Mackenzie Shirilla is an Ohio woman who, at 17, drove a Toyota Camry at roughly 100 mph into the brick wall of a Strongsville manufacturing building on July 31, 2022, killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo and their friend Davion Flanagan. A Cuyahoga County judge convicted her of murder and ten other felonies after a 2023 bench trial and sentenced her to 15 years to life. She is incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, every appeal has failed, and in June 2026 the Ohio Supreme Court declined to review her case.
The Crash in Strongsville
At about 5:30 a.m. on July 31, 2022, Shirilla was driving near Progress Drive and Alameda Drive in Strongsville. Russo, 20, was in the passenger seat. Flanagan, 19, was in the back. Surveillance footage caught the Camry turning onto Progress Drive, and the car’s event data recorder captured what happened next: the accelerator pinned to the floor for 4.6 seconds, a top speed of roughly 100 mph, and no brake input at all. The vehicle plowed through a business sign at about 80.5 mph and struck the brick headquarters of the Pipe Line Development Company, known locally as the Plidco Building.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
Investigators found no mechanical defects in the car. Police also noted that Shirilla’s fuzzy Prada slipper was still pressed against the gas pedal after the collision.2New York Post. Retracing Mackenzie Shirilla’s Drive and the Tiny Clue About What Really Happened at the Crash Site Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene. Shirilla survived. Psilocybin mushrooms and a digital scale were recovered from her possession.3Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. Strongsville Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison for Crash That Killed Two The Cuyahoga County medical examiner originally ruled both deaths accidental, then amended the manner of death to homicide after reviewing additional evidence, including videos in which Shirilla had threatened the victims.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
Who Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan Were
Russo had been dating Shirilla for roughly four years, and she had moved in with him in late 2021 or early 2022. His mother, Christine Russo, testified that the relationship had become “strained” in the six months before the crash, with fighting, breakups, and threats. His brother Angelo said Dominic had been considering ending things for good.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
Flanagan was a mutual friend. Adopted by Scott and Jaime Flanagan at age eight, he attended Strongsville High School, played football, and worked as a youth swim coach. He had planned to attend Allstate Hairstyling and Barber College. At sentencing, Jaime Flanagan told the court, “My son Davion is and always will be so much more than cargo. He was precious. He was an amazing soul with a heart of gold.”4People. Where Is Davion Flanagan’s Family Now
Why Prosecutors Said the Crash Was Intentional
The state’s theory rested on the data from the car, the pattern of the relationship, and Shirilla’s own words. The event data recorder showed full throttle and zero braking. Thousands of text messages released by the Strongsville Police Department in May 2026 traced years of hostility. In January 2020, Shirilla texted Russo, “I’m gonna kill someone,” and in the same exchange wrote, “I just want to bang my head on the wall till I’m dead.”5Fox 8 Cleveland. Police Release Thousands of Text Messages, Jail Calls From Mackenzie Shirilla Case
By 2022 the exchanges had escalated. In March, Russo accused Shirilla of hitting him, pulling his hair, and trying to throw a rock at him. She admitted to pulling his hair and throwing a rock “his way” because he had been recording her. Russo texted her that month: “u drive like a maniac everyday.”6People. Mackenzie Shirilla and Dominic Russo’s Chilling Texts In July, weeks before the crash, Shirilla claimed Russo had tried to steer her off the highway, and each accused the other of blackmail. Prosecutors argued the crash grew out of this “toxic relationship.”7News 5 Cleveland. Mackenzie Shirilla: A Look Back at the Fatal 2022 Crash
The Trial and the Medical Defense
Because Shirilla was 17 at the time of the crash, the case began in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. The juvenile court found no probable cause on aggravated murder but found probable cause on the remaining counts and transferred the case to the Court of Common Pleas. She was arrested on November 4, 2022.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
Shirilla waived a jury. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo presided over the bench trial. Shirilla did not testify.8Netflix Tudum. The Crash: Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now
Prosecutors relied on the event data, the surveillance footage, the threatening videos, and the text history. Even the defense’s own forensic expert, Mark Sargent, confirmed that the accelerator was fully depressed and that the vehicle had no mechanical failures.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
Defense attorney Eric C. Nemecek argued the crash was a tragic accident caused by a medical episode. He pointed to Shirilla’s reported diagnosis of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, a condition that can cause fainting. Her mother, Natalie Shirilla, testified that Mackenzie had been diagnosed with POTS at the Cleveland Clinic in 2017 and had experienced an episode a week or two before the crash.9People. Why Did Mackenzie Shirilla Crash Her Car Prosecutors countered that Shirilla had attested on her driver’s license application that she had no condition causing episodic impairment of consciousness, and no medical records or expert testimony confirming the diagnosis were introduced at trial.10People. Why Do Mackenzie Shirilla and Her Parents Insist She’s Innocent The defense also suggested the vehicle’s sharp rightward turn just before impact was consistent with Shirilla trying to regain control or with a passenger grabbing the wheel.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
