client was innocent, and planned to plead not guilty.
Virzi was referred to as a ‘trusted family friend’ on a GoFundMe set up to help the surviving twin and his parents.
Her professional bio says her ‘research aims to explore the complex interplay between psychological factors—such as depression, stress, negative affect, and trauma— and critical health outcomes and behaviors— such as metabolic syndrome, heart disease, obesity, eating behavior, and exercise’.
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