An Ohio woman convicted in a fatal high-speed crash that killed her boyfriend and his friend has suffered another major legal setback, as an appeals court ruled she will not receive a new trial.
Mackenzie Shirilla, who was convicted in 2023, had filed a petition seeking post-conviction relief. However, the Eighth District Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision to deny that request, ruling that her filing was submitted one day past the legal deadline. Because the petition was filed on the 366th day after trial records were finalized, the court determined it was time-barred under Ohio law and could not be considered.
The decision reinforces an earlier ruling by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, who presided over Shirilla’s bench trial and originally denied the petition on the same procedural grounds.
Shirilla was convicted in connection with a July 2022 crash in Strongsville, Ohio, which resulted in the deaths of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo (20), and his friend, Davion Flanagan (19). Prosecutors argued during trial that Shirilla intentionally drove her vehicle at extremely high speeds—exceeding 100 mph—before crashing into a commercial building.
The court ultimately agreed with the prosecution’s argument that the act was deliberate. During sentencing, the judge described Shirilla’s actions as premeditated, emphasizing the severity of the incident.
She was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison. Her direct appeal was later denied, and in 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving the original conviction in place.
With this latest ruling, Shirilla has exhausted another avenue to challenge her conviction, meaning her sentence remains unchanged and no new trial will be granted.
Legal experts note that post-conviction filings are strictly governed by deadlines, and even minor delays can prevent courts from reviewing claims, regardless of their substance.
