Inside Mackenzie Shirilla’s Defense: Why She Claims the Crash Was Not Murder

A Netflix documentary, The Crash, revisits the deadly crash of July 31, 2022, and everything that led to the fatal accident. The crash involved Mackenzie Shirilla, who was driving the car, along with her boyfriend and a friend. Shirilla and her parents have claimed the crash happened because of a medical condition. Her parents also said the incident was a tragic accident and not murder.

Prosecutors said the evidence showed the crash was intentional, and a judge agreed, convicting Shirilla during a bench trial of murder in 2023 in the deaths of her boyfriend and friend. Her boyfriend has been identified as a 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and the couple’s friend, who also died in the crash, has been identified as a 19-year-old Davion Flanagan.

Shirilla is serving a sentence of 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of murder and other charges.

Shirilla, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, was in the driver’s seat and drove her sedan into a brick wall in Strongsville, Ohio, at nearly 100 mph on July 31, 2022. Russo and Flanagan both died at the scene, while Shirilla was hospitalized with multiple injuries.

Shirilla has maintained from the beginning that she does not remember the crash. During her trial, her defense attorney argued that Shirilla may have experienced a medical emergency and passed out because of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a chronic medical condition. However, there is no medical report, expert testimony, or verified official document showing that Shirilla suffered from POTS at the time of the crash. No such documents were presented during the trial.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that evidence pointed to intent to end her “toxic relationship” with Russo rather than an accident. They said data from the car showed the accelerator was fully pressed for several seconds before impact, along with gear changes and steering movements immediately before the collision. Surveillance video also showed Shirilla driving normally before speeding up.

Shirilla was convicted of 12 charges she faced, including murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, felonious assault, and drug possession. Shirilla was sentenced to life in prison in August 2023. She, however, will be eligible for parole after 15 years.

Shirilla, who is now 21 years old, gave her first interview in the Netflix documentary, where she said, “It’s really hard every day in here. I try to wake up and be the best person I can be every day, and stay out of trouble. There is not a moment that passes where I dont think about Russo and Flanagan.”

Shirilla's parents also appeared in the Netflix documentary and claimed their daughter did not intentionally crash the car, citing her medical condition. During the trial, Shirilla’s mother, Natalie, was also questioned on the stand about why she would allow her daughter to get a driver’s license after allegedly being diagnosed with POTS. The parents in the documentary said they had collected evidence supporting their daughter, which was not presented in court.