Convicted double murderer Mackenzie Shirilla, whose crimes were the subject of Netflix's true crime documentary The Crash, has shared a selfie from prison as her legal team renews efforts to overturn her sentence. The 22-year-old is serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life for killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, 19, in a 2022 crash in Strongsville, Ohio.
Selfie and appeal update
The latest selfie, posted on her Instagram account now managed by 'Mackenzie's Support Team,' shows Shirilla in a fitted blue roll neck top with straight hair, appearing to wear makeup, in a prison corridor. The caption states that her 'post conviction relief was denied due to a deadline technicality' and that the 'decision has nothing to do with the contents of it.' Her team claims she is 'trying to do better every day and holding on to hope.'
The post follows the Ohio Supreme Court's June 23 decision to decline review of Shirilla's appeals, ruling the petition was filed late and the trial court lacked jurisdiction to excuse the delay. Her attorneys are now asking the court to reconsider, arguing she faced confusing, inconsistent deadlines—including her lawyer missing a deadline due to a Leap Day—and calling it 'ineffective assistance of counsel.'
The crime and trial
At age 17, Shirilla intentionally drove her car at nearly 100 mph into a brick building in the early hours of July 10, 2022. She was the sole survivor. Initially, she claimed she had 'no recollection of that morning' and said 'nothing about it was intentional.' However, at her 2023 trial, Cuyahoga County Judge Nancy Margaret Russo called her actions premeditated murder, stating: 'This was not reckless driving. This was murder. She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The mission was death.' The judge also labelled Shirilla 'hell on wheels' and described the event as a 'selfish, intentional, and cruel decision.'
Family reactions and legal battles
Shirilla's parents continue to defend her, saying they will do everything to bring her home. However, the victims' families disagree. Dominic's sister, Christine, told People in May that Shirilla's parents have not shown enough remorse and are 'monsters themselves.' Christine launched a petition for 'Dom and Davion's Law,' urging Ohio lawmakers to update the state's Son of Sam laws for the digital age, concerned that Shirilla could profit from social media attention. The petition states: 'Since the documentary aired, our family has had to relive this tragedy publicly over and over again. What hurts even more is seeing how modern social media culture allows violent offenders to gain attention, followers, donations, publicity, and influence from the crimes that destroyed families like mine.'
Shirilla's first chance at parole is scheduled for September 2037, when she will be 33. Her support team continues to ask followers to 'keep sharing everything you can' and sign a petition for a 'fair re-trial.'
