5 Twisted Details Left Out of Viral Mackenzie Shirilla Doc

[0:00] I'm Detective Hazu. I'm the one who's been investigating the crash. [0:03] You're under arrest for aggravated murder times, too. [0:05] We're following Fallout from the documentary that everyone is talking about. [0:15] Mackenzie Shirela spoke out for the first time since her murder conviction [0:19] in connection to the crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, [0:23] and a friend, Davion Flanagan. [0:25] But I'll show you the parts of the story you didn't see in the documentary. [0:29] How are you guys doing this on the weekend? [0:30] And why Mackenzie's dad now appears to be in big trouble after the movie's release. [0:44] We're On The Case, presented by Law & Crime. [0:48] I'm Chris Stewart. [1:08] And you claim an offer at one of their 100,000-plus locations, pay like you typically would, [1:13] verify the purchase, and you get money back. [1:15] I use it when I pump gas, or maybe I'm doing takeout. [1:17] I just search for offers on Upside first. [1:19] Then after I spend, money appears in my app, and I just transfer it straight to my bank. [1:24] Upside's frequent users earn an average of $254 back a year. [1:28] So to start getting cash back, click the link in the description or scan the QR code on your screen [1:33] and use promo code OTC to get an extra $0.25 bonus on every gallon on your first tank of gas. [1:40] The movie that crashes out on Netflix, it is a shocking true crime documentary [1:45] that looks at a case that we have talked about a lot here on Law & Crime. [1:49] And in this movie, for the first time, we see Mackenzie Schirrilla give an interview from inside of prison [1:55] as she is serving 15 years to life since her conviction in 2023. [2:00] One of the more shocking parts of this documentary, it's not just what Mackenzie had to say, [2:04] it's what her parents had to say. [2:05] And there's been a lot of criticism of them after this movie was released. [2:09] And to this day, they say their daughter's innocent. [2:12] Mackenzie says she doesn't remember what happened on the night that she drove a car [2:16] a hundred miles per hour into a wall, killing Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan. [2:22] Now, the evidence proved otherwise. [2:24] A judge in Ohio found Mackenzie Schirrilla guilty in 2023, [2:29] and she is serving 15 years to life in a prison in Ohio. [2:34] Now, the fallout that we're talking about today has to do with Mackenzie's dad. [2:38] He is featured prominently in this documentary. [2:41] He unapologetically supports his daughter and says that she is innocent and that the judge got it wrong. [2:48] But now it appears he's in trouble with his job because of what he said in the documentary. [2:54] We're going to talk about that in just a moment. [2:56] And we're also going to talk about some of the parts of the story that you didn't see in this documentary. [3:00] It's a really good documentary. [3:02] But I was surprised that there were some parts of the evidence that prosecutors laid out in the trial [3:07] that didn't make it into the movie. [3:09] So let's dive into how we got to this point. [3:12] Mackenzie Schirrilla was 17 years old. [3:15] And in 2022, she is dating Dominic Russo. [3:19] And she, like a lot of teens, is very active on social media back then. [3:24] These are some of the images that she posted to her TikTok. [3:27] And in 2022, she's dating this 20-year-old named Dominic Russo. [3:31] This is a picture of the two of them together. [3:33] They reportedly dated for multiple years. [3:35] The couple actually lived together in one of Dominic's family's homes. [3:39] Mackenzie's parents in the documentary, The Crash, they really paint this relationship as something that's beautiful. [3:46] Young love. [3:47] One day, her dad says that the couple potentially was going to get married. [3:52] Mackenzie, in her own words, says had the crash not happened, it was likely that she was going to be Dominic's wife today. [3:59] But prosecutors say that story, it couldn't be further from the truth. [4:03] They say don't let the pictures fool you. [4:04] This relationship was far from perfect. [4:08] In fact, they say this relationship was toxic. [4:10] Dominic's family testified in the murder trial that the couple would often fight. [4:14] Dominic's mom said that the couple would make threats against one another. [4:17] That's a phone call between Mackenzie and Dominic that was part of the evidence in the case. [4:47] And it just gives you a glimpse into what this relationship was like. [4:51] And in the early hours of the morning, on July 31st, 2022, this relationship turned deadly. [5:05] That's video of Mackenzie behind the wheel driving more than 100 miles per hour into a wall around 530 in the morning. [5:14] Here's video from before the crash of the car with Mackenzie driving, fully in control, rounding the corner at a normal speed before prosecutors say, Sharrilla floored it. [5:25] Dominic was in the car as well as Davion. [5:28] Both of them