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

[SMK777]

"torture" is such a charged word that congers up some pretty bad stuff

I think it has a pretty narrow legal definition when used as a condition to charge someone with a crime

It is being used in clickbait headlines, has anyone seen it in her charges?

Good observation. I’m wondering the same.

 

[vls12345]

Just speaking for myself: I am not searching for ways to find her innocent—and if NV proves to be an intentional abuser/murderer, I will accept it.

However , what I am expressing is being perplexed by the appearance of seemingly normal history of NV, and as others have agreed, the sudden turn into monster facing the death penalty is baffling.

I would like a lot more information. I find the case perplexing, personally.

This. Exactly.

 

[vls12345]

Right, if the second baby had not been hurt, the hospital may have viewed the first baby as having an infection and perhaps frantically scratching himself due to pain. [ I have seen this kind of thing with pets. ]

RSBM.

I had also wondered if perhaps the babies had been circumcised. If so, when? Could there have been an infection or irritation that caused Ari discomfort to where he wiggled, scratched, or otherwise caused excessive irritation? Here's a page from the Seattle Children's Hospital which lists some possible problems after circumcision in infants. It includes this info:

• The incision starts off red and tender. The tenderness should be much less by day 3.
• The scab at the incision line comes off in 7 to 10 days.

Could the scab coming off have caused bleeding & irritation? I would assume the doctor at the ER would know this but public details have been so slim in this case that I'm just trying to think of possible alternatives.

Again, I'm not giving NV a pass. But, I think there are possibilities that have not been discounted or covered by definitive public information so I'm just musing. I guess the best hope at this point is that Leon's death was accidental & that Ari's injuries were misdiagnosed as "abuse" vs. a medical reason. Still, an infant is dead, his parents are grieving, and the sibling will be forever altered.

It's horrible. And perplexing.

All supposition on my part & MOO.

 

[Arkay]

People do strange things. I Goog'ed for it, thinking I'd find a vid I could post showing that some people do do that, and instead came across Quora with people asking that Q and some responses:

Why do fathers throw their babies into the air, then catch them? Over and over. Mothers never do this. I saw a man throwing his baby into the air, where the kid's head came one inch from the ceiling. Are they morons?
When I was 7, I saw a man drop his baby after throwing him in the air. Baby died. I’m 80 and I can never forget that

and....
How do I stop my sister from throwing my infant baby girl (2 months old) up in the air before catching her last minute? Both me and my husband don’t like it and worried for the baby. Sister said “it’s nothing serious Victoria”

and....

How high can I throw a 3 month old into the air without hurting her?
Don’t.
Not an inch.
Babies that age lack the physical structure to handle the impact of being thrown and caught.

etc.

Source of people asking that Q: Why should it be important for me to throw my two month old daughter up in the air and hold her back and forth?

I haven’t had time to catch up yet, just had to respond to two of @Gemmie’s posts.

Thank you for gathering this info. Thank God when you were babysitting, you were able to catch that baby before any harm was done!

I need to say, for people unfamiliar with babies, that six WEEKS old is COMPLETELY different from a year old or a toddler.

I know fathers who throw their kids up and catch them, I had a husband like that, but NEVER NEVER at this young age. The baby still has soft spots in the skull, and is unable to react the way an older child can, by throwing out his or her arms as they come down and understanding that this is play—-that’s why they giggle.

But at six weeks they are very helpless, fragile and delicate. They don’t have the muscular control to grab on to whomever is tossing them and it would be very startling to an infant that age. Throwing them in the air would not be playtime—it would be abuse and could well lead to a permanent injury or death.

JMO and 42 years of experience with babies.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

I’m very curious about why the majority of posts in this thread seem to be searching for ways to explain this was not a case of intentional child abuse and murder. Why is that?

It's somewhat human nature. None of us can begin to imagine a motive for wanting to hurt a 6 week old infant- much less to the point that he ends up with a skull fracture that results in his death.

I'm thinking about other cases... a toddler who is beaten for peeing in her pants and soiling her clothing and causing a mess (Adam Montgomery)... a 13 yr old girl strangled and left for dead after years of SA and other abuse..(allegedly Stephan Sterns)- those, you can say - the actions of a man who had such rage in these cases and a criminal / abnormal past behaviour of abuse and in SS case, paedophilic behaviours. Or in Adam's case, a hatred for Harmony's mom whereby he hurt whoever he could since Harmony's mom was not around anymore.... displaced anger.

THIS case defies almost ALL explanations. A 6 week old? Infant? That isn't even yours? That YOU chose to visit from across the country? During YOUR break? As a young, attractive, educated, well to do single woman? How can this be? Surely there must be some other explanation?

..... is a much easier train to ride than what I really think happened. That NV is a psychopath, had a level of anger and control that she wanted to exercise on these little infants- I honestly think she thought she wouldn't get caught.

