Mackenzie Shirilla

The Fatal Evening: Controlled Turn at Nearly 100 MPH

On the early USA morning of July 31, 2022, Shirilla was driving her Toyota Camry USA carrying Dom Russo and Davion Flanagan USA home from a high school graduation USA party in Strongsville, a USA Cleveland suburb. According to the documentary, surveillance footage captured the vehicle making a controlled, deliberate turn into the Progress Drive Business Park. The car then accelerated to nearly 100 mph before striking a USA brick building. Forensic data revealed that the accelerator was pressed to 100% for the full five seconds of pre-crash data, with no attempt to brake detected. Both Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene. USA Shirilla survived despite serious injuries and being airlifted to a hospital.

Initial investigators considered whether marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms discovered in Shirilla’s belongings suggested impaired driving. However, her blood toxicology came back negative for both substances and alcohol, and only positive for THC. An auto forensic investigator USA determined that the vehicle had no mechanical malfunctions—steering, brakes, accelerator, and tires were all functioning properly.

From Accident to Murder Investigation: The “Prior Calculation” Evidence

The investigation took a dramatic turn when surveillance video revealed the controlled nature of the turn immediately before the crash. Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Tim Troup called this footage transformative, prompting prosecutors to pursue murder charges. In September 2022, Dom’s brother Angelo Russo disclosed to detectives that Dominic had repeatedly tried to break up with Mackenzie in the weeks leading up to the crash. Dom’s mother, Christine Russo, provided police with cell phone video showing Shirilla being verbally abusive toward her son days before the collision. Two weeks prior to the crash, Dom had called his mother saying Mackenzie was “driving erratically and dangerously” and that he needed help. Another witness reported Shirilla had threatened to crash a car with Dom inside just 14 days before the fatal collision—evidence prosecutors called “prior calculation.” On November 4, 2022, more than three months after the crash, Shirilla was arrested on two counts of aggravated murder.

Trial Evidence: Medical Defense vs. Behavioral Patterns

Shirilla was tried as an adult despite being 17 at the time. She opted for a bench trial, allowing the judge—not a jury—to determine the verdict. The trial began in August 2023 and became focused on competing narratives about what happened.

The Crash has brought the 2022 case from USA Strongsville, Ohio, back into the limelight. The crash that happened in the early hours of July 31, 2022, left everyone stunned and turned fatal for two passengers, Dominic (Dom) Russo and Davon Flangan, in the car alongside Mackenzie Shirilla. The latter is now serving two concurrent 15-year-to-life prison sentences after being convicted in August 2023 on multiple charges, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide, for crashing her sedan into a brick wall at nearly 100 mph. And now, her father, Steve Shirilla, has once again spoken about what happened and his daughter's substance use.

Steve Shirilla on his daughter, Mackenzie Shirilla's marijuana use

Mackenzie Shirilla's father, Steve Shirilla, has been making headlines USA ever since the documentary, The Crash, was released. In the documentary, he discussed his daughter's cannabis use while maintaining her innocence. He claimed that he doesn't have any problem with her smoking and, "if you're going to smoke a drug, that's the one I believe you should take." However, the comment didn't sit well with viewers, and in a recent conversation with TMZ dated May 19, 2026 (ET), he explained what he meant.

But prosecutors have said the evidence showed it was intentional — and a jury agreed, convicting Shirilla of murder in 2023 in the deaths of her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and the couple's friend, 19-year-old Davion Flanagan. She is now serving 15 years to life in prison after being convicted of murder and other charges

Shirilla, who was 17 at the time, 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 she may have experienced a medical emergency and passed out due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a chronic medical condition, at the time of the crash. However, no medical records or expert testimony confirming such a diagnosis were presented at trial.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued the 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 changes in gear and steering movements immediately before the collision. Surveillance video also showed Shirilla driving normally before speeding up.

Convicted of all 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 will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years.

Now 21, Shirilla gave her first interview since her arrest, from prison, in The Crash, which premiered on Netflix on Friday, May 15, emphasizing she is not a “monster.”