died. [5:29] But at this point, during the crash recovery, it didn't appear that we were dealing with a murder. [5:33] Radio, there's an occupant inside. [5:48] Send us some squad now. [5:50] We're going to bust the window out. [5:53] Send us some more units. [5:56] Any more units to progress now, Anita? [5:59] Now! [6:00] Where are we going? [6:01] It's 1.60 on the left. [6:12] This is not a fresh accident either. [6:14] She's been here for a while. [6:34] Radio, we've got at least two occupants in here. [6:36] No one's moving. [6:40] Oh, my God. [6:44] Oh, my God. [6:46] Times three, guys. [6:47] Radio, three occupants. [6:51] No one's conscious. [6:56] No one's breathing. [7:00] Bust that window out. [7:02] Rookie. [7:13] Oh, my God, dude. [7:14] This is video of police rushing to the car to see if anyone survived. [7:18] Investigators believe that Mackenzie crashed around 5.30 in the morning, but this car wasn't found until about an hour later. [7:25] And here's a clear picture of just how bad this car was mangled. [7:30] Mackenzie claimed that she blacked out, that all of this was an accident. [7:33] There's no doubt that she's lucky to be alive when you look at the wreckage left behind from this crash. [7:40] Mackenzie was airlifted to a hospital with multiple fractures. [7:44] Now, in the Netflix documentary, The Crash, producers don't touch on this. [7:48] And I was surprised they didn't because it was a key piece of evidence for prosecutors in the murder trial. [7:53] And that evidence is that prosecutors say that there's cell phone data that shows that Mackenzie was in this area, the area where this crash happened, days before. [8:04] And prosecutors argued that it showed that Mackenzie was scoping this area out. [8:09] Now, in the vehicle, police found a weed pen, a bong, and multiple grams of marijuana. [8:14] That certainly played a role in the story that prosecutors told as well. [8:18] And Mackenzie's dad, in the documentary, talked about how his daughter regularly used marijuana. [8:24] But prosecutors argued, because she often smoked weed, that it wasn't something that would have impaired her and led to her putting her foot on the gas, as the black box in the car showed, and flooring it into a wall at 100 miles per hour. [8:39] Prosecutors say she was not impaired at the time of this crash. [8:43] As Mackenzie was recovering in the hospital, she played the role of a grieving girlfriend publicly. [8:48] Prosecutors would later argue that she wanted to turn that role as a victim into something where she could make money, working as a model. [8:56] Shortly after the crash, Strongsville police were notified that they had received concerning emails from the community that the defendant and her mother were seeking employment with the Los Angeles modeling agency. [9:12] Kenzie Schirrilla said to Vitaly, thank you for the comment. [9:17] I would love to work with you guys. [9:18] I've been emailing you guys a lot. [9:20] Such a great opportunity. [9:21] Thank you. [9:21] A classmate shared this text message with investigators that shows Schirrilla asking for him to go get pictures of her from Dominic's room so she could put them in Dominic's casket at his funeral so, quote, he can be with me forever. [9:37] Schirrilla also went to a concert in the months after the crash in a wheelchair, as you can see here. [9:43] Prosecutors used it as trial to once again prove that she was not a morning girlfriend but was trying to capitalize on what had happened. [9:50] Now, if you watch the documentary, there were also people who were friends of Mackenzie Schirrilla who argued it wasn't in her character that she would do something like take the lives of two people, including the life of someone who she had dated for a long period of time. [10:07] That's something that prosecutors didn't buy. [10:10] It's certainly something that the judge that decided the verdict in this case did not buy. [10:14] The police were provided additional videos of the defendant from her wheelchair as she attended a concert down in the flats. [10:23] And again, Your Honor, I'm introducing these to the court to show the shocking lack of remorse. [10:30] This was something that was being exhibited while the investigation was still going on before she was charged and arrested in November of last year. [10:39] And these were the sort of things that were coming to the police and the shocking lack of remorse coupled with the fact that the defendant was reported driving an automobile shortly after this event that she was seen in Strongsville again driving a car. [10:56] In spite of the fact that, as her mother testified, she got dizzy sometimes from a condition that she had to take salt pills for, in spite of the fact that it was, in fact, her mother who provided her with the car that she used to take Dominic and Davion's life. [11:13] But as Mackenzie played the part of a victim, authorities built their case, and in November of 2022, she was arrested. [11:20] Where is she? [11:20] Back there, pal. [11:26] Hi, Mackenzie. [11:28] Step out for me. [11:28] I'm Detective Hizou. [11:32] I'm the one who's been investigating the crash. [11:34] You're under arrest for aggravated murder times, too. [11:37] Okay? [11:38] Nobody's going to ask you any questions. [11:40] Nobody's going to bother you. [11:41] Can I have your key, please? [11:42] Could you please be careful taking this one off so it doesn't break the bracelet, please? [11:46] You got it. [11:46] You got it. [11:47] Do you want my help? [11:48] No. [11:49] Thank you. [11:50] You got it. [11:55] Okay? [11:56] Just keep your hands right here. [12:12] I'm not going to tighten these, okay? [12:15] I don't want to hurt you. [12:16] You good? [12:25] Are they good? [12:26] Thank you. [12:40] All right. [12:41] This cruiser right here. [12:44] Actually, he took her out of the car and we did not. [12:46] Okay. [12:46] Do you have anything? [12:47] I don't know. [12:48] Do you feel like that? [12:57] Is your head going in? [13:16] I don't know what's going on. [13:18] I'm not going to hurt you. [13:26] This is video of Shrilla in the back of the cruiser being taken to the county jail. [13:36] She seems solemn. [13:38] She seems emotional. [13:39] What happens now? [13:40] What am I doing? [13:40] Okay, well, Mackenzie's 18, so she's- [13:43] The lawyer said they called and said that you're going to have to talk to any cops because she's [13:48] labeled counsel. [13:48] Yeah, and we read of her her rights because she's 18, and we are not going to ask her any [13:53] questions. [13:53] We have nothing to ask her, so we're not going to ask her anything anyway. [13:56] So when we're done with our booking process, she will likely be processed downtown. [14:03] We'll transport her downtown. [14:04] That is video of Mackenzie Shrilla's mom at the police station after her daughter was taken [14:10] into custody. [14:11] Again, Mackenzie's mom and dad defiantly stand by their daughter saying that she is innocent, [14:19] even though prosecutors would point to the black box of the car she was driving, showing [14:24] that the gas was pressed down to the floor. [14:27] There was no effort to break whatsoever. [14:31] Here is video of Mackenzie's dad showing up at the police station. [14:35] Here's what he says to authorities. [14:37] I need to speak to my daughter because you guys aren't allowed to speak to her at all. [14:41] That's from the lawyer. [14:43] He does not want you guys speaking to her. [14:45] And I can get him on the phone and she can tell you that over the phone if that works, [14:48] or I can go in and tell her not to open her mouth, dude. [14:50] How are you guys doing Sunday weekend? [14:52] She's just, well, you know, I just go, hey, there's a warrant for, we would have brought [14:55] her right down here with no problem. [14:57] She hit it. [14:58] It's just unbelievable. [15:00] I mean, 18 years. [15:01] So the warrant was issued today, so we executed. [15:04] The warrant wasn't issued earlier. [15:05] Well, you could have made a phone call, couldn't you? [15:06] You had your creeper out in front of the yard watching. [15:09] So she can't take any, she's an adult. [15:13] She can't take any phone calls right now. [15:15] Now she'll be transferred downtown. [15:17] I don't know when. [15:17] Service has called to advise. [15:18] She'll be transferred downtown. [15:19] Okay, well, I still need to speak to my daughter so she understands what her, not saying anything [15:23] to you guys. [15:24] Okay, and I don't know about the phone. [15:26] I would have to ask about that. [15:27] Can you go find it's mine? [15:28] It's not hers. [15:29] I mean, I do need it. [15:31] I have other children. [15:32] And that's how we communicate. [15:33] Yeah, that's how we communicate. [15:35] Okay, so I. [15:36] I do need my phone. [15:37] I mean, we had to roll out the whole mask to pick up from the 18-year-old girl to get [15:40] hardly walked out of a hospital visit. [15:43] Just be honest. [15:44] So we follow the law, and that's what we're doing today. [15:46] So the phone that was in her hand is the one that we took. [15:51] But I'd have to check with the detective to find out what's going on with that. [15:54] I don't know the answer to that. [15:56] Can we find out that you do need it like right now? [15:59] Let me at least get it. [16:00] I have another child. [16:01] I get it. [16:02] I get it. [16:03] So we've got a lot. [16:04] Thank you. [16:06] Am I going to be allowed to have a two-minute conversation with her? [16:09] You cannot talk to her. [16:10] She was just brought in. [16:17] They're going to process her. [16:18] As soon as they get the time for her to make a phone call, she would be able to make a phone call. [16:22] You just need to advise her. [16:23] She has a lawyer. [16:24] She's a lawyer. [16:25] She does have a lawyer. [16:25] She is 18 years old, and she could speak that. [16:28] Yeah, but she's a dumb 18-year-old that just turned 18. [16:31] And you guys are. [16:32] No. [16:33] All the kids nowadays are dumb. [16:35] And these guys are going to take advantage of it. [16:36] She's