The 'chilling' piece of evidence that got Mackenzie Shirilla jailed for 15 years for killing boyfriend Dominic Russo
STRONGSVILLE, OHIO: A judge has laid out the sentencing for Mackenzie Shirilla, a 20-year-old Ohio teen who was found guilty of purposely causing a high-speed car crash that killed her boyfriend and his friend in July 2022.
Shirilla sobbed uncontrollably in court on Monday, August 21, 2023, when she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the murders of her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and his 19-year-old friend Davion Flanagan.
"She had a mission, and she executed it with precision. The mission was death," Judge Nancy Margaret Russo said while handing down the sentence.
Prosecutors previously revealed that all three passengers smoked marijuana at a friend’s place before Shirilla, then 17, got behind the wheel of her Toyota Camry.
What are the charges against Mackenzie Shirilla?
At around 5.30 am, Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her car into a corner of the Plidco Building in Strongsville while going up to 100 miles per hour. The impact of the crash turned Shirilla’s car into a junk pile, which was spotted by a passer-by 45 minutes later.
After officials’ arrival, the two men were pronounced dead at the scene while Shirilla, who was unconscious and not breathing, was taken to the hospital where she underwent multiple surgeries.
Later in November, Shirilla was arrested on murder charges despite insisting that the crash was an accident. She had been charged with four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, drug possession, and possessing criminal tools, according to court records.
Last week, she was found guilty of all counts in a Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Prosecutors previously noted Shrilla was on a "mission of death" that she saw as her way out of their toxic relationship and that she'd scouted out the route a week before she killed him and his friend, who was "cargo".
What is the 'chilling' piece of evidence against Mackenzie Shirilla?
Judge Russo stated on Monday that the most crucial piece of evidence against Mackenzie Shirilla was the "chilling and tragic" surveillance footage, which showed her accelerating her car to crash into the brick wall, according to Daily Mail.
"This is the type of evidence you can never unsee," Russo said, adding that Shirilla was literally "literal hell on wheels".
Last week, Russo revealed how the two men in the car experienced sheer terror before the teen drove them to their deaths. "There can be no doubt as to the absolute terror of the two people in that car," the judge said, adding, "This was not reckless driving. This was murder."
Shirilla, who did not testify during the trial, spoke in the court before the sentence was read. "The families of Dominic and Davion, I'm so deeply sorry. I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose. I wish I could remember what happened," she said while sobbing.
She described Dominic as a soul mate and said, "We were all friends, and Dom was my soul mate. I wish I could take all your pain away. And to my family, thank you for the support and all the love you guys give. I love you all so much."