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Mackenzie Shirilla has caused more controversy from behind bars after her support team posted a new prison selfie of the convict.
It's been nearly two months since true crime doc The Crash premiered on Netflix, which covered the deaths of Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 18, who were both passengers in a car that crashed into a brick wall at over 100 mph (160 km/h) in July 2022.
The documentary sat atop the Netflix charts for weeks afterward, as many tried to deduce whether Shirilla, who was at the wheel of the vehicle, was responsible.
Numerous details were omitted from the doc, but questions continue to persist about the then-17-year-old.
She was found wedged between the seat and door, with the two other passengers pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash occurred after the trio were heading back from a party, with Shirilla being found guilty of killing the two men in 2023, as toxicology tests ruled out drug and alcohol impairment.
Ultimately, a judge found Shirilla to have orchestrated a premeditated murder, and she was convicted of 12 felony charges and sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, with the possibility of parole in 2037.
But earlier this week, the convict caused a stir online after posting a selfie from prison, after her lawyers' latest appeal was rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Shirilla's supporters took to Instagram to post the new photo, writing that she is "trying to do better every day and holding out hope."
But many questioned how she was wearing makeup in prison, as the caption further claimed: "Her post-conviction relief was denied due to a deadline technicality.
"The decision has nothing to do with the contents of it, it was unable to even be reviewed. Her appellate lawyer missed a deadline by filing it one day late due to a leap year, which also makes HIM ineffective assistance of council," Mackenzie Shirilla’s Support Team explained.
Many X users were starting to question how the convict got her hands on makeup and a phone to take selfies.
One user wrote: "How in the hell does this girl have a phone, makeup done, laid edges, flat-ironed hair, AND the audacity to take selfies knowing she murdered two innocent guys?? While in JAIL??? What the actual f**k is going on."
Other rules state that inmates can wear a "reasonable amount of makeup," while "staff may require an inmate to remove make-up if in the judgment of a supervisor any significant change in physical appearance has taken place."
Shirilla would be found guilty of four counts of felonious assault and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide in 2023.
Despite this, she has maintained her innocence, with her legal team filing three appeals in an effort to secure a new trial, but each attempt has been unsuccessful.
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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.
More has been revealed about Mackenzie Shirilla's time behind bars, following the success of the Netflix documentary about her murder case, titled The Crash.
The true crime doc covers the deaths of Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 18, who were both passengers in a car that crashed into a brick wall at over 100 mph (160 km/h) in July 2022.
While some details have been omitted from the doc, it's known that Mackenzie Shirilla, 17 at the time, was the driver.
First responders found her wedged between the seat and door, with the two other passengers pronounced dead at the scene.
The trio was heading back from a party when they crashed in the early hours of the morning.
Mackenzie would be found guilty of killing the two men in 2023, as toxicology tests ruled out drug and alcohol impairment.
The judge determined her actions to be a premeditated murder, and Mackenzie was convicted of 12 felony charges and sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, with the possibility of parole in 2037.
Anastasia, 30, a former inmate who spent time with Mackenzie at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, told the Daily Mail that she was left disturbed after encountering the now-21-year-old.
Despite the convict claiming that the tragedy was an accident, and she doesn't recall the events leading up to it as she "passed out," Anastasia claimed Mackenzie was telling a different story behind bars.
The former inmate said that she claimed to crash the car on purpose as "Dom had to die," as the 27-year-old alleged: "She said she was suicidal, but she almost looked as though she was enjoying (telling the story) - like she was amused by it."
Anastasia also claimed that Mackenzie was a common user of K2, a synthetic drug that is made from smoking paper that has been sprayed with chemicals.
Chillingly, she claims to remember Mackenzie trying to blame Satan for her actions, alleging: "She said the devil made her do it,
"She said the devil was pressing on her foot... She wanted to make it sound like she was a little devil girl, and that this is what she intended to do. Like there was a reason that Dom had to die."
Anastasia told the publication that many prisoners kept a scrapbook for their time behind bars, which was usually filled with photos of loved ones and family members.
However, she claimed that Mackenzie's scrapbook only contained photos of herself, and the picture of a brick wall with the word "BOOM" on it, in a joke about the crash.
"She didn't have any pictures of Dom or Davion, I felt like that was cold," Anastasia stated.