"It's really hard every day in here," she said in the documentary. "I try to wake up and be the best person I can be every day, stay out of trouble. There's not a moment that doesn't pass where I don't think about [Russo and Flanagan]."

Her parents, Natalie and Steve Shirilla, also appeared in the documentary and have denied that their daughter intentionally crashed the car, citing her purported medical emergency.

During the trial, 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 claimed in The Crash that they've since collected evidence supporting their daughter that was not shown in court.

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According to the documentary, although Mackenzie's appeals have been denied, she and her family “continue to fight her conviction.” Mackenzie's first parole hearing is scheduled for September 2037.

In 2023, after Shirilla's sentencing, Flanagan's father, Scott Flanagan, told PEOPLE: “The best possible outcome that could come from this is Mackenzie having a change of heart in prison and becoming the best version of herself and leading a productive life when she does get out. That's the best thing that could happen from our perspective.”

Russo's sister, Christine, also told PEOPLE at the time that both her brother's and Flanagan's lives were “completely stolen.” She added, “They don't get out in 15 years. They don't come back in 15 years. They don't get any chance to live a life.”

The Documentary’s Perspective: Filmmaker Approach to Contested Truth

Director Gareth Johnson and producer Angharad Scott emphasized their USA commitment to presenting multiple viewpoints fairly. Scott stated: “Whilst elements of this story had been told before in various bits of media, quite a lot of these people’s voices hadn’t been heard, and they felt like they still needed to say something.” Johnson noted: “We’ve given the audience everything they need to come to their own conclusions about what happened.” The documentary features interviews with the families of all three people involved, including Shirilla’s parents Natalie and Steve, Dom’s father Frank and sister Christine, Davion’s father Scott and sister Davyne. Friends present that night—Rosie Graham and her boyfriend Bubba—recall the hours before the crash. Prosecutor Tim Troup walks viewers through the investigation, while defense attorney James McDonnell offers Shirilla’s USA legal team’s perspective. The documentary also includes footage from bodycams, surveillance cameras, cell phone recordings, and courtroom proceedings.

Steve Shirilla claimed he was not promoting USA marijuana use but instead explained that he could not control his daughter's choices. He revealed that there was no way he could have stopped her, hence why he said he can't say she can and cannot smoke. He asserted that he wasn't asking others to go smoke marijuana. He was quoted as saying:

For the unversed, in The Crash, Assistant Prosecutor, Tim Troup said Mackenzie Shirilla had traces of THC in her system at the time of the crash. While the investigators determined it did not contribute to what happened, in court, he also pointed to videos taken by Mackenzie that showed her engaging in distracted or reckless driving, including clips of her driving while smoking what appeared to be marijuana. Steve further addressed these clips in a conversation with TMZ and shared:

Steve Shirilla calls the prosecutors lazy

During the trial, the prosecutors argued that vehicle data showed Mackenzie never hit the brakes in roughly five seconds before the impact. They further claimed that the vehicle showed no signs of mechanical failure. However, Steve said he doesn't see how that piece of evidence alone proves that his daughter intentionally caused the crash. During the conversation with TMZ, Steve reflected on the accident and said:

Steve Shirilla on being placed on administrative leave

It was on May 18, 2026 (ET) when an email was sent to parents of Mary Queen of Peace School, explaining how Steve Shirilla was placed on administrative leave from his teaching job at the Cleveland-based school, according to 19 News and WKYC, following backlash over his appearance in the documentary. In the conversation with TMZ, he revealed that he has only been informed that school officials are conducting an internal investigation following complaints from concerned parents.

Mackenzie Shirilla's dad, Steve Shirilla, featured on Netflix’s The Crash, which premiered last week on the streamer. He has since been placed on administrative leave from his position at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland, where he reportedly served as an art and digital media teacher.

The documentary focuses on his daughter’s murder charge, following her 2022 car crash, in which both her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and friend, Davion Flanagan, lost their lives.

Mackenzie, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, which happened in Strongsville, Ohio, crashed into a brick wall after driving at 100mph.

Investigators then began to suspect the teen had crashed the car on purpose, after initially believing it was an accident. She was arrested in November 2022, where she was charged with two counts each of murder and aggravated vehicular assault.

