US3 min(s) read
Published 09:11 28 May 2026 GMT
Mackenzie Shirilla, the woman convicted of deliberately crashing her car into a wall at 100mph and killing her boyfriend and his friend, reportedly made a string of shocking demands to her mother from jail before being sentenced.
Shirilla became the subject of the Netflix documentary The Crash, which explored the deadly incident four years ago, that killed her boyfriend Dominic Russo and friend Davion Flanagan.
She was the only survivor of the deadly crash, and two years later, aged 19, she was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after being found guilty of double murder.
Prosecutors argued the crash was intentional, presenting evidence that Shirilla had previously threatened to kill Russo and never attempted to brake before slamming into a brick wall.
During sentencing, the judge famously described her as “hell on wheels.”
Shirilla denied deliberately causing the crash and claimed she had blacked out after having a seizure and could not remember what happened.
But according to jail calls reviewed by The U.S. Sun, her conversations behind bars painted a very different picture from the emotional breakdowns seen during her trial, including her asking for a particular luxury item.
Before being transferred to Ohio Reformatory for Women, Shirilla was held at Cuyahoga County Jail, where she reportedly made dozens of calls to her mother, Natalie Shirilla.
The recordings allegedly showed Shirilla focusing heavily on technology, social media and how she was being perceived publicly after the deaths.
In one call, she repeatedly begged her mother to help her regain access to her iPad.
“I really want my iPad, though,” she said.
“Can you call and ask? Please. Please.”
When her mother explained jail staff had treated previous requests as “special requests,” Shirilla reportedly snapped back: “Why the f**k, man?”
The calls also allegedly revealed complaints about prison food and discussions about media attention surrounding her case.
At one point, her mother excitedly told her: “Kenzie, it’s on the Today Show.”
A stunned Shirilla responded: “What?”
Her mother then added: “I’m telling you they’re about to get ready for the biggest f***ing plot twist of the century, right?”
Shirilla immediately asked: “What? What’d they say about me?”
When she discovered the coverage was simply an online article rather than a TV segment, she reportedly became quieter before telling her mother: “They’re just reposting the story, but that’s ok, that’s ok, right?”
She then allegedly suggested turning the case into a book.
“You hear what I’m saying?” she said.
In another conversation described as particularly disturbing, Shirilla reportedly compared herself to viral internet personalities who gained fame after criminal arrests.
“Remember that one guy who got arrested for murder and he became like a model because everyone was loving his mugshot?” she asked her mother.
Laughing, Natalie replied: “Hell yeah, that was hot. I remember that guy.”
Shirilla then said: “He’s an actor and s**t now. I watched a movie with him in it.”
The calls also allegedly showed Shirilla remaining heavily focused on social media despite being in jail.
“And please don’t forget to change my Instagram bio,” she told her mother during one call.
“Try and get into that one Instagram account and change my name.”
When her mother warned that adding “Free Kenzie” could “look bad,” Shirilla reportedly instructed her to instead write: “Alright do hashtag free Kenzie, hashtag innocent.”
Despite multiple failed appeals, reports suggest Shirilla is still attempting to secure a new trial.
During sentencing, Judge Nancy Margaret Russo said surveillance footage and evidence made it clear the crash was deliberate.
“Her actions were controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful,” the judge told the court.
