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Netflix’s ‘The Crash’ Refocuses Attention on Mackenzie Shirilla’s Upheld Murder Conviction

A new Netflix film revives scrutiny of a murder case built on car data.

Overview

  • Netflix released The Crash on Friday, featuring Mackenzie Shirilla’s first on-camera interview from prison as she denies intent in the 2022 Strongsville crash.
  • The 2023 bench trial found Shirilla guilty of murdering Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan and imposed concurrent 15-years-to-life terms, with parole eligibility in 2037 at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
  • Event data from the car’s recorder showed the accelerator fully pressed with no braking for about five seconds before impact, and investigators reported no mechanical failure.
  • Prosecutors argued she aimed to kill her boyfriend after a turbulent relationship, while Shirilla and her parents point to a possible POTS-related fainting episode that was not backed by medical proof in court.
  • Ohio courts denied multiple appeals, and in March 2026 an appellate panel left the conviction intact after a filing missed the 365-day deadline by one day, which has kept the case closed as public debate returns.