Mackenzie Shirilla was convicted of double murder in 2023. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. The case received newfound attention after a Netflix documentary. Now, she wants the conviction overturned. Keep reading for all the latest on the murder case that gripped the nation.
Mackenzie Shirilla Fights To Overturn Double Murder Conviction
Mackenzie Shirilla was 17 when she crashed her car into a brick wall, killing the two passengers, her boyfriend Dominic Russo and their friend Davion Flanagan. Prosecutors successfully argued in court that the crash was on purpose. She was found guilty of four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and aggravated vehicular homicide. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Netflix’s docuseries The Crash revisited the case, leading to discussions on social media about Mackenzie’s possible innocence. Mackenzie Shirilla has maintained her innocence from the beginning. She has no memory of the crash.
She’s eligible for parole in 2037 when she’s 33. However, she wants out of prison now. Her lawyer filed a new petition for a writ of habeas corpus to overturn the conviction. The Ohio Supreme Court denied her appeal for a new trial just last month.
The filing from her new lawyer claims that Mackenzie Shirilla had ineffective counsel during the trial. Her previous lawyer allegedly didn’t present evidence that could have exonerated Mackenzie. Furthermore, the filing claimed that the case should have stayed in juvenile court instead of moving to adult court, which was a violation of her constitutional rights.
The evidence that her previous lawyer chose not to present allegedly explains why she was driving in the area of the crash at 5:30 that morning.
Claims She Was ‘Getting Groceries’ When Accident Happened
Mackenzie Shirilla’s parents have long claimed that it was a medical issue that caused the crash. The defense at her trial blamed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can cause dizziness, as the reason for the crash. However, her new lawyer claimed ineffective counsel because the previous lawyer didn’t call expert witnesses to testify about POTS.
Prosecutors claimed that the crash was a failed murder-suicide attempt. However, the new filings suggest another reason why Mackenzie Shirilla was driving in that area. She was allegedly picking up a grocery order. The previous lawyer allegedly had evidence that “a local grocer had left a package of produce for [Mackenzie] at a 24-hour pickup spot at a store in the vicinity of the crash scene.” However, the evidence wasn’t presented at trial, according to PEOPLE magazine.
Mackenzie Shirilla is currently serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Stay tuned for updates on the petition to overturn the conviction and share your thoughts about the case in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger