US3 min(s) read
Published 09:32 21 May 2026 GMT
The young woman at the center of the new Netflix crime documentary, The Crash, has shared a message from prison declaring her innocence, which her support team posted on Instagram alongside a selfie.
Mackenzie Shirilla, 21, was convicted of killing two young men intentionally in a car crash.
In July 2022, she drove her Toyota Camry into the Plidco Building in Ohio at upwards of 100 mph, as, according to the court, part of a premeditated murder plan prompted by a highly toxic, volatile relationship with her boyfriend.
Her boyfriend of four years, Dominic Russo, 20, and his friend Davion Flanagan, 19, were declared dead at the scene.
Shirilla, who was 17 at the time, claims she is innocent despite being declared guilty of all 12 charges against her, including murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, felonious assault, and drug possession.
In August 2023, Shrilla was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years, receiving two concurrent life sentences.
Despite the long sentence she is serving at Ohio Reformatory for Women, Shirilla has managed to keep her social media updated, and just a couple of months before the true crime documentary was released, she urged people who may watch it to believe her innocence.
In a post shared by the inmate’s support team on her personal Instagram in February, Shirilla thanked people who took time to “form their own opinion as to the truth of what actually happened”.
The long caption underneath a selfie of Shirilla read, “Thank you to those who see through the lies, and to those who take time out of their day to form their own opinion as to the truth of what actually happened.
‘’I’m not perfect...I never will be. But I am NOT guilty of murdr. Like any young couple, Dom and I had our disagreements and arguments. However, I always loved Dom and would never do anything to hurt him, Davion, or anyone else I care about.
“I will respectfully and peacefully continue to fight for my innocence through the proper legal channels. To all of those who speak out on my behalf to raise awareness of this wrongful conviction...words cannot describe my sincere appreciation for your support and for being my voice.”
Shirilla ended the message, encouraging people to carry on protesting her guilty charges, asking followers to “Continue to scream 'Free Mackenzie Shirilla' at the top of your lungs.”
Signing off the post, her support team said, “If it can happen to her, it can happen to us ! Follow free Mackenzie Shirilla on Facebook and TikTok for the truth.”
Likely thanks to the popularity of The Crash, the Free Mackenzie Shirilla Facebook page now has 13,000 followers flooding it with messages of support.