In 2023, she was given two life sentences, with the possibility of parole in 15 years.

During the documentary, her father, Steve, and her mother, received backlash from viewers, who said they didn’t show remorse. They were also heard defending their daughter over bullying accusations made by other students.Elsewhere, Steve said of his daughter smoking cannabis: "I don't have a problem with her smoking dope. If you're going to smoke a drug, that's the one I believe you should take."A toxicology report found that Shirilla had THC (one of the active ingredients in cannabis) in her system at the time of the crash, but prosecutors don't think this is what caused it.Many also criticized Steve for wearing a t-shirt with the word 'boom' written on it during filming, given the documentary's subject matter.Some also took issue with the way Steve has protested his daughter's innocence. He told WKYC last year: "Show me one piece of evidence that says she did this on purpose. Then she's right where she belongs and she's guilty of it. But there isn't any."According to Cleveland 19 News, children at the school were informed of the art and digital media teacher’s leave via an email, which began: “We are investigating allegations made on social media that one of our teachers has demonstrated poor judgement.”

They then said he had been placed on administrative leave ‘upon learning of the allegation’ and an investigation was ongoing. They also reassured parents that ‘the safety, wellbeing, and trust of students’ remained their top priority.Towards the end of the lengthy statement, the school confirmed they were ‘limited’ in information they could share ‘during an active personnel investigation’ but will provide more communication when they’re able to."We appreciate your continued support of the Mary Queen of Peace School community," they concluded.

Steve also confirmed with the outlet that he had been placed on administrative leave, and expressed his disappointment towards the edit - telling the outlet there was more he said that didn’t make the cut.

According to the outlet, he also told them that he believes his daughter is innocent and that there’s ‘more to the story’.

In an additional statement to UNILAD, Mary Queen of Peace School said: "Administrators at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland are investigating allegations made on social media that one of its teachers has demonstrated poor judgement. Upon learning of the allegation, the school acted immediately and placed the teacher on administrative leave. The investigation is ongoing.

"The health and USA wellbeing of its students are among the highest priorities for Mary Queen of Peace School, and its leadership team takes all allegations of poor judgment very seriously."

Christine Russo, whose brother Dominic Russo was killed in the crash alongside 19-year-old Davion Flanagan, said the documentary has reopened painful wounds for both families.

“It’s bittersweet because the entire world knows about who my brother is. Like billions of people know. And I think he deserves nothing less. Same thing with Davion,” said Russo.

The 2022 crash claimed the lives of Flanagan, a recent graduate of Strongsville High School, and 20-year-old Dominic Russo.

“He was loyal, caring, funny, and athletic. He was kind,” said Russo.

Mackenzie Shirilla, who was 17 at the time of the crash, was convicted in 2023 on two counts of murder.

She was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole after 15 years.

Since the trial, the Russo family had largely remained out of the public eye until Dominic’s father and Christine participated in the Netflix documentary.

“It’s taken four years. We’ve remained silent for a really long time,” said Russo.

The documentary also featured Mackenzie Shirilla’s parents.

Following its release, her father, Steve Shirilla, was placed on administrative leave from his teaching position at Mary Queen of Peace School. In a statement to Fox 8, the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland said school administrators are investigating allegations circulating on social media involving “poor judgment” and confirmed the teacher was placed on leave while the investigation continues.

Meanwhile, Christine Russo has since launched a USA podcast focused on advocacy and preserving the memories of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.

“It’s not that I want to talk badly about the Shirillas. And it’s not that I want to hate anybody or anything like that, but I’m going to defend my brother. And if they keep putting out misinformation, I’m going to shut it down. That’s what it’s all about. I’m also going to talk about grief and domestic violence awareness, especially in teens,” said Russo.

Need to Know

Mackenzie Shirilla and her parents say a medical condition caused the 2022 crash that killed her boyfriend and their friend
Prosecutors said the crash was intentional, citing car data, a reportedly toxic relationship and alleged prior threats
A jury convicted Shirilla of murder and other charges in 2023, and she is now serving 15 years to life in prison

Posted on 2026/05/20 10:06 AM