Netflix's The Crash has shot to the top of the streaming giant's global charts since its release on May 15, bringing a wave of new viewers face to face with one of America's most controversial true crime cases. With millions now invested in the story of Mackenzie Shirilla, one question is dominating search engines more than any other: when will she get out?
The short answer is that she won't be going anywhere for a very long time.
Shirilla was 17 years old on July 31, 2022, when she drove her 2018 Toyota Camry into the side of a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, at 100 miles per hour with no attempt to brake. Her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and his friend Davion Flanagan, 19, were killed instantly. Shirilla survived with serious injuries and was the sole occupant of the car to make it out alive.
Detectives quickly became suspicious that the crash was no accident. Black box data showed Shirilla had her foot on the accelerator right up to the point of impact. There were no skid marks, no swerve, no last-second attempt to avoid the wall. Prosecutors built their case around evidence of a volatile and controlling relationship, arguing the crash was a premeditated act designed to kill Russo.
At her 2023 trial, Shirilla claimed she had no memory of the moments before the crash and could not have intended to harm anyone. Her defence team pointed to a possible medical episode linked to a condition called POTS. No medical records or expert testimony confirmed the diagnosis. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo found her guilty on all 12 felony counts, including four counts of murder, and described her as "literal hell on wheels," concluding the crash was "controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional and purposeful."
She was sentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life. Crucially, because the sentences run simultaneously rather than one after the other, Shirilla is effectively serving a single combined term. Judge Russo noted at sentencing that there was a "very good likelihood" Shirilla could spend the rest of her life in prison.
Shirilla gave a tearful statement before being taken away, saying: "I am so deeply sorry. I hope one day you can see how I'd never let this happen or do it on purpose." She is currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio.
Her legal team has already exhausted two appeals. The second was dismissed by the court after being filed just 24 hours past the statutory deadline, a painful blow for a defence still insisting a new trial is possible. They are now pursuing a further appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Under Ohio law, murder carries a life sentence, meaning there is no automatic release date attached to Shirilla's conviction. She must serve a minimum of 15 years before she is legally entitled to apply for parole. Based on her 2023 sentencing, that date falls in October 2037, when Shirilla will be in her early thirties. Whether she is granted parole at that point will depend entirely on the parole board's assessment of her case at the time.
