PA - Leon Katz, infant, murdered, and twin, injured by babysitter, Pittsburgh- June 24, 2024

[IDK]

The cases of skull fracture in young children that I’m familiar with were babies around one year of age using those old fashioned dangerous wheeled walkers.

In each case, the baby fell down a flight of stairs in the walker onto a hard floor which caused a skull fracture and internal bleeding. ( these were true unintentional injuries)

I’m mentioning this only to highlight the amount of force needed to break a skull. Of course
Leon was much younger and smaller, but just to give an idea. All my opinion and experiences.

 

[Curious Me]

...There was blood in his diaper and his penis was red and swollen, according to the criminal complaint. “She … photographed the injury and sent it to Ethan Katz,” it said.

What a shock for the parents to get that photo. I wonder why right away they didn't seem to think she caused those injuries. A red and swollen penis is one concern, but bleeding and scratches other places would make the parents start looking at her with some suspicion. We still don't know how long the couple had been gone and then they get a photo of injuries?!! Both twins in her care at that point?

If only they took the other twin with them.
​

...So perhaps there was an overwhelming secret hatred/jealousy of the parent(s) and she used the babies to get revenge?...

Sure, the way it's being reported, you have to assign her some kind of psychological bent towards wanting to torture babies. That's one I came up with too. I feel I've already written a couple of movies from possible motives and scenarios I came up with to explain this case full of blank details begging for answers.

Wow, she sent the husband / twin's father a photo of the one twin's swollen genital area while parents were out... that seems so twisted. I'm eager to hear how her defense attorney can slant this towards any innocence on her part. Even if defense can explain away genital injuries to one twin, there's the tragic death of the other twin. Two in her care. ​

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

This details the injuries to the 1st baby, he had scratches to the head of his penis. This is all profoundly sick.

MOOO.

 

[TristanP]

From the article:

"
Virzi told investigators that she’d spent part of the afternoon on June 15 with the family, according to the criminal complaint. She said she noticed injuries on Ari and notified his parents.

There was blood in his diaper and his penis was red and swollen, according to the criminal complaint. “She … photographed the injury and sent it to Ethan Katz,” it said.

Ari also had additional injuries, including scratches to his right cheek and bruises below his belly button, the criminal complaint said. The parents denied causing the injuries and said they first learned about them from Virzi.

“The parents … stated that prior to Virzi’s contact with the children, they (the twins) had no medical emergencies or treatment, other than routine medical care,” the criminal complaint stated.

Virzi’s attorney declined to comment on his client’s assertion that the injuries were caused by someone else. “We’re going to be litigating those elements at the appropriate place and time, which is in the court,” Shrager said."

I guess the parents were out for anniversary so she sent the photo? I'm a bit surprised she sent it to the dad not the mom. This case is so hard to read about. MOOO. The surviving twin will have trauma from all of this, pre-verbal trauma is hard to address. Just horrible. IMO.

I wonder if there is history between her and the husband.

This seems like a revenge crime to me, but who knows?

 

[iamshadow21]

I wonder if there is history between her and the husband.

This seems like a revenge crime to me, but who knows?

It could be revenge for absolutely nothing other than she resented that they had a great marriage and beautiful twins and something fulfilling that she wanted but had no idea how to get for herself, maybe even no capacity to get for herself.

Anyone who attacks completely vulnerable infants has something missing, emotionally, IMO.

MOO

 

[sunspun]

This details the injuries to the 1st baby, he had scratches to the head of his penis. This is all profoundly sick.

MOOO.

I can't even imagine what any person could possibly have done to the baby to end up with injuries as described! That specific area mentioned is going to be pretty darn small. I mean, it's a baby - ALL their parts, genital or otherwise, are very small. What would someone had to have done to leave visible scratches there? Just literally scratch there with fingernails?? That doesn't sound like something that would ever have happened. I just don't understand what happened.

I hate to even mention this, but something I thought of after reading that was... could there possibly be MICE (or even rats!) in their residence??

Still leaves the even worse mystery of the other baby's death, but I would still like to know the answer is definitely no (mice or rats).

 

[Arkay]

I think I’d feel very squeamish, taking and sending a photo of an infant’s genitals.

Particularly to the father, not the mother. Just feels hinky and boundary-crossing.

I suppose there’s a way to think about it if she innocently was trying to inform the parents of the urgency, but still, just no.

I would text them, describe what I saw, or call them but just the act of taking a picture of that area is feeling very weird.

And of course since during the parents’ ER visit, Leon died, I most certainly believe NV is the culprit.

