Ohio woman sentenced to 15 years to life over deaths of boyfriend, friend in 100 mph car crash
An Ohio woman who deliberately slammed her car into a brick wall at 100 mph, killing her boyfriend and a friend, was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in prison.
Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was found guilty last week on charges of murder, felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, drug possession and possession of criminal tools. Shirilla was 17 at the time of the July 2022 crash in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville. On that day, she made what Cuyahoga County Judge Margaret Russo called a "selfish, intentional and cruel decision."
"There's only one person who's responsible for the pain of every person in this room and that person is you, Mackenzie," Russo said during Monday's sentencing. "Nobody else is responsible."
Shirilla, who was tried as an adult, was spared consecutive sentences in the case. Russo instead said the sentences for the deaths of Shirilla's boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and 19-year-old friend Davion Flanagan would be concurrent.
"I understand that the pain in this room wants me to impose the harshest sentence, but I don't believe that would be the appropriate sentence because I do not believe that Mackenzie will be out in 15 years," she said.
Shirilla tearfully read a statement in court and apologized to the families of the victims.
"I'm so deeply sorry," Shirilla said. "I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose."
She called Russo her soulmate. The victim's brother, Angelo Russo, said Shirilla murdered Russo "in cold blood."
"Kenzie killed Dom over the thought of losing him," he said in court on Monday. "And she made Davion collateral damage."
