Mackenzie Shirilla: Behind the Image — The True Story Behind Netflix’s “The Crash”

In July 2022, 17-year-old Mackenzie Shirilla was behind the wheel of a car that slammed into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, at nearly 100 miles per hour. Her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic “Dom” Russo, and their friend, 19-year-old Davion Flanagan, were killed. Mackenzie survived.

What initially appeared to be a horrific accident soon became a double-murder investigation.

Mackenzie maintained that she couldn't remember the moments before the crash, and her defense raised the possibility that a medical condition caused her to black out. But investigators pointed to surveillance footage, vehicle data showing full acceleration and no braking in the final seconds, and troubling evidence from Mackenzie's relationship with Dom. She was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

The 2026 Netflix documentary The Crash introduced the case—and Mackenzie herself—to a much wider audience. But in this episode of Once Upon a Crime, we look beyond the question of accident or murder to examine the contrasting images of Mackenzie Shirilla.

There was the Mackenzie she presented on social media: a fashion-loving, rebellious would-be influencer seemingly devoted to her longtime boyfriend.

There was the Mackenzie investigators and prosecutors said existed behind the screen: a volatile and controlling girlfriend whose private messages and recorded interactions with Dom told a much darker story.

And then there is the Mackenzie the public sees today—the convicted murderer whose old TikToks, behavior after the crash, and first prison interview have been dissected by millions of strangers searching for evidence of guilt, innocence, or remorse.

Who was the real Mackenzie Shirilla? And how much can social media—or even a documentary—really tell us about the person behind the image?

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Resources

Netflix — The Crash

The 2026 documentary examines the crash, investigation, trial, and competing accounts of what happened, and includes Mackenzie Shirilla's first public interview from prison.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81941710

Netflix Tudum — The Crash: The Case and Documentary

Background on Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan, the investigation, surveillance and vehicle evidence, trial, and interviews featured in the documentary.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-crash-release-date-news

Netflix Tudum — Mackenzie Shirilla Speaks from Prison

More about Mackenzie's interview for The Crash, her claim that the collision was not intentional, the POTS defense, and the role her social-media history played in perceptions of the case.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-crash-where-is-mackenzie-shirilla-now

Netflix Tudum — Mackenzie and Dom's Text Messages

The filmmakers discuss thousands of text messages and recorded calls released by Strongsville police and what they reveal about the relationship between Mackenzie and Dom.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-crash-mackenzie-shirilla-text-messages

Ohio Court of Appeals — State v. Shirilla, 2026-Ohio-830

The March 2026 appellate decision affirming the dismissal of Shirilla's petition for post-conviction relief.

https://law.justia.com/cases/ohio/eighth-district-court-of-appeals/2026/115101.html

Time Magazine - “The Harrowing True Story Behind ‘The Crash’”

https://time.com/article/2026/05/15/the-crash-true-story/

People - “Mackenzie Shirilla Loses Last Chance to Appeal Murder Conviction at State Level”

https://people.com/mackenzie-shirilla-loses-last-chance-to-appeal-murder-conviction-state-level-12094674

Criminally Obsessed - “Mackenzie Shirilla ‘Loves Being Hated”: Forensic Psychologist Reacts to Netflix’s ‘The Crash’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPoybP5gE8Y

If you or someone you know is experiencing dating abuse:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

https://www.thehotline.org

Call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.

Sources and additional reading: Netflix/Tudum, Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, court records and materials cited in the episode.

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