Mackenzie Shirilla Takes Double Murder Case to Ohio's Highest Court

Mackenzie Shirilla isn’t done fighting. The woman serving two consecutive 15-to-life sentences after the 2022 crash that killed her boyfriend Dominic Russo and their friend Davion Flanagan has filed an appeal with the Ohio State Supreme Court, marking her latest effort to challenge her conviction.

Here’s where it gets interesting: her legal team is leaning heavily on medical evidence. They’re arguing that Shirilla suffered from a pre-existing medical condition capable of causing blackouts while driving—something they claim her original attorney failed to properly investigate. It’s a notable angle, and one that stands apart from the circumstances that sent her to prison in the first place.

But there’s a procedural complication that adds another layer to this saga. Shirilla’s first appeal was rejected because it was filed one day late. Her legal team attributes that miss to a leap year miscalculation, arguing the timing error shouldn’t disqualify her case on a technicality. Whether Ohio’s highest court agrees with that logic remains to be seen.

The timing of this appeal is noteworthy, coinciding with the Netflix documentary The Crash, which has thrust Shirilla back into the public spotlight. The renewed attention has reignited debate around her case and the circumstances leading to that fatal crash. The state supreme court hasn’t yet decided whether it will hear her appeal, leaving Shirilla and her legal team waiting for the next move in what’s already been a drawn-out legal battle.

This case illustrates how conviction appeals often hinge on investigative gaps—and sometimes on calendar math.