not allowed to speak to you guys. [16:38] I'm telling you that. [16:39] Her attorney can call us. [16:40] I just need to... [16:41] Don't ask her any questions. [16:44] Mackenzie's dad is now facing his own issues after this documentary dropped on Netflix. [16:49] Before we get into that, I want to talk about Mackenzie's trial. [16:52] So it's 2023, and Mackenzie, again, she argued, and she still argues to this day, [16:57] that she doesn't remember what happened that night. [16:59] She has no recollection, she says. [17:01] Mackenzie opted for a judge to decide her innocence or guilt, not a jury. [17:06] And that judge found Mackenzie guilty on 12 charges. [17:09] Four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, [17:11] two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, [17:14] one count of drug possession, and one count of possessing criminal tools. [17:18] At sentencing, this is what Mackenzie said. [17:21] Is there anyone else? [17:22] I would like Mackenzie to address the court. [17:25] Mackenzie, you don't have to speak if you don't want to. [17:27] It's up to you. [17:28] You can say it if it's more comfortable. [17:32] Whatever's better for you. [17:35] I'm heartbroken. [17:49] I love Dom and Davion. [17:51] We were all friends and down with my soul. [17:53] I wish I could take all your pain away. [17:56] And I'm so sorry. [17:58] And to my family, thank you for the support and all the love you guys give. [18:02] Thank you for fighting with me. [18:03] I love you all so much. [18:04] I'm done. [18:06] Thank you. [18:06] Now, you can hear there that Mackenzie still claimed what happened wasn't her fault. [18:14] And if she had appealed, her defense may have pointed to what they believed was a lack of evidence [18:19] proving that she knew what she was doing. [18:23] But we'll talk a little bit more in a moment about why she won't be able to appeal. [18:26] Now, prior to Mackenzie's victim impact statement, [18:29] Mackenzie's mom addressed the court and it did not go well. [18:33] She would never, ever, ever murder the love of her life, okay? [18:40] The Halloween, for three months after the accident, she would only wear his clothes. [18:45] She would only eat the snacks he ate. [18:48] She would only listen to the music he wrote, okay? [18:51] She was laying in bed for three months crying. [18:54] There was a shrine of him next to her with photos and things that he liked [18:59] and this flower that lights up that he got her because he wanted it to be fresh and alive forever. [19:04] It's like a little Beauty and the Beast flower. [19:06] Okay, she's got this shrine of him next to her. [19:09] So she was crying for three months. [19:11] So her friends asked if she wanted to go out trick-or-treating. [19:13] It was Halloween and it was at OU. [19:16] And she didn't even want to go. [19:17] She said, I don't know, should I go? [19:18] She couldn't even walk yet, barely. [19:21] So I told her, I said, baby, please go. [19:23] It's Halloween. [19:24] You've been laying for three months crying, only listening to his music. [19:27] Please go have just a moment of fun, a moment of fun. [19:31] So we told her to go. [19:33] My husband drove her. [19:34] I brought her back home. [19:36] She just needed a second of fun from losing her whole world, her whole world. [19:43] So that was us. [19:44] We told her to go. [19:46] And that concert she went to with Dom's cousin, Abby, they picked her up. [19:50] They brought her there. [19:52] That was Dom, Mackenzie and Dom and Abby all decided to go to this concert together [19:56] while they were in the hospital. [19:57] That was for Dom. [19:59] Everything she did after the accident was either in honor of him, to be close to him, [20:04] or just to be by him any way that she can. [20:08] She's like devastated and tragic. [20:11] He was the air that she breathes. [20:14] Okay. [20:14] And they went with his cousin. [20:16] We spent all kinds of time with him after the accident. [20:19] And what was the other thing? [20:22] I'm hearing an awful lot about your daughter. [20:25] I'm not hearing very much about the two dead people. [20:28] Dominic, okay, I'm asking you for leniency because this was a tragic accident that she [20:33] does not remember. [20:34] And Davion, we don't, he's a new friend. [20:38] I'm so sorry. [20:39] What does that mean? [20:40] His life is worthless? [20:41] No, no, no, no. [20:44] No. [20:44] God, no. [20:45] Not at all. [20:46] They all, they all loved each other. [20:48] They all spent every day together. [20:50] You know what I mean? [20:51] I don't, I don't know too much for him. [20:52] And isn't that part of the problem, Mrs. Schroff? [20:54] Sorry? [20:55] Isn't that part of the problem, that they all trusted each other? [20:58] Isn't that part of... [20:59] It's not a problem at all. [21:01] It was wonderful. [21:01] It's a problem how they all ended up in the car together and two of them ended up dead. [21:05] I understand. [21:06] I understand what it looks like. [21:07] I'm, I'm, I'm saying that it was