Mackenzie Shirilla, a teenager from Ohio, was recently convicted of murder after a shocking crash that left two young men dead. The 19-year-old was accused of intentionally speeding her car into a brick wall at nearly 100 mph, killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend Davion Flanagan, 19.
Police bodycam footage captured a calm Shirilla during her arrest. At one point, she politely asked officers, “Could you please be careful taking this one off so it doesn’t break the bracelet?” as they switched her handcuffs.
In August 2023, an Ohio judge found Shirilla guilty during a bench trial. The key evidence was surveillance footage showing her actions just before the crash in Strongsville, Ohio. In the video, Shirilla was seen slowly turning from Pearl Road onto Alameda Drive before accelerating down the three-quarter-mile stretch and slamming into the wall.
Dominic and Davion tragically lost their lives on impact, but Shirilla survived, trapped in the driver’s seat. The footage was critical in proving her intent, according to Judge Nancy Margaret Russo (not related to Dominic Russo). The judge described Shirilla’s actions as “controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful,” leaving no doubt she intended to kill the two men.
While some speculated whether Shirilla meant to take her own life too, the judge made it clear that this detail didn’t change the evidence. The crash was no accident. Shirilla was sentenced to life in prison but has the possibility of parole after 15 years. Still, Judge Russo expressed doubts about Shirilla’s chances of release, citing her apparent lack of remorse.
Prosecutors highlighted Shirilla’s behavior after the crash. While recovering in a wheelchair, she attended a concert, showing what they described as a “shocking lack of remorse.” Even during the trial, Shirilla maintained her innocence. She shook her head in disagreement as Dominic’s mother, Christine Russo, delivered a powerful victim impact statement.
“No one wanted this to be a murder, or to punish Mackenzie Shirilla for this accident, but this was not a car accident,” Christine Russo told the court. “The evidence and science proved that Mackenzie Shirilla murdered my son Dominic as well as Davion.”
The heartbreaking case has left the Strongsville community shaken, as families and friends mourn the tragic loss of two young lives.