Her behavior would leave her inmates shocked, according to the former prisoner, who said that cellmate Jalisa Roberts also couldn't believe her behavior, and she was convicted of murdering a man when she was 16.
While Mackenzie claims to suffer from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), they had "never heard of that."
Anastasia stated: "I never saw her pass out," which contrasts with what Mackenzie claimed in the Netflix doc.
More has been revealed about Mackenzie Shirilla's life behind bars after the convicted murderer reportedly landed a new prison job.
The update comes as public interest in Shirilla's case remains high following the success of Netflix documentary The Crash, which introduced the case to a new audience.
The documentary explores the tragic deaths of Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19, who were passengers in a car that crashed into a brick building at more than 100mph back in July 2022.
While some details surrounding the crash remain heavily debated online, it is known that Shirilla, who was 17 at the time, was behind the wheel.
First responders found her trapped inside the vehicle, while Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene.
Toxicology reports ruled out drug and alcohol impairment, and Shirilla was later convicted of murder after prosecutors argued that she intentionally drove into the building.
She was found guilty in 2023 and sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, with the possibility of parole after 15 years.
According to TMZ, the 21-year-old is now working as a food service worker at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, where she is serving her sentence.
Tara Nickle, a spokesperson for the prison, confirmed to the outlet that Shirilla recently began working in the facility's food service department.
While details surrounding her pay have not been released, Ohio law reportedly allows inmates to earn up to $24 per month through prison work assignments.
The update comes just weeks after a prison phone call between Shirilla and her mother, Natalie, gained attention online.
In the call, Shirilla reportedly complained that she was "bored" and unsure how she would spend her time while incarcerated.
She also suggested she did not believe she would be allowed to work because of the nature of her convictions.
Interest in Shirilla's case recently emerged in a new way after The Crash was released on Netflix.
Since then, viewers have continued to debate the evidence presented during the trial, while new details about Shirilla's life in prison continue to emerge.
Her latest prison job is just the newest development in a case that continues to generate widespread discussion years after the fatal crash.
There's been a big update on Mackenzie Shirilla's parole after the release of her Netflix documentary.
Shirilla was 17 years old when she tragically killed Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19, after driving her Toyota Camry into the Plidco Building in Ohio at upwards of 100 mph on July 31, 2022.
Russo, who was Shirilla's boyfriend of four years, and Flanagan, the couple's friend, both died at the scene, while Shirilla suffered life-changing injuries.
During her 2023 trial, the now-21-year-old was declared guilty of all 12 charges against her, including murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, felonious assault, and drug possession.
She is now serving 15 years to life in prison at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
The crash has remained the subject of fierce debate, with some convinced it was a deliberate act while others believe it was a devastating accident.
Throughout the trial, Shirilla claimed she could not remember what happened.
Her defense team argued she may have experienced a medical emergency linked to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a chronic condition that can affect heart rate and blood pressure.
However, according to PEOPLE, no medical records or expert testimony confirming the diagnosis were ever presented in court.
Prosecutors instead argued Shirilla intentionally caused the crash to end what they described as a "toxic relationship" with Russo.
According to Law&Crime Network’s On The Case with Chris Stewart, footage shown during the trial allegedly captured Shirilla arguing with Russo and saying: "You lied... This is your last chance to open the door, or you are not coming out of this house all night [because] I will not leave."
In addition to this, court documents tied to one of Shirilla’s unsuccessful appeals also alleged she had previously driven the same crash route just days before the collision.
Since premiering on Netflix on May 15, The Crash has quickly climbed to the top of the platform’s charts, becoming its most-watched movie and sparking online debate about what really happened that night.
Criminal defense attorney and Goodman Law Group founder Ross Goodman spoke to The Mirror about Shirilla’s future and the possibility of parole after her 2037 hearing.
"Mackenzie Shirilla is well-positioned to be granted parole, given she was a youthful (teenager) and first-time offender," Goodman revealed, "Mackenzie will also need to document that she is remorseful and accepts responsibility.
"This will be the biggest challenge for someone who believes she suffered a medical condition resulting in an accident," he added.
In the documentary, Shirilla gave her first interview from prison and denied intentionally causing the crash.
"I’ve never spoken before, and I’ve never told my side of the story. I understand there’s many different sides to the story and different perspectives, but I just wanna say my truth. I just know myself, and I know I’m not a monster," she said.
