Three years after being found guilty of murdering her boyfriend and one of their friends during a spectacular car accident, Mackenzie Shirilla finds herself at the heart of the news again.
The Ohio Supreme Court has just rejected a new appeal attempt by the 22-year-old, just months after the release of the Netflix documentary The Crashwhich reignited debates around this affair which still divides public opinion.
On July 31, 2022, Mackenzie Shirilla, then 17, was driving a Toyota Camry in an industrial park in Strongsville, Ohio. On board were her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend Davion Flanagan, 19.
According to investigators, the young driver accelerated to nearly 160 km/h before driving directly into a brick building, without ever braking. The impact killed both passengers instantly, while Shirilla survived despite serious injuries.
Initially considered a tragic accident, the case quickly took a criminal turn when prosecutors claimed the collision was intentionally caused. Vehicle data reportedly showed that the accelerator was fully depressed until the moment of impact and that no braking attempt was made.
In August 2023, following a high-profile trial, Judge Nancy Margaret Russo concluded that Mackenzie Shirilla’s actions constituted double murder and not simple dangerous driving. She was convicted of several charges, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide.
Broadcast this year on Netflix, the documentary The Crash takes viewers back into this disturbing case by presenting testimonies from families, including Mackenzie’s controversial parents, investigators, prosecutors and those of Mackenzie Shirilla herself.
The documentary has reignited discussions online. Some spectators believe that the evidence clearly demonstrates criminal intent, while others believe that there are still gray areas regarding his physical and mental state at the time of the tragedy.
The latest development came this week: the Ohio Supreme Court declined to reconsider its previous decision not to hear Shirilla’s appeal. The ruling essentially marks the end of his appeals at the state level.
According to several American media, Mackenzie Shirilla has taken steps before the federal courts, where she maintains that some of her constitutional rights were violated during the legal process.
For now, however, her conviction remains intact and she continues her sentence in an Ohio women’s correctional facility.
The Crash is currently available on Netflix.