a tragic accident. [21:11] She would never... [21:11] But we're going to have to disagree on that. [21:13] I understand. [21:13] Right. [21:14] Then it was the judge's turn to speak. [21:16] There's only one person who's responsible for the pain of everyone in this room. [21:21] And that person is you, Mackenzie. [21:23] Nobody else is responsible. [21:26] This isn't the fault of Dominic's family or Davion's family or your family. [21:32] And I know that each of you have asked your questions to yourselves. [21:36] What if? [21:36] What if I had done this or that? [21:39] The truth of it is, none of us can control the intentions of another. [21:43] And when there is a purposeful intent to harm or kill someone, [21:47] it is the perpetrator alone who bears the responsibility for the choice and the consequences [21:53] and the harm that follows. [21:55] The difficulty for sentencing today, honestly, is whether or not I believe you should get consecutive sentences. [22:07] I'm troubled that should I give you a concurrent sentence that people will believe that somehow I'm being disrespectful to one of the victims. [22:17] And on the other hand, I have to weigh the punishment. [22:21] There is a very good likelihood, Mackenzie, that you will spend the rest of your life in prison. [22:28] That won't be up to me. [22:30] That will be up to the parole board. [22:32] And that will be up to you to a great extent. [22:36] I understand that the pain in this room wants me to impose the harshest sentence. [22:42] But I don't believe that would be the appropriate sentence. [22:46] Because I do believe that Mackenzie will not be out in 15 years. [22:50] In the documentary, it says that Mackenzie's appeal was denied. [22:53] There is a little more context to that that I want to talk about here in just a moment. [22:57] But let's talk about Mackenzie's dad. [22:59] He works as a teacher at a Catholic school in Cleveland. [23:03] His name is Steve Schirrilla, and he teaches art and digital media at Mary Queen of Peace School. [23:08] This week, he was placed on administrative leave because of, quote, poor judgment. [23:14] According to local media outlet Cleveland 19 News, [23:17] Mary Queen of Peace School reportedly sent this following email to parents, quote, [23:22] Dear Mary Queen of Peace School parents, families, and guardians, [23:26] we are investigating allegations made on social media that one of our teachers has demonstrated poor judgment. [23:32] Upon learning of the allegation, the school acted immediately and placed the teacher on administrative leave. [23:38] The investigation is ongoing. [23:40] We want every parent and family to know that the safety, well-being, and trust of our students [23:45] remain among our highest priorities. [23:48] We take all student concerns seriously and are committed to responding promptly and responsibly [23:53] whenever concerns are brought forward. [23:56] While we are limited in what we can share during an active personnel investigation, [24:01] please know we are reviewing the matter and will provide additional communication as appropriate. [24:06] We appreciate your continued support of the Mary Queen of Peace School community. [24:12] Now, Mackenzie's dad confirmed to this television station, Cleveland 19 News, [24:17] that he has been placed on administrative leave, and he also told the TV station that he's upset with the documentary. [24:24] He's upset with how it was edited, but he also says he still believes that his daughter is innocent. [24:29] Now, at the end of the documentary, you saw a part where they say that Mackenzie Schirrilla's appeal was denied. [24:35] There's a little more context to how that went down. [24:38] There are some important dates to remember when it comes to how the trial proceeded for Mackenzie Schirrilla. [24:45] Schirrilla was found guilty on August 14, 2023. [24:50] She was sentenced on August 21, 2023. [24:54] Her attorneys filed an appeal on October 24, 2024. [24:59] Her attorneys argued there wasn't enough evidence to prove that Mackenzie meant to kill Russo and Flanagan. [25:05] But then in March of this year, her appeal was rejected, and it wasn't based on the facts of the case. [25:11] It was denied because it was filed too late, just a day after the deadline to submit it. [25:19] Schirrilla and her attorneys have appealed the decision to not let her appeal. [25:24] One of the arguments was, in 2024, it was a leap year, but the courts ruled against that. [25:29] And in March, an appeals court said they were not going to let her appeal her verdict. [25:35] Now again, Mackenzie Schirrilla is serving 15 years to life. [25:39] It is possible that she could be released on parole when she's roughly 34 years old, which would be in 2038. [25:47] However, again, it is also possible that she spends the rest of her life in prison. [25:51] That will do it for On the Case, presented by Law & Crime. [25:55] Subscribe to us on YouTube and Spotify, and we're also now streaming on Peacock. [25:58] I'm Chris Stewart. [25:59] We'll see you next time.