 

[seasideForest]

Right, if the second baby had not been hurt, the hospital may have viewed the first baby as having an infection and perhaps frantically scratching himself due to pain. [ I have seen this kind of thing with pets. ]

RSBM
BBM
I wonder if a 6.5 week old infant would have enough control over his hands and arms to scratch his genitals repeatedly, rather than once, accidentally so to speak. Don't smaller babies flail around with their hands and arms quite a lot and often not reach their 'target'? Genuine question for parents /grandparents of infants or those who remember well what their babies managed at that kind of age.

MOO

 

[SMK777]

RSBM.

I had also wondered if perhaps the babies had been circumcised. If so, when? Could there have been an infection or irritation that caused Ari discomfort to where he wiggled, scratched, or otherwise caused excessive irritation? Here's a page from the Seattle Children's Hospital which lists some possible problems after circumcision in infants. It includes this info:



Could the scab coming off have caused bleeding & irritation? I would assume the doctor at the ER would know this but public details have been so slim in this case that I'm just trying to think of possible alternatives.

Again, I'm not giving NV a pass. But, I think there are possibilities that have not been discounted or covered by definitive public information so I'm just musing. I guess the best hope at this point is that Leon's death was accidental & that Ari's injuries were misdiagnosed as "abuse" vs. a medical reason. Still, an infant is dead, his parents are grieving, and the sibling will be forever altered.

It's horrible. And perplexing.

All supposition on my part & MOO.

I have the same questions and thoughts, definitely.

 

[Curious Me]

I wonder if a 6.5 week old infant would have enough control over his hands and arms to scratch his genitals repeatedly,...

I can't remember and asked if an infant can even reach down towards their genitals. I know they can scratch their face. Are they able to reach their genitals at six weeks old?

For a minute I want to isolate the first twin's scratches and genital injuries and not consider or include anything about the 2nd twin.

MOO, the actual diaper that was on that baby and the bedding, clothing, and seats need to be examined for things that can cause scratches and injuries.

When my son was an infant, a friend I hadn't seen in a long while, came to visit and brought him a handmade quilt. Maybe within a week or two, I found a needle sewn within the layers, hidden but there. It could have caused scratches and bloody injuries. I did wonder who made the quilt, and had a brief thought if it was an intentional needle.

Anyways, what I'm saying is tiny particles could've been in the diaper or within the bedding rubbing on areas of his body. Perhaps a sharp area on baby's furniture. (It may seem like a far-fetched thought, but they expect NV to know how those injuries happened if she didn't cause them.) NV wasn't charged for a couple of days, but did LE examine the home, babies clothing, and possible other reasons or did they just assume "torture"? ALL MOO​

 

[SMK777]

@AzPistonsGirl
Found this re “torture”, as to whether it is just clickbait or part of the actual charges:

The twins' parents denied inflicting any injuries on their children.

The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office cited torture as one of the aggravating factors justifying its pursuit of the death penalty.

PhD student accused of killing friend's baby faces death penalty if convicted

Nicole Virzi was babysitting the twin sons of a Pittsburgh couple when one died of blunt force trauma to the head. The other was found with multiple injuries.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[SMK777]

For a minute I want to isolate the first twin's scratches and genital injuries and not consider or include anything about the 2nd twin.

MOO, the actual diaper that was on that baby and the bedding, clothing, and seats need to be examined for things that can cause scratches and injuries.

When my son was an infant, a friend I hadn't seen in a long while, came to visit and brought him a handmade quilt. Maybe within a week or two, I found a needle sewn within the layers, hidden but there. It could have caused scratches and bloody injuries. I did wonder who made the quilt, and had a brief thought if it was an intentional needle.

Anyways, what I'm saying is tiny particles could've been in the diaper or within the bedding rubbing on areas of his body. Perhaps a sharp area on baby's furniture. (It may seem like a far-fetched thought, but they expect NV to know how those injuries happened if she didn't cause them.) NV wasn't charged for a couple of days, but did LE examine the home, babies clothing, and possible other reasons or did they just assume "torture"? ALL MOO​

Important for the defense to explore, definitely.

 

[NCWatcher]

I’m more confused with the new information than I was earlier! I added my own assumptions and they were all wrong apparently! But at least with my thoughts thrown in some things made sense! It seems NV wasn’t alone with the babies prior to mom & dad taking Ari to the ER. I read somewhere that NV doesn’t have younger siblings and that is something that has bothered her for a long time. That still doesn’t explain why this seemingly normal Psych Student caused her friends a lifetime of pain & suffering.

How exactly did NV hurt Ari, causing swelling, bruising, redness, bleeding & scratches? At least the first 3 things would take longer than a diaper change… they would also cause the baby to cry out or scream. Did Ari scream when NV changed his diaper? I know some babies cry when they get a diaper changed, so if he normally cried that might not have alerted his dad to run in. I can see snapping a picture to show dad, asking “Hey, is this normal?” or “Is this new?”