JMO

 

[Gemmie]

I can't even imagine what any person could possibly have done to the baby to end up with injuries as described! That specific area mentioned is going to be pretty darn small. I mean, it's a baby - ALL their parts, genital or otherwise, are very small. What would someone had to have done to leave visible scratches there? Just literally scratch there with fingernails?? That doesn't sound like something that would ever have happened. I just don't understand what happened.

Spoiler: Putting in behind a Spoiler as it's a bit disturbing.

I've been thinking about this and can only come up with 3 things it could be. Some kind of object, fingernails, or teeth. All tick me off.

I hate to even mention this, but something I thought of after reading that was... could there possibly be MICE (or even rats!) in their residence??

Not in my opinion. How'd they get into the infant's diaper? Sure, they could do that, but I'm thinking the odds are in favor that it wasn't this.

Still leaves the even worse mystery of the other baby's death, but I would still like to know the answer is definitely no (mice or rats).

Rats definitely didn't have anything to do with Leon's head injuries, so for me, I'm totally dismissing that rats were a part of this. It reeks of human involvement, which is worse, IMO. Rats would be going for food or shelter. A human, on the other hand, is going for I don't know what. Perverse pleasure? Curiosity? Paybacks? Whatever it was, it was done by a human IMO.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Very curious about her prior relationship with each of the parents. MOOO.

The father was unemployed, beginning several months before the birth of the babies, per his LinkedIn. They had to be under a lot of stress from that and just how overwhelming newborn twins can be. She may have been jealous, but they were not having some idyllic life that she had to destroy. MOOO.

What she did to those tiny boys, scratching the head of his penis?!!! Isn't that sexual assault? Fracturing the skull of his wee brother? There has to be a history of signs that were ignored. I could be wrong, but I feel like she planned this and instigated the visit. JMHO.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

I think I’d feel very squeamish, taking and sending a photo of an infant’s genitals.

Particularly to the father, not the mother. Just feels hinky and boundary-crossing.

I suppose there’s a way to think about it if she innocently was trying to inform the parents of the urgency, but still, just no.

I would text them, describe what I saw, or call them but just the act of taking a picture of that area is feeling very weird.

And of course since during the parents’ ER visit, Leon died, I most certainly believe NV is the culprit.

JMO

Agree with all of the above. The photo feels like it crosses several boundaries. There is an element of taunting them almost. And in reacting to get him care, they did not want to open their eyes to the "helpful" monster in their midst. So very sad for the twins. MOOO.

 

[Curious Me]

This details the injuries to the 1st baby, he had scratches to the head of his penis. This is all profoundly sick.

MOOO.

...I hate to even mention this, but something I thought of after reading that was... could there possibly be MICE (or even rats!) in their residence??

I had wondered if there was a cat around. Proves we're trying to keep open minds and think of other explanations to how those genital injuries could've possibly happened by not her.

Everything is reported so matter of fact like there's no doubts, and the Probable Cause Affidavit keeps going back and forth between the twins incidences, but IMO, there's still so many details being left out. I wish I had all the events told in a more linear fashion.

Below are parts of the Probable Cause Affidavit shown in the Law & Crime video. Okay, now we find out she went on an outing with the family, (where?) then she went to a grocery store by herself. Mysteriously, because they don't say, but suddenly she's back watching Leon while the parents rush to the hospital with the twin with genital injuries.

Question-- where was she when she send the father a photo of those injuries then? Were the parents out without either twin when she sent that photo?

(Note that it's mentioned in the video that the brother of one of the parents was at the hospital with them.)
​

All MOO and thoughts.

 

[Curious Me]

Oh, oops, I get it. Sorry, they must mean the brother of the twin. ​

I just need to know now how NV ended up back being left with Leon after she had been at a grocery store by herself, somehow sent a photo of the genital injuries to the father, then got left back at the family's home with the one twin.

​

 

[Gemmie]

Oh, oops, I get it. Sorry, they must mean the brother of the twin. View attachment 527609​

View attachment 527608

I just need to know now how NV ended up back being left with Leon after she had been at a grocery store by herself, somehow sent a photo of the genital injuries to the father, then got left back at the family's home with the one twin.​

Not sure if this MSM clears anything up or not. It says that NV, the parents, and the babies went on an outing on Saturday, 6/15. It goes on to say that the mother was taking a nap which is when NV noticed the issues with Ari's genital area, which is sounds like that's why she sent a pic to the father. All JMO.

NV came to visit and on June 15 she accompanied EK, SR and the baby boys on an afternoon outing near their home.

Virzi then went to a grocery store alone.

At some point Virzi went to <the parents> home. SR was taking a nap, and Virzi volunteered to change Ari’s nappy. She told EK that she noticed blood in the child’s nappy, and swelling and redness in his genital area.

