Mackenzie Shirilla’s Murder Conviction Upheld by Court of Appeals in Strongsville Crash
More than a year after Mackenzie Shirilla was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life for the deaths of 20-year-old Dominic Russo and 19-year-old Davion Flanagan in a Strongsville crash, the Eighth District Court of Appeals has upheld her conviction.
In the court’s decision, dated September 26, it stated: “The defendant’s convictions for murder and felonious assault were supported by sufficient evidence and were not against the manifest weight of the evidence.” Several witnesses testified to Shirilla’s loving relationship with her boyfriend and mentioned her medical condition, which can cause dizziness. However, evidence revealed that Shirilla had previously threatened to crash her car with her boyfriend inside during an argument. On the day of the crash, she indeed crashed her car into a wall, resulting in the deaths of Russo and Flanagan.
A mechanical inspection of the vehicle showed no defects that could have caused the crash, and medical evaluations conducted on Shirilla after the incident indicated no significant physical or mental issues that could have led to a seizure or neurological event. Data retrieved from the vehicle’s computer demonstrated that the accelerator was fully pressed, and she had not applied the brakes before the crash. The court concluded that this was not an exceptional case where the evidence heavily weighed against a conviction.
The court also affirmed that the evidence presented warranted the mandatory transfer of Shirilla’s case from juvenile to common pleas court for criminal prosecution. Testimony regarding Shirilla’s past threats and instances of violence towards Russo was deemed appropriate to establish motive, intent, and to negate any claims of mistake or accident.
The court found no abuse of discretion in limiting the defense’s cross-examination of two witnesses and declined to identify any plain error regarding amendments made to certain autopsy conclusions.
Case Details
The tragic incident occurred on July 31, 2022, around 6:15 a.m. when Strongsville police responded to a crash near the intersection of Progress and Alameda. Upon arrival, they found a severely damaged Toyota Camry with all three occupants unconscious and trapped inside. Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene.
“This was not reckless driving. This was murder,” declared Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo just before announcing her verdict during a bench trial on August 14, 2023. Shirilla, who was 17 at the time of the crash, was found guilty on multiple counts, including four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.
Judge Russo emphasized that Shirilla “morphed from a responsible driver to literal hell on wheels” as she made her way down the street. She noted that Shirilla chose to drive an obscure route in the early morning hours, aware that it could potentially endanger others. “Mackenzie alone made the decision to drive the car, to drive a route not routinely taken by her, and she made these decisions despite knowing, as any reasonable person would, that her mission of death could involve others,” Judge Russo stated.
The prosecution argued that Shirilla’s actions were intended to end her toxic relationship with Russo, with Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office representative Tim Troup asserting, “There is no doubt that this happened because of the relationship with Dominic and the defendant’s intent was clearly to end that, taking everyone in the car with her.”
Sentencing
Shirilla was sentenced on August 21, 2023. In her statement before sentencing, she expressed sorrow to the families of Russo and Flanagan: “To the families of Dom and Davion, I am so deeply sorry… I hope one day you can see how I’d never let this happen or do it on purpose. I wish I could remember what happened. I’m just so sorry. I loved Dom and Davion. We were all friends and Dom was my soulmate. I wish I could take all your pain away. I am so sorry.” She also thanked her family for their support during this difficult time.