Verdict and Sentence
On August 14, 2023, Judge Russo found Shirilla guilty on all 12 felony counts: four counts of murder, four of felonious assault, two of aggravated vehicular homicide, one of drug possession, and one of possessing criminal tools. The judge described her actions as “controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful.”1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
On August 21, 2023, the court imposed two concurrent indefinite terms of 15 years to life on the murder counts, plus seven months on the possession charges, also concurrent. Her driver’s license was suspended for life.8Netflix Tudum. The Crash: Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now The judge called the crash the “horrible, terrifying, and tragic” result of a “selfish, intentional, and cruel decision.” Prosecutors showed videos and photographs of Shirilla celebrating Halloween and attending a concert during the investigation, arguing she “lacked remorse.”1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674 Davion Flanagan’s father, Scott Flanagan, said the family was “shocked” and “disappointed” that the sentences ran concurrently rather than consecutively.4People. Where Is Davion Flanagan’s Family Now
Every Appeal Has Failed
On direct appeal, Shirilla challenged the juvenile bindover, the sufficiency of the evidence on the murder counts, and other trial errors. The Eighth District Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court in full on September 26, 2024.1Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2024-Ohio-4674
She then filed a petition for post-conviction relief. The trial court dismissed it as untimely because it arrived one day past Ohio’s 365-day statutory window; her attorneys attributed the error to a calendar mistake caused by the 2024 leap year. The Eighth District affirmed the dismissal on March 12, 2026, finding the trial court lacked jurisdiction and that no statutory exception or equitable tolling applied.11Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals. State v. Shirilla, 2026-Ohio-830
On June 23, 2026, the Ohio Supreme Court declined to review the case, holding that the trial court was “without jurisdiction to consider the petition.” Justice R. Patrick DeWine dissented.12KBTX. Ohio Supreme Court Declines to Review Mackenzie Shirilla’s Case
Where Mackenzie Shirilla Is Now
Shirilla was admitted to the Ohio Reformatory for Women on August 31, 2023, with 301 days of jail-time credit. She works in the prison kitchen as a food service worker.13New York Post. Mackenzie Shirilla Lands New Job in Ohio Prison Her first parole board hearing is scheduled for September 2037, with an expected parole eligibility date of October 29, 2037.14Ohio DRC. Offender Search: Mackenzie F. Shirilla
Prison disciplinary records released in 2026 show a string of infractions. In September 2024, a search of her belongings turned up 29 bottles of paint, craft supplies, jewelry-making charms, and price notes for homemade jewelry, resulting in contraband and stealing charges. In October 2024, she pleaded guilty after a bed search found altered clothing, another inmate’s fan, and nude magazine pictures. In January 2025, officials found unprescribed medication and a personal photo described as depicting drug use. In April 2025, she pleaded guilty to more than 100 video visits with a non-approved visitor, a released former inmate, conducted under someone else’s name, drawing a 30-day electronics restriction. In September 2025, she was disciplined for sexually explicit behavior during seven video visits and received a 60-day video visiting restriction.15Cleveland 19 News. New Prison Records Detail Mackenzie Shirilla Discipline Cases at Ohio Reformatory for Women
The Netflix Documentary and Dom and Davion’s Law
On May 15, 2026, Netflix released The Crash, directed by Gareth Johnson and produced by RAW. The film includes Shirilla’s first public interview, recorded in prison with her attorney present. She says she has no memory of the crash and attributes it to a POTS-related medical emergency.8Netflix Tudum. The Crash: Where Is Mackenzie Shirilla Now
The documentary drew backlash and consequences for her family. Her father, Steve Shirilla, a teacher at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland, appeared in the film and commented on his daughter’s marijuana use. The school placed him on administrative leave for “poor judgment,” and on June 4, 2026, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland confirmed his contract would not be renewed.16Cleveland.com. Mackenzie Shirilla’s Father Won’t Return to Teaching Job
The film also pushed the victims’ families toward legislation. Christine Russo, Dominic’s sister, co-founded a petition titled “Dom and Davion’s Law: Victims Before Influencers,” drafted with the nonprofit Silver Lining of Hope. By June 2026 it had gathered more than 110,000 signatures. Ohio’s existing “Son of Sam” law restricts convicted offenders from profiting through book and movie deals but does not reach monetized social media, crowdfunding, paid interviews, merchandise, or livestream gifts. The proposal calls for mandatory disclosure of such revenue, judicial and parole-board authority to restrict monetized social media, redirection of qualifying proceeds to victim compensation, and anti-evasion rules for third parties. It also asks lawmakers to build on House Bill 505, a proposal from state Representatives Cindy Abrams and Mike Odioso that would ban crowdfunding for people charged with violent crimes.17NBC4i. Petition to Update Ohio’s Son of Sam Law Draws Hundreds of Thousands of Signatures
Christine Russo put the family’s motivation this way: “It’s the thought of her becoming rich and famous off killing my brother and his friend Davion. I can’t even explain or put into words how that feels.”18News 5 Cleveland. Strongsville Crash Victim’s Sister Urges Lawmakers to Pass Dom and Davion’s Law