I do understand now why they would run to the ER, blood in a diaper at 6 weeks could be caused by a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). The swelling & redness could also be signs of infection. So that question is answered for me.

Nothing else about this situation makes sense. How can anyone possibly hurt/abuse 2 brand new perfect little babies?

BBM above and below

The posted article referred to above doesn't make it sound like they "ran" to the ER. It says

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

It makes it sound like hubby waited until Roberts naturally woke up, not that he waked her up. That matters to me because it might suggest why NV didn't wake her up either. Maybe that just wasn't done in that household.
MOO

 

[SMK777]

BBM above and below

The posted article referred to above doesn't make it sound like they "ran" to the ER. It says

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

It makes it sound like hubby waited until Roberts naturally woke up, not that he waked her up. That matters to me because it might suggest why NV didn't wake her up either. Maybe that just wasn't done in that household.
MOO

I was surprised by that part, because a trip to the emergency room, especially for a very young infant, is normally done with haste and urgency.

 

[AnyNameIWish]

RSBM
BBM
I wonder if a 6.5 week old infant would have enough control over his hands and arms to scratch his genitals repeatedly, rather than once, accidentally so to speak. Don't smaller babies flail around with their hands and arms quite a lot and often not reach their 'target'? Genuine question for parents

MOO

I just looked back at a photo of my little person at about 8 weeks old and there is NO way the arm/body proportion is such where the infant can even reach their diaper area. There's just no way this could be "self inflicted", and clearly, doctors at the ER felt this way, too.

The arms are just flailing around since the torso takes up most of the volume. Their arms aren't long enough to do this.

 

[NCWatcher]

@AzPistonsGirl
Found this re “torture”, as to whether it is just clickbait or part of the actual charges:

The twins' parents denied inflicting any injuries on their children.

The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office cited torture as one of the aggravating factors justifying its pursuit of the death penalty.

PhD student accused of killing friend's baby faces death penalty if convicted

Nicole Virzi was babysitting the twin sons of a Pittsburgh couple when one died of blunt force trauma to the head. The other was found with multiple injuries.

www.nbcnews.com

As of discussed on this thread earlier, some of the other reasons given to justify the DP seem shaky too, like using convictions from this trial to claim she has a "history" of convictions of harming children. So use of torture could be iffy and possibly a way to taint the jury pool.
MOO

 

[seasideForest]

I just looked back at a photo of my little person at about 8 weeks old and there is NO way the arm/body proportion is such where the infant can even reach their diaper area. There's just no way this could be "self inflicted", and clearly, doctors at the ER felt this way, too.

The arms are just flailing around since the torso takes up most of the volume. Their arms aren't long enough to do this.

Thanks for checking your little person's photo

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829225598666916058

 

[SMK777]

As of discussed on this thread earlier, some of the other reasons given to justify the DP seem shaky too, like using convictions from this trial to claim she has a "history" of convictions of harming children. So use of torture could be iffy and possibly a way to taint the jury pool.
MOO

Agreed.

 

[fred&edna]

I want to know more about this felonious history! Was she considered a juvenile when other incidents occurred? Is that why they haven't been found?

'The defendant has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person. The victim was a child under 12 years of age.'

Further details of these previous convictions were not shared. A public records check for Virzi only showed up details of the charges she faces over Leon's killing.

Woman accused of murdering friends baby faces death penalty

Nicole Virzi, 29, has been accused of murdering six-and-a-half-week old Leon Katz and injuring his twin brother while she babysat that them at the family's Pittsburgh home.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The District Attorney’s office provided four reasons for seeking the death penalty in their notice. Those reasons were:

1. The defendant committed the killing while in the perpetration of a felony.
2. The offense was committed by means of torture.
3. The defendant has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person.
4. The victim was a child under 12 years of age.

Prosecutors seeking death penalty in case against woman accused of killing baby in Shadyside

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against a woman who was charged in the killing of a 6-week-old baby.

www.wpxi.com

 

[AnyNameIWish]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1829225598666916058

'She’s looking forward to sharing her truth at the appropriate time,’ the lawyer said.

HER truth???? Um.... THE truth would be 100% better, FancyPants Lawyer Man!

 

[NCWatcher]

I want to know more about this felonious history!

'The defendant has a significant history of felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person. The victim was a child under 12 years of age.'

Further details of these previous convictions were not shared. A public records check for Virzi only showed up details of the charges she faces over Leon's killing.

Woman accused of murdering friends baby faces death penalty

Nicole Virzi, 29, has been accused of murdering six-and-a-half-week old Leon Katz and injuring his twin brother while she babysat that them at the family's Pittsburgh home.

www.dailymail.co.uk

That's because it's likely she has no history. But as discussed earlier on the thread, if she is convicted in this case she will then have a history of use of violence towards children under 12 and that will justify the DP. Sounds very legally iffy to me but I'm not an attorney.
MOO