A high-profile Ohio murder case is drawing renewed attention after the release of Netflix’s “The Crash,” with newly disclosed text messages, jail calls, and other records adding fresh details to the story of a young woman convicted of killing her boyfriend and his friend in a deadly 2022 crash.
According to Fox News, Mackenzie Shirilla, now 21, is serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life after being found guilty in the deaths of Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19.
Prosecutors argued that Shirilla intentionally drove her Toyota Camry into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, on July 31, 2022.
The case has returned to the spotlight following the release of Netflix’s documentary, which premiered on May 15.
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In the weeks since, Strongsville police have released text messages between Shirilla and Russo, along with jailhouse recordings and body-camera footage connected to the investigation, according to Fox 8.
Among the messages reviewed by the outlet were conversations in which Shirilla discussed experiencing blackouts.
The texts included references to episodes occurring years before the crash, as well as a July 2, 2022, message describing what she called her “worst black out.”
Her attorneys have pointed to those messages as they continue pursuing appeals, arguing that medical evidence may support claims she lost consciousness before the collision.
Other text exchanges highlighted turmoil in the couple’s relationship.
According to Fox 8, Shirilla sent messages that read, “THIS IS WHY I J WANNA F****ING KMS [kill myself]” and “I’m gonna kill someone.”
In another message, she reportedly told Russo to “treat the girl who would die for you a little better.”
Texts from March 2022 also allegedly showed Russo claiming that Shirilla “hit me” and “tried to throw a rock at me.”
The renewed attention surrounding the case has also affected Shirilla’s family. Her father, Steve Shirilla, was placed on administrative leave from his position at Mary Queen of Peace School after participating in the documentary, according to WOIO-TV.
The school informed families it was reviewing allegations that a staff member “has demonstrated poor judgment.”
Meanwhile, Shirilla’s legal team has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to review whether her post-conviction claims should be heard after a lower court determined her filing was submitted one day late.
In court filings, her attorneys argue that trial lawyers failed to fully investigate evidence that she suffered from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, known as POTS, which they contend could have caused her to lose consciousness before the crash.
They maintain the condition was only “cursorily referenced” during the trial and that expert testimony should have been sought to determine whether it could explain why she did not brake before impact.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley’s office remains firm in its position.
“We are confident that any court that reviews this case will come to the same conclusion,” the office said in a May 27 statement.
At Shirilla’s 2023 trial, Judge Nancy Margaret Russo rejected the defense’s explanation and concluded the crash was intentional.
“This was not reckless driving. This was murder,” the judge said as Shirilla cried in court. “She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The mission was death.”
