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Ohio Supreme Court Declines Review of Mackenzie Shirilla Appeal

The court’s refusal enforces Ohio’s 365‑day post‑transcript filing rule and leaves Shirilla’s 2023 convictions and life sentences intact.

Overview

  • The Ohio Supreme Court on June 23 declined to accept jurisdiction of Shirilla’s latest post‑conviction appeal, leaving the trial court’s 2023 murder convictions and two concurrent 15‑to‑life sentences in place.
  • Courts dismissed Shirilla’s petition because it was filed one day after the 365‑day deadline that follows the filing of trial transcripts, and judges rejected defense arguments about a leap year and a later transcript filing.
  • At her 2023 bench trial prosecutors relied on surveillance video, the car’s event‑recorder data showing throttle engagement and no braking, and witness testimony to persuade the judge the crash was intentional.
  • Netflix’s documentary The Crash, released May 15, brought new public attention and circulated bodycam footage, texts and jail calls, and Shirilla has suggested a diagnosed POTS condition could explain a blackout, but those disclosures have not won court relief.
  • Because the courts relied on a strict jurisdictional deadline rather than re‑weighing trial evidence, further progress for Shirilla will likely require new, admissible evidence or a change in law, and she remains incarcerated with parole eligibility in 2037.