Two parents gave the lives of their twin babies to a “trusted family friend” who allegedly killed one of the boys and abused the other, prosecutors say.
Nicole Virzi, a fifth-year doctoral student who studies the effects of depression on human behavior, was caring for 6-week-old twin boys Leon and Ari Katz on June 16.
That was the day Leon died. Wilds said he fell out of his rocking chair when she woke up from her nap and walked away to get the bottle.
But doctors who examined the baby’s injuries found a skull fracture on the left side of the baby’s head and several brain hemorrhages “consistent with child abuse,” WTAE reported.
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Nicole Virzi, 29, was charged with homicide, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of child endangerment. She pleads not guilty. (Allegheny County Jail)
Virzi, 29, was arrested near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she was babysitting her children, and charged with homicide, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of child endangerment.
Another baby also allegedly showed signs of abuse, according to prosecutors.
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Her attorney, David Shrager, said she has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence.
“There are extremely disturbing allegations and she denies any intentional conduct,” Schrager told Fox News Digital.
Ethan Katz and Savannah Katz hold their twin boys, one of whom was allegedly killed by a family friend. (go support me)
Wilzi, the daughter of a respected Manhattan cardiologist, was just steps away from earning a Ph.D., Schrager said.
He said she had no criminal record, was supported by a “loving and supportive family” and was a “close friend of the deceased child’s parents, with whom she had a long-standing relationship”.
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Just three days before the murder, Virzi discussed her new research paper in a video on the Heart and Mind Journal Office X page, which has since been deleted.
The offices of Heart & Mind magazine could not be reached for comment.
Doctors’ physical examination of baby Leon detailed disturbing injuries.
Screenshot of Nicole Virzi’s resume as a doctoral student at the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology website. (San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology)
“The injuries sustained by both (twins) were consistent with injuries resulting from child abuse in that the injuries were not natural or accidental,” a doctor told detectives, according to a WTAE criminal complaint.
The baby’s death was ruled a homicide. Virzi is currently being held at the Allegheny County Jail in Pennsylvania.
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A GoFundMe set up on behalf of Leon Katz’s parents, Savannah Katz and Ethan Katz, says, “Leon Katz is a A beautiful and healthy six-week-old baby boy died in horrific circumstances.”
“Leon will always be remembered as a happy, smiling, goofy baby boy. His tragic passing has had a profound impact on the Pittsburgh community and occurred on Ethan’s first Father’s Day.”
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Screenshot of Nicole Virzi’s resume as a PhD student. (San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology)
Virzi writes in her bio on the San Diego State University/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology website that her research “aims to explore psychological factors (such as depression, stress, negative emotions, and trauma). complex interactions with key factors.
“I am particularly interested in exploring these relationships among women and people who have experienced trauma,” Verzi writes in her bio.
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“By focusing on these relationships, my research aims to uncover the unique challenges and opportunities for intervention in these vulnerable populations.”
