Mackenzie Shirilla, 21, is serving two concurrent 15-year-to-life sentences for the 2022 car crash in Strongsville, Ohio, that killed her boyfriend Dominic Russo and their friend Davion Flanagan.
Jail Phone Call Shows Support
In an undated jail call obtained by PEOPLE, Shirilla’s friends expressed support, telling her that Russo was her “guardian angel” and that they were thinking of her daily. One friend said, “He is your guardian angel, and we want you to know that we have your back throughout this whole experience.”
Shirilla also spoke about wanting to go home and discussed ways to stay in touch with her friends.
Details of the Crash
The July 2022 crash occurred when Shirilla, then 17, allegedly drove her Toyota Camry into a brick wall at around 100 mph. Prosecutors said the crash was a failed murder-suicide attempt: Russo was in the front seat and Flanagan in the back.
Evidence included car data showing the accelerator was floored and brakes unused in the five seconds before impact, text messages, videos, and a prior alleged threat by Shirilla to Russo weeks earlier.
Defense and Health Claims
Shirilla’s defense argued she suffered from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can cause dizziness and fainting, and claimed she blacked out during the crash. She has maintained that the crash was not intentional, including in interviews featured in the Netflix documentary The Crash, released May 15.
Current Status
Shirilla is currently housed at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville and will be eligible for parole in 2037 at age 33.
