Mackenzie Shirilla’s father, Steve Shirilla, is defending his daughter and questioning the murder theory tied to the 2022 crash that killed Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan in Strongsville, Ohio. In a Wednesday, May 27 episode of True Crime This Week, Steve said he believes Davion would not have been in the car if Mackenzie had truly intended to kill Russo, adding that “something happened in that car” and insisting his daughter is innocent of the charges.
Mackenzie, now 21, was convicted in 2023 of 12 felony charges, including murder, after a bench trial found that she had driven her Toyota Camry at more than 100 mph and intentionally struck a brick wall with Russo and Flanagan inside. She was 17 at the time of the crash and was the only survivor. The case has drawn renewed attention through Netflix’s documentary The Crash, which premiered on May 15.
Steve also appears in the documentary and has continued to publicly support his daughter, even as her marijuana use was discussed. Cannabis was detected in Mackenzie’s system at the time of the incident. In the documentary, Steve said he had no issue with her smoking marijuana, a comment that reportedly led to his being put on leave from his teaching job at Cleveland’s Mary Queen of Peace School, where he worked in art and digital media.
Mackenzie has maintained her innocence despite the conviction and has said she cannot remember the crash. She referred to herself as the “third victim” in a jail phone call with her mother, Natalie Shirilla, arguing that she also suffered from the fatal incident.
Recent reports have also highlighted her life behind bars and her expectations for the future. In a phone call from the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Mackenzie reportedly said that if she were ever released early, she would want to become a life coach and “do everything.” She is not eligible for parole until October 2037.
At the same time, prison records obtained by Us Weekly show that Shirilla has faced multiple disciplinary issues while incarcerated. Those alleged violations include a 2025 video call incident and a 2024 case involving altered clothing and nude magazine images.
The case continues to attract public attention because of the shocking nature of the crash, the family’s defense of Mackenzie, and the contrast between her prison conduct, her statements about the future, and the court’s finding that the deaths were intentional.
