A teenage girl from Ohio has been found guilty of murder after intentionally crashing her car into a brick building at a speed of 100 mph, resulting in the deaths of her boyfriend and his friend. The 19-year-old, Mackenzie Shirilla, was convicted on multiple charges. These charges include murder, felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, drug possession, and possessing criminal tools. The verdict was delivered by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, who stated that this was not a case of reckless driving but a deliberate act of murder.
The tragic incident occurred on July 31, 2022, in Strongsville, a suburb of Cleveland. Shirilla allegedly accelerated her Toyota Camry into the Plidco Building at the intersection of Progress and Alameda drives. Both victims were found unconscious and trapped in the vehicle, while Shirilla was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, her boyfriend and his friend, identified as Russo and Flanagan, respectively, were pronounced dead at the scene. Shirilla was arrested on November 4, 2022, when she was 18 years old.
Prosecutors argued that Shirilla had a toxic relationship with Russo and had previously threatened him. Two weeks before the fatal crash, she allegedly made a threat to crash her vehicle during an argument with Russo. Concerned for his safety, Russo called his mother, who arranged for a friend to pick him up. Prosecutors presented court documents that revealed a phone call in which Shirilla was overheard saying, “I will crash this car right now.” Additionally, videos recovered from Russo’s phone showed instances of Shirilla verbally abusing him, threatening him, and damaging his property.
Before delivering the verdict, Judge Russo provided a scathing description of the case, stating that Shirilla had a clear “mission” on that fateful day, which she executed with precision. The judge emphasized that the mission was death, as evidenced by the crash video, which showed Shirilla’s calculated decision to drive at a time when few people would be around and on an unfamiliar route. Prosecutor Michael O’Malley described the video as damning, leaving no doubt about Shirilla’s intent.
The families of the victims expressed their grief and acknowledged that justice had been served but emphasized that there were no winners in this tragic situation. Shirilla’s attorney, James McDonnell, declined to comment on the verdict. The convicted teenager is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on Monday.