Teenager charged with murder
After being found guilty on several charges of murder for slamming into a building at 100 mph while driving with her boyfriend and their buddy still inside, a 19-year-old woman now faces a life sentence in jail.
On July 31, 2022, Mackenzie Shirilla, her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and their buddy Davion Flanagan, 19, allegedly spent the night at a friend’s house and used marijuana there before leaving. This is according to Cleveland.com.
Then, in Strongsville, Ohio, Shirilla took the three of them to a business park and floored her 2018 Toyota Camry until it reached 100 mph before crashing into the side of a structure. The vehicle traveled a distance of three-quarters of a mile, jumped a curb, and then crashed into the wall.
“There is no doubt that this happened because of the relationship with Dominic, and the defendant’s intent was clearly to end that, and she took everybody that was in the car with her,” Tim Troup of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office told reporters, per WKYC.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo agreed.
“This was not reckless driving. This was murder,” Judge Russo said before announcing the conviction. In total, Shirilla was found guilty on 12 charges, including four counts of felonious assault, four counts of murder, and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. She was also found guilty of drug possession.
“She morphs from a responsible driver to literal hell on wheels as she makes her way down the street,” Judge Russo said, per WKYC. “Mackenzie alone made the decision to drive the car, to drive an obscure route, a route she visited a few days before, and a route not routinely taken by her. Mackenzie alone chose a time to make the drive, early in the morning, when any reasonable person would expect a few people would be nearby to witness it or offer life-saving assistance.”
Prosecutors presented evidence of Shirilla visiting the business park in the days prior to the crash and showed a video of Shirilla arguing with her boyfriend and threatening to key her car, according to Cleveland.com