Nicole Elizabeth Virzi, who was pursuing a doctorate through the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology when she was arrested in June 2024, is scheduled for a jury trial beginning Thursday, October 1, in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania court-calendar information lists the proceeding before Judge Jill E. Rangos, while Virzi has pleaded not guilty and remains presumed innocent.
Virzi is charged with criminal homicide in the death of six-week-old Leon Katz and also faces aggravated-assault and child-endangerment charges stemming from alleged injuries to Leon and his surviving twin brother, Ari. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty, citing statutory aggravating circumstances including Leon's age, although Pennsylvania has not carried out an execution since 1999.
The case has a particularly significant San Diego connection because Virzi wasn't merely living here when the alleged crimes occurred. She was an advanced doctoral student studying clinical psychology and behavioral medicine through the highly specialized joint SDSU/UC San Diego program and was reportedly just weeks away from completing her doctorate when she traveled from San Diego to Pittsburgh to visit her longtime friend Savannah Roberts and Roberts' husband, Ethan Katz.
Virzi's academic work focused in part on the relationship between psychological factors including stress, depression and trauma and physical health and behavior. Peer-reviewed research published shortly before her arrest identifies her affiliation as the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, and other work connected her with researchers from UC San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
One 2024 systematic review co-authored by Virzi examined relationships between objectively measured physical activity and momentary pain. Earlier research bearing her name examined depression and cardiovascular health, while another published review examined obesity, chronic stress and stress reduction.
The criminal case began during Virzi's June 2024 visit to Pittsburgh, where she was staying at an Airbnb while spending time with Roberts and Katz and their newborn twins. According to authorities, Virzi was at the family's Shadyside home on June 15 when concerns arose about injuries to Ari.
Virzi allegedly told the parents she had noticed blood in Ari's diaper and swelling around his genital area while changing him. The parents took Ari to a hospital that evening, leaving Leon at home with Virzi, and prosecutors allege that Ari's injuries were themselves intentionally inflicted by Virzi.
Several hours later, Virzi called 911 and initially reported that Leon had fallen from a bouncer while she was briefly out of the room. The baby was transported to a hospital but died after suffering severe head injuries, including a skull fracture and multiple brain bleeds.
Medical professionals subsequently concluded that the twins' injuries were inconsistent with Virzi's initial explanation, according to court records and reporting on the criminal complaint. Authorities alleged Leon died from blunt-force trauma and that the injuries to both infants were consistent with child abuse rather than accidental injury.
What happened during Virzi's subsequent police questioning is expected to become a central issue at trial. Prosecutors say Virzi spent more than 12 hours at Pittsburgh police headquarters and initially maintained that she had not harmed Leon. According to testimony concerning the video-recorded interview, Virzi eventually asked to speak with the lead detective again and gave a dramatically different account.
In the recording, prosecutors say Virzi admitted intentionally shaking and dropping Leon multiple times and said she heard a "crack." She also allegedly told investigators that she did not intend for the infant to die and described having experienced urges to hurt children dating back to her own childhood.
Those statements are allegations and evidence the prosecution intends to present; they are not a guilty plea. Virzi has pleaded not guilty and her attorneys have mounted an extensive effort to prevent the jury from hearing the interrogation.
The defense argued that Virzi's statements were involuntary and resulted from an excessively long and coercive detention. Her attorneys alleged investigators employed manipulative interrogation techniques and pointed to circumstances including Virzi being restrained during portions of her time at police headquarters and other conditions they contend undermined the voluntariness of the statements.
Judge Rangos rejected that effort in February 2026, ruling that the statements could be presented to the jury. Reporting from the hearing says the judge found Virzi's statement was made knowingly and voluntarily, while noting that she had spoken with her parents and met with an attorney before making the incriminating statements prosecutors intend to use.
That ruling could make the recordings among the most consequential evidence jurors hear. The defense nevertheless maintains Virzi did not kill Leon, and the prosecution bears the burden of proving the criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prosecutors' decision to pursue capital punishment added another unusual dimension to the case. Pennsylvania law permits the death penalty for first-degree murder when specified aggravating circumstances are proven, and Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala previously said the decision to seek it followed consideration of whether prosecutors believed aggravating factors outweighed potential mitigating circumstances.
The practical possibility of an execution is a separate question from whether prosecutors can obtain a death sentence. Pennsylvania has not executed anyone since 1999, and Governor Josh Shapiro announced after taking office that he would not issue execution warrants and called upon lawmakers to abolish capital punishment in the state.
Recent secondary reporting continues to describe the prosecution as seeking the death penalty as Virzi's October trial approaches, although some online case summaries have reported conflicting information about whether prosecutors subsequently withdrew capital punishment. SanDiegoVille was unable to independently resolve that discrepancy from a current primary-source filing reviewed for this report, so the precise status of the potential penalty should be treated as subject to confirmation when proceedings begin.
The official Pennsylvania court calendar does provide current confirmation of the approaching trial. Court records listed a motions proceeding for September 28 and currently list Virzi's jury trial for October 1 at 8:30am before Judge Rangos in Pittsburgh under case number CP-02-CR-0004996-2024.
The case resurfaced locally this week when a post discussing Virzi and her approaching trial spread through Reddit's r/sandiego community. The post had generated hundreds of votes by Monday and focused heavily on the disconnect between the allegations and Virzi's background as a San Diego clinical-psychology researcher.
Virzi's documented academic record makes the local connection unusually extensive. PubMed records show her working within the SDSU/UC San Diego doctoral program and publishing alongside researchers affiliated with UC San Diego's Department of Psychiatry and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
Her former academic profile described research examining how depression, stress, negative affect and trauma interact with health outcomes and behaviors. That academic work should not be interpreted as evidence concerning the criminal charges, but it helps explain why a homicide prosecution unfolding nearly 2,500 miles away has continued to draw attention in San Diego.
The surviving twin's parents have largely remained outside the public spotlight as the criminal proceedings have stretched for more than two years. They previously described Virzi as a trusted family friend and remembered Leon as a happy and playful infant.
Virzi has remained in custody while the case proceeded through numerous hearings and delays. Her attorneys and prosecutors have also reportedly engaged in plea discussions, meaning the case could still change course, but the Pennsylvania court calendar currently has a jury trial scheduled to begin October 1.
If the case proceeds to trial as scheduled, jurors will ultimately be asked to determine what happened during the hours Virzi was alone with Leon and what weight should be given to statements she later made during the lengthy police interrogation. Until a verdict or plea resolves the case, the allegations against Virzi remain unproven, and she is presumed innocent.
Originally published September 29, 2026.
