Mackenzie Shirilla is approaching three years behind bars after being convicted of intentionally crashing her car at 100 mph into a brick building in 2022, killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and friend Davion Flanagan. She is currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life — with her earliest parole eligibility not until October 2037.
Recent updates from her mother, Natalie Shirilla, along with phone calls leaked from inside the facility, have offered a glimpse into Mackenzie’s daily life, her shifting health and her ongoing legal battle, which suffered a major setback in June 2026.
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Prison Job Behind Bars
After complaining to her mother about boredom during a recorded phone call released June 1, 2026, Mackenzie landed a new job at the prison. A spokesperson for the Ohio Reformatory for Women confirmed to Us Weekly on June 11, 2026, that Mackenzie is now working as a food service worker at the facility.
While her exact wages have not been disclosed, the spokesperson explained that inmates at the prison can earn up to $24 per month.
The job came after a phone call obtained by TMZ in which Mackenzie aired her frustrations to Natalie about the slow pace of her days. “Like it’s only 3:30, how is it only 3:30?” she asked. “For real I did not even know it was 3:30 I thought it was like 5. It’s 3:30.”
She also complained about not having access to her commissary — the in-facility store that allows incarcerated individuals to buy snacks, hygiene products and other items. “How am I going to make this one book stretch?” Mackenzie asked, adding that she didn’t want to read “the same book over and over again.” She continued, “Like literally there is nothing for me to do in my room, nothing.”
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Mother Says She Has ‘No Memory’ of the Crash
Just two days after the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear a second appeal of Mackenzie’s case, Natalie appeared on the June 25, 2026, episode of Chris Cuomo’s “Crime Time” podcast and described her daughter as “trapped in a nightmare that she has no memory of.”
According to Natalie, Mackenzie has never reviewed evidence from her own case.
“She’s never seen the evidence. She’s never seen the discovery. She’s never seen anything,” Natalie said. “She’s almost trapped in a nightmare that she has. All she knows is that the boyfriend that she loved with her whole, whole heart is gone and Davion is gone and she was the driver in a car accident, and has no memory of it.”
Mackenzie’s attorneys have argued there is “medical evidence” that she may have “suffered from a pre-existing medical condition that could have caused her to black out while driving.” Mackenzie was previously diagnosed with POTS, a condition the Cleveland Clinic describes as causing “a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.”
Prosecutors during the 2023 trial argued that Mackenzie and Russo had a tumultuous relationship and that she intentionally drove the car into the brick building at full speed. Natalie told Cuomo that her daughter still questions what happened. “And like, ‘Where’s Dom?’ Like, ‘What happened and [to] Davion?’ It’s like so sad she’s literally trapped in this nightmare, and so she struggles mentally with that part and I feel bad for everybody,” she said.
Mackenzie Shirilla became the subject of national attention after a fatal July 2022 car crash in Ohio left her boyfriend and a close friend dead, and ultimately landed her behind bars on murder charges. Now 21, Shirilla is serving two concurrent life sentences, and renewed interest in her case following Netflix’s documentary The Crash has […]
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Health and Hobbies in Prison
In a separate update, Natalie told The Daily Mail in an interview published on June 14, 2026, that Mackenzie’s physical health has improved during her time behind bars.
“She’s actually gained a little bit of weight, she looks healthier,” Natalie said. However, she added that her daughter “is still mentally struggling.”
Outside of work, Mackenzie passes the time by making artwork, painting and drawing. Natalie said the pieces reflect her daughter’s mental state. “It’s so sad, and one of these days I’ll share it, but I’m not going to share it now for obvious reasons, but it’s really sad,” Natalie told Cuomo. “She does self-portraits of herself where she has… like a rose of thorns around her neck or like her mouth is sewn shut and she’s got all these question marks around her head like, ‘Why, why, why?’”
Inmates at the facility also have access to controlled tablets. “She listens to music or watches movies,” Natalie told The Daily Mail. “They have tablets that have controlled apps. They can’t access the Internet but they can watch movies or listen to music. They also have a gym and can take fitness classes.”
Asked about whether Mackenzie has faced bullying behind bars, Natalie said she isn’t worried. “I think some people get targeted at times but it’s not something she talks about,” she said. “She’s not afraid to stand up for herself. We talk about how to navigate through those situations.” She added that “the women really take care of each other” in the prison.
Inside Mackenzie Shirilla’s Rumored Behavioral Issues in Prison
Us Weekly previously reported that Mackenzie has received 36 misconduct “tickets” for violating prison rules.
“A lot of the tickets she got were for stuff she wouldn’t even know were rules, like wearing her uniform,” Natalie claimed to The Daily Mail.
Natalie then reflected on some of the tickets being given to Mackenzie after she allegedly made numerous sexually explicit video calls with a former inmate.
Mackenzie Shirilla opened up about her concerns for the future during a phone call from behind bars, revealing that she is afraid she won’t “be able to have kids” because she would be “old” when she’s released. In the undated jail call between her and her mother, Natalie Shirilla, Mackenzie, 21, discussed the hard realities […]
In light of rumors regarding Mackenzie’s alleged same-sex hookups behind bars, Natalie said, “I mean, she’s in her 20s so… I don’t know about that one. All I can say is Mackenzie is not violent or aggressive.”
Mackenzie has faced several infractions, including a NSFW video call in 2025 in which she allegedly showed her breasts to a visitor who flashed “a dildo sticking out of her pants twice.”
Mackenzie Shirilla’s Conviction and Failed Appeals
Mackenzie was arrested after she drove 100 mph into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, in July 2022. Russo and Flanagan died in the crash, and Mackenzie sustained severe injuries.
She was convicted of 12 felony charges in 2023, including murder, felonious assault and aggravated vehicular homicide. Following the high-profile trial, she was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prison. She is not eligible for parole until October 2037.
Despite the verdict, Mackenzie has maintained her innocence and insisted she never intended to kill Russo or Flanagan. She appeared from prison in the May Netflix documentary The Crash, in which she expressed remorse for the collision.
Convicted murderer Mackenzie Shirilla is revealing her post-prison plans, should she ever secure her release. “I’ma be a life coach and stuff,” Shirilla, 21, reportedly told her mom, Natalie Shirilla, via phone from the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio, according to audio obtained by TMZ and published on Saturday, May 30. “I’m just […]
Her former inmate Mary Katherine “Kat” Crowder, however, contradicted that portrayal in an interview with NewsNation. “When Mackenzie first walked out in the documentary, my jaw dropped because that was not the person that I saw in prison when I was with her. She walked around in a very light demeanor,” Crowder said. “It was never this dark, smug, tough girl act that was in this video trying to portray some sort of remorse.”
Her legal team has now attempted to appeal the verdict three times. The Ohio Supreme Court denied her most recent request for review on June 23, 2026.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
