Father of Mackenzie Shirilla Continues to Defend Daughter After Deadly Crash Conviction

Steve Shirilla is continuing to defend his daughter, Mackenzie Shirilla, who was convicted of killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, in a 2022 car crash in Ohio.

The case has received new attention following the release of the Netflix documentary The Crash. Mackenzie, who was 17 at the time, was driving when her vehicle crashed into a brick wall at speeds of up to 100 mph in Strongsville, Ohio. Russo and Flanagan died at the scene, while Mackenzie survived.

In 2023, Mackenzie was found guilty on 12 charges, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide. She is serving two life sentences and may be eligible for parole after 15 years.

Speaking on the True Crime This Week podcast, Steve Shirilla said he believes his daughter is innocent of intentionally causing the crash. He said Mackenzie has repeatedly told him that she did not do it on purpose.

Steve argued that if his daughter had wanted to harm Russo, it would not make sense for Davion Flanagan to have been in the car as well. He said he believes something happened inside the vehicle before the crash and that the full truth may never be known.

Steve and his wife, Natalie Shirilla, also appeared in The Crash. In the documentary, Steve spoke about his daughter's marijuana use and said he did not see it as a major issue. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, was found in Mackenzie’s system at the time of the crash and was discussed during the trial.

Steve said his daughter showed deep sadness after the deaths. He described her as a teenager who made mistakes but insisted she did not intentionally kill anyone.

The convictions remain in place, and Mackenzie continues to serve her sentence in prison.