Mackenzie Shirilla ‘Acting Like a Princess’ in Prison, Victim’s Sister Calls Her a ‘Narcissist’

The sister of one of two Ohio men killed in a 2022 crash said convicted murderer Mackenzie Shirilla is constantly chasing fame behind bars while continuing to avoid responsibility for the deaths.

Christine Russo, whose brother Dominic Russo died in the crash, said Shirilla has shown little remorse since being sentenced in 2023 for the killings of Dominic, 20, and family friend Davion Flanagan, 19.

“She’s in prison and is very much acting like a princess and like she’s famous,” Russo told PEOPLE. “Becoming famous is all Mackenzie has cared about for a very long time.”

Shirilla was 17 when she drove a car into a brick wall in Strongsville, Ohio, during the early morning hours of July 31, 2022. Prosecutors said the vehicle was at a speed close to 100 mph before impact. Dominic Russo was in the front passenger seat, while Flanagan sat in the back. Russo was Shirilla's boyfriend, while Flanagan was Russo's friend.

Investigators later recovered data from the vehicle’s black box, an event data recorder. Prosecutors said it showed the accelerator pressed to the floor and no signs of braking in the five seconds before the crash.

Shirilla, now 21, was convicted of double murder in 2023 and sentenced to two concurrent prison terms of 15 years to life. She will become eligible for parole in 2037.

Interest in the case has surged again following the release of Netflix’s The Crash, which features interviews with Dominic Russo’s family, including Christine. Russo said the recent attention has forced her family to relive the tragedy.

“I miss everything about him,” she said, thinking of her brother. “I really do. Every single thing.”

She also criticized Shirilla’s repeated efforts to challenge her conviction before Ohio courts.

“She’s always appealing her conviction,” Russo said. “She can’t take accountability or responsibility.”

During the trial, prosecutors said Shirilla intentionally caused the crash. Surveillance footage presented in court showed the vehicle speeding past cameras moments before impact, which witnesses described as sounding like an explosion.

Russo further criticized Shirilla, calling her “a typical narcissist.”

“She murdered two people and rammed into a wall at 100 miles an hour,” Russo said. “You have to be some form of psycho.”

Russo has also launched a petition calling for “Dom and Davion’s Law,” which would expand Ohio’s Son of Sam laws to cover social media profits linked to crimes.

New York passed the original Son of Sam law in 1977 to stop criminals from making money through books, movies, and television deals. Russo argues Ohio law has not kept pace with platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

“Our current laws are outdated,” the petition states. Russo also started a GoFundMe campaign for the Change the Game for Dom Foundation, which aims to help underprivileged children play basketball.