EK said they had never before observed the symptoms, and when SR woke from her nap she and her husband took Ari to the hospital, leaving Virzi alone in their home with Leon from 6.30pm.

Lawyers to seek death penalty for student accused of killing friend’s baby

Prosecutors will fight to see Nicole Virzi, who is facing charges for the murder of six-and-a-half-week-old Leon Katz, executed if she is found guilty

www.thetimes.com

 

[Curious Me]

Not sure if this MSM clears anything up or not....snipped to reply Lawyers to seek death penalty for student accused of killing friend’s baby

Thanks @Gemmie. It does add some details we didn't initially know about. Do I have this right?-- So, the twin's mother was napping and NV was there and changed a diaper, then sent the father a photo of the injuries. Sounds like she was going behind the mother's back to make herself look like the good guy and cast blame on the mother. Why didn't she just wake the mother to show her the injuries?

Which is it? Now they included a possible Moses Basket which can be made into a stand up bassinet, but is not at all like a bounce seat. That is such an important detail in this case and we can't get a definite description. They don't even specify if it had straps. All MOO
​

Spoiler: Types of Moses Baskets not bounce seats

Lawyers to seek death penalty for student accused of killing friend’s baby

Prosecutors will fight to see Nicole Virzi, who is facing charges for the murder of six-and-a-half-week-old Leon Katz, executed if she is found guilty

www.thetimes.com

"Virzi said she fell asleep for a while, while Leon was in “the bouncer seat”. Police records also refer to him being in “a bassinet” — a Moses basket — and do not specify whether the recliner had straps or sides."​

 

[Curious Me]

Mark Freeman, a Pennsylvania-based lawyer who has litigated 20 cases of shaken baby syndrome, said that the decision to charge Virzi did not surprise him, because health professionals and forensic experts were now so quick to see child abuse.

“The idea that an injury is likely the result of child abuse is deeply embedded — it’s been taught for so long,” he said. “And a lot of doctors are not familiar with the newer literature which shows how unlikely it is that such injuries are from deliberate acts.”

[...]

Freeman said he would immediately seek a second opinion on the verdict of a skull fracture, saying that he very often found the initial conclusion was wrong.

Lawyers to seek death penalty for student accused of killing friend’s baby

Prosecutors will fight to see Nicole Virzi, who is facing charges for the murder of six-and-a-half-week-old Leon Katz, executed if she is found guilty

www.thetimes.com

​

 

[Tortoise]

I look forward to hearing her own words, when they are eventually released.

Generally speaking, a lot of times those accused of crimes say they fell/were asleep during the period of time something pertinent to an incident happened, usually involving a child in their care, although this is a strange one because she says she was sleeping and then it happened. So the fact she mentioned sleeping raises a red flag for me, and so does the fact she says she left the room and then it happened. I do question whether she had her story quite straight when she called 911, and in interview she was perhaps amending for something she said on the 911 call or when she called his parents. The discrepancy between the bassinet and the bouncy chair is potentially another example of a changing story.

MOO

 

[NCWatcher]

Not sure if this MSM clears anything up or not. It says that NV, the parents, and the babies went on an outing on Saturday, 6/15. It goes on to say that the mother was taking a nap which is when NV noticed the issues with Ari's genital area, which is sounds like that's why she sent a pic to the father. All JMO.

NV came to visit and on June 15 she accompanied EK, SR and the baby boys on an afternoon outing near their home.

Virzi then went to a grocery store alone.

At some point Virzi went to <the parents> home. SR was taking a nap, and Virzi volunteered to change Ari’s nappy. She told EK that she noticed blood in the child’s nappy, and swelling and redness in his genital area.

EK said they had never before observed the symptoms, and when SR woke from her nap she and her husband took Ari to the hospital, leaving Virzi alone in their home with Leon from 6.30pm.

Lawyers to seek death penalty for student accused of killing friend’s baby

Prosecutors will fight to see Nicole Virzi, who is facing charges for the murder of six-and-a-half-week-old Leon Katz, executed if she is found guilty

www.thetimes.com

That is helpful. We have gone down lots of wrong rooms because of poorly-written PCA's in other cases. I agree this one seems to say the group outing was "in the afternoon" and Virzi's grocery trip alone occurred after that. She was definitely back by early evening. I don't see any reason to find that odd. Why would the entire group grocery shop with the two infants if Virzi was able and willing to go alone? Why expose the twins to more germs and make an "afternoon outing" even longer?