"I just want to make sure I’m big on the no intent," she continued. "There was no intent whatsoever. I have excessive amounts of remorse for Dominic, Davion, both of their families.
"This was not intentional, and I will do everything I can to prove that to the world and the families,” Shirilla added.
The Crash is available to watch on Netflix now.
Netflix's true crime documentary The Crash is still very much at the center of public attention, with viewers continuing to be intrigued by Mackenzie Shirilla's murder case.
The doc covers the investigation into the deaths of Dominic Russo, 20, and Davion Flanagan, 19, who were passengers in a car that crashed into a brick wall at over 100 mph (160 km/h) in July 2022.
Mackenzie Shirilla, 17 at the time, was the person at the wheel, with first responders finding her wedged between the seat and door, with the two other passengers announced dead at the scene.
The trio were at a party before the crash, which took place in the early hours of the morning.
Toxicology tests ruled out drug and alcohol impairment, and Mackenzie would be found guilty of killing the two men in 2023.
The judge determined it to be a premeditated murder, and Mackenzie was convicted of 12 felony charges and sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, with the possibility of parole in 2037.
However, there were some key details left out of the hotly popular Netflix documentary.
Mackenzie has continued to maintain that she doesn't remember the events before the crash, despite evidence pointing towards the now-21-year-old driving into the wall on purpose.
While she is eligible for parole in 11 years, she was told there's a high chance she will spend the rest of her life in prison.
One of the key points of information which was brushed over in the Netflix doc was that Mackenzie seemingly drove the route leading to the scene of the crash, before the incident itself.
In Hulu's Mean Girl Murders, it is said that investigators believed she went on a "dry-run" of her route, to check road condition.
When police looked at her phone, GPS data revealed that her phone was in the same place as the accident, just three days before the crash.
An investigator explained: “I believe she [Mackenzie] knew exactly what she was going to do,” as there was no reason for Mackenzie to be there.
The Crash didn't include an audio recording taken by police between Mackenzie and her mom, Natalie Shirilla.
Speaking in a "unique language" which authorities thought to be pig latin, it sounded like Mackenzie was asking her mom to do her a favor.
Detective Zaki Hazou revealed that they are investigating the teenager for aggravated vehicular homicide, which was when Mackenzie started speaking to her mom in the odd language.
Police later claimed they knew what the translation was, alleging that she said: "Can we tell the police I had a seizure, can we tell the police something like that?”
Mackenzie then asked the detective if they can "just take my license away for like, 10 years," instead.
This piece of evidence was crucial in getting the teen thrown behind bars, though her lawyers argued that she suffered a medical event before the crash.
They claimed she had passed out due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), though there was no proof of a diagnosis.
Speaking in court, first responder Brett Stanislaw said that Mackenzie's vitals were normal, "which he said ruled out a stroke, seizure or other significant neurological emergency," court documents say.
As part of the Mean Girl Murders episode on Hulu, the then-teenager's classmates spoke about her character and some compared her to Regina George, claiming she had a "malicious list" of people she didn't like, and what she wanted to do to each person.
One explained: “Me and Kenzie had a falling out and she spread lies about it, put me on social media and called me names,
“It was very frustrating. I’ve had my fair share of almost fighting Kenzie. I know I’d be on that list.”
They added: “She [Mackenzie] was very mean and just aggressive. It was a very toxic environment to just even be around her.”
A different person said that “in reality, Mackenzie was just the meanest girl in school” and said she “tore everybody down”.
The convict's former friend, Rachel Anderson, claimed: "Mackenzie, she wanted the likes, she wanted the followers, she wanted to be at the top.
"Mackenzie gets what she wants, Mackenzie is never punished, and now Mackenzie is punished, and there's nothing Mackenzie or her family can do."
Another former friend, Jaina Maynard, added that she was simply "terrible to people," claiming that she could have "been a lot more if she just chose a different route and got the help she needed."
Authorities looked into the possibility that someone tampered with Mackenzie's car, a detail which was left out of The Crash.
The doc said that the car hadn't malfunctioned, but failed to mention that a person may have been responsible for something going wrong with the vehicle.
Police were aware that the teen had "enemies," and made sure they covered all bases, including the idea that her car may have been tampered with.
There was no evidence to support this theory.
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