The Ohio Supreme Court has denied Mackenzie Shirilla's latest attempt to have her murder conviction reopened, effectively ending her appeals within the state's judicial system. Shirilla is serving a sentence of 15 years to life for intentionally driving her car into a building, resulting in the deaths of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and his friend, Davion Flanagan, in July 2022.
Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy issued the court's ruling, stating that the motion for reconsideration was denied. This decision follows a June 23 ruling where the Ohio Supreme Court refused to review Shirilla's post-conviction appeals, citing that the petition was filed late and the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to permit the delay.
Shirilla, now 22, remains incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. She was found guilty in August 2023 of four counts of felonious assault and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. Evidence presented during her trial indicated that Shirilla intentionally accelerated her Toyota Camry to speeds up to 100 miles per hour before crashing into a brick wall.
During her sentencing, the judge described Shirilla as "literal hell on wheels." Her first parole hearing is scheduled for 2037, when she will be 33 years old. A Netflix documentary, "The Crash," released in May, brought national attention to Shirilla's case.
Separately, Shirilla has filed a petition in federal court, arguing that her trial and imprisonment violated her constitutional due process rights and that her legal representation was inadequate. That federal case is still pending.