I also am not sure I think sending a photo to the father was weird. If I was in the situation & NOT responsible for the injury but discovered it, I'd likely think a doctor should be consulted & I'd want to show the urgency. (Although to be fair, we don't know how "red & swollen" the area looked.) I'm not sure I'd just wait around for both parents to be awake, present and together and then say BTW look at this... It sounds like the mother was napping--and I'm not sure if I'd immediately wake up a likely exhausted mother since the dad was right there and awake. (But not changing the diaper himself I see!) Personally I don't see why sending the photo to the father was considered so weird unless we conclude Virzi was definitely responsible for the injury & the photo gave her more kicks. (But with cell phones some people photograph just about everything they see these days.) Surely we can't conclude that calling attention to a baby's genitals to a man is sexual, especially when the man is the baby's father.

I've personally not concluded Virzi is guilty of the genital injury yet. Other posts have mentioned cats and rats. But I'd want to know if the twins' fingernails were trimmed. If the baby's genital area was irritated, I could imagine he might pull and scratch at that area. (Just how long had it been since his diaper was changed given the afternoon outing?) And facial scratches could easily be done by either twin especially if they got agitated by the afternoon trip.
MOO

 

[Tortoise]

That is helpful. We have gone down lots of wrong rooms because of poorly-written PCA's in other cases. I agree this one seems to say the group outing was "in the afternoon" and Virzi's grocery trip alone occurred after that. She was definitely back by early evening. I don't see any reason to find that odd. Why would the entire group grocery shop with the two infants if Virzi was able and willing to go alone? Why expose the twins to more germs and make an "afternoon outing" even longer?

I also am not sure I think sending a photo to the father was weird. If I was in the situation & NOT responsible for the injury but discovered it, I'd likely think a doctor should be consulted & I'd want to show the urgency. (Although to be fair, we don't know how "red & swollen" the area looked.) I'm not sure I'd just wait around for both parents to be awake, present and together and then say BTW look at this... It sounds like the mother was napping--and I'm not sure if I'd immediately wake up a likely exhausted mother since the dad was right there and awake. (But not changing the diaper himself I see!) Personally I don't see why sending the photo to the father was considered so weird unless we conclude Virzi was definitely responsible for the injury & the photo gave her more kicks. (But with cell phones some people photograph just about everything they see these days.) Surely we can't conclude that calling attention to a baby's genitals to a man is sexual, especially when the man is the baby's father.

I've personally not concluded Virzi is guilty of the genital injury yet. Other posts have mentioned cats and rats. But I'd want to know if the twins' fingernails were trimmed. If the baby's genital area was irritated, I could imagine he might pull and scratch at that area. (Just how long had it been since his diaper was changed given the afternoon outing?) And facial scratches could easily be done by either twin especially if they got agitated by the afternoon trip.
MOO

I think the bruising to his stomach area and bruising and swelling to his genital area is very concerning. I can't think of an innocent explanation for this. Force/impact would be involved in bruising and swelling, IMO.

 

[NCWatcher]

I think the bruising to his stomach area and bruising and swelling to his genital area is very concerning. I can't think of an innocent explanation for this. Force/impact would be involved in bruising and swelling, IMO.

I'd need to wait and see what is presented in court to decide what I think happened to Ari. Virzi could be responsible. I'm not saying she's definitely not. But there are other possibilities IMO besides Virzi.

At any rate, I don't see any reason to decide telling the father about the genital injury and sending him a photo makes it more likely Virzi did it. The mother was asleep and discussing any part of an infant's body with the father just doesn't seem perverted or odd to me as it does to some others who have posted. That was my main point in my earlier post. One concern though based on your post-- visible bruises from force (if that's what these were-- we don't know that for sure) can take some time to form. When were the injuries supposed to have happened if visible bruises were there? So far as I can tell, Virzi only arrived that day and it's not clear she was ever alone with Ari until later in the day when she volunteered to change his diaper. And if the injuries somehow were inflicted early in the day, why had neither parent noticed them? Why had they not heard screams? Had neither of them changed Ari's diaper or changed his clothes that day? Are we 100% sure the belly injury below the belly button isn't due to a hernia?

I'd like to hear the sworn testimony in court re: Ari. I've seen the early quotes from a doctor but there are cases where pre-trial quotes that are widely circulated by the media definitely don't match the person's sworn testimony in court. That can be due to deliberate misquoting, accidental misquoting OR sometimes it's due to the person changing his/her story under oath. And there have been cases where doctors were wrong about injuries being from abuse. I'd also like to see the entire PCA but that doesn't seem to be published yet.
MOO

 

[steeltowngirl]

Why did she send a photo to the father? Was he gone from the dwelling? Why not call him into the room to see for himself?

Would like to know what (if anything) NV said in the text accompanying the photo she sent to EK.