Mackenzie Shirilla

Summary

Criminology Podcast: Mackenzie Shirilla Case

Hosts: Mike Ferguson & Mike Morford
Episode Release Date: July 12, 2026
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into the controversial case of Mackenzie Shirilla, convicted of double murder after a deliberate car crash killed her boyfriend Dominic Russo and friend Davion Flanagan. With public discourse fueled by Netflix documentaries and divided opinion, the hosts revisit the evidence, events, aftermath, and ongoing debate to help listeners form their own conclusions about what happened that fatal morning.

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Main Discussion Overview

This episode reconstructs the tragic 2022 Strongsville, Ohio crash that led to the deaths of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan, exploring whether Mackenzie Shirilla’s actions were an accident or intentional. The hosts analyze the relationship dynamics, crash investigation, key trial elements, and public reaction, using direct quotes and details from court documents and media coverage.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fatal Crash: Timeline and Initial Reactions

• Early Morning Crash
  • On July 31, 2022, a high-speed crash destroyed Mackenzie’s Toyota Camry, killing Dominic Russo (20) and Davion Flanagan (19), and severely injuring Mackenzie (17 at the time).
  • Responders were shocked to find Mackenzie alive, though badly injured (06:33).

"They were really shocked that anyone survived that. McKenzie survived." – Mike Morford [07:14]

• Dominic was found dead in the passenger seat; Davion was transported by life-flight but died before arrival.

2. Initial Theories and Growing Suspicions

• At first, the crash was treated as an accident, following a graduation party, and Mackenzie appeared “extremely distraught” at being the sole survivor.
• Friends and family of the victims were uneasy, suspecting deeper issues based on Mackenzie’s post-crash behavior and history (08:06).
• Mackenzie began garnering attention on social media, making videos and seemingly leveraging the tragedy for followers (09:10).

“She wanted to use the attention she was getting because of the crash to launch a career as a model or an influencer. To many, this wasn't the way someone that was grieving would act.” – Mike Ferguson [09:10]

3. Relationship Dynamics & Red Flags

• Long-term, volatile relationship between Mackenzie and Dominic: started when she was 13/14 and he was 16; described as passionate but increasingly possessive and troubled (11:16).
• Repeated dramatic breakups, threats, and evidence of dangerous driving and physical altercations were noted.
• Mackenzie was documented making videos while driving unsafely, sometimes under the influence, and had allegedly threatened Dom with car crashes in the past.

  “I'm going to wreck this car right now.” – Recited from Dominic's phone call to his mother, capturing Mackenzie’s threat (13:24)

• Mackenzie had a prior history of suicidal ideation, with a 2020 incident where she threatened self-harm but did not receive psychiatric help (14:28).

4. Crash Investigation: Accident or Intentional Act?

• Timestamps and Location
  • Life360 app traced the trip as just six minutes before the crash.
• Toxicology and Scene Evidence
  • Clear of alcohol, found to have marijuana in her system, but no evidence of impairment. A bong, weed, mushrooms, and a scale were found in the car (18:12).
• Surveillance and Data Recorder
  • Security footage showed Mackenzie turning normally, then accelerating to 100 mph, hitting a business sign, and plowing into a brick wall. Crucially, the event data recorder showed the gas pedal was floored with no evidence of braking (21:07).

“The accelerator had been pressed all the way down at the time of the crash. Mackenzie was literally flooring it or putting the pedal to the metal.” – Mike Ferguson [21:07]

• No Mechanical or Medical Excuse
  • No car malfunctions found. Mackenzie’s claim of a possible POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) event was not corroborated by medical experts; she had denied any relevant conditions on license applications (24:10).

5. Potential Motives and Considerations

• Pre-crash behavior—shifting to neutral, then back to drive—suggested another occupant tried to stop the crash (28:37).
• Mackenzie wore her seatbelt, which likely saved her life, while neither Dominic nor Davion did—raising questions about intent (29:09).
• She had driven the same road days prior, suggesting possible premeditation (29:09).

6. Legal Proceedings and Outcome

• Mackenzie was arrested November 4, 2022, charged with four counts of murder, assault, aggravated vehicular homicide, and drug offenses, and tried as an adult (30:04).
• At trial, Mackenzie claimed amnesia—“everything after that fades to black”—maintaining she did not remember the crash itself (32:43).
• Opted for a bench trial (single judge) over a jury, seeking leniency due to her youth (33:53).
• August 14, 2023: Found guilty on all 12 counts by Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after 15 years. Her license was revoked for life (35:39).

"Now, a lot of listeners might think that 15 years for a double murder is a light sentence, but when Judge Russo handed it down, it was with the belief that Mackenzie would be denied parole. If she wants to get out in just 15 years, she'll need to lead an exemplary life behind bars and take some real accountability." – Mike Morford [36:52]

7. Public Perception, Ongoing Debate, and Family Impact

• Ongoing debate about Mackenzie’s intent vs. accident has polarized social media and forums (28:24, 41:22).
• Victims' families remain distraught, unable to find closure amid Mackenzie’s appeals and public attention (47:52).

“How many chances does she get when our son and Dominic didn't get a single one? It's like a scab being constantly ripped off.” – Scott Flanagan (Davion’s father) [47:52]

• Dominic’s sister Christine launched a podcast (“The Big Sister Unhinged”) to educate about toxic relationships and counter misinformation (48:38).
• Mackenzie continues to maintain, “I'm not saying I'm innocent...I was the driver of a tragedy, but I'm not a murderer.” – Mackenzie to Oxygen [52:18]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mackenzie’s alleged motivations:

  “If I can't have you, no one can.” – Mike Ferguson (paraphrasing a possible mindset) [44:51]

• Family devastation and cycles of pain:

  “There's no resting, there's no finding peace.” – Christine Russo [47:52]

• On internet speculation:

  “There's a lot of people in online forums and discussion threads trying to find satisfying answers...Most simply can't accept that someone would intentionally take out someone they called their soulmate.” – Mike Ferguson [41:22]

• Host reflections on judgment:

  “I think that's interesting. When you peel back the layers of the onion like you talked about, you find these things.” – Mike Ferguson [16:11]

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Key Timestamps

• Crash and Discovery: 04:44 – 07:49
• Friends’ & Family’s Doubts: 08:06 – 09:48
• Social Media Behavior After Crash: 09:10 – 10:38
• History of Dangerous Driving & Threats: 11:16 – 14:28
• Domestic Dynamics & Red Flags: 15:24 – 16:11
• Discussions of Suicidal Ideation: 14:28 – 16:11
• Medical Emergency vs. Intentional Act: 21:07 – 24:10
• Data Recorder & Evidence of Deliberation: 21:07 – 25:41
• Route Premeditation & Seatbelt Usage: 29:09 – 30:04
• Arrest & Legal Charges: 30:04 – 31:56
• Trial, Bench/Jury Debate: 33:53 – 35:39
• Conviction, Sentence & Parole Implications: 35:39 – 36:52
• Follow-up, Appeals, and Continuing Impact: 47:52 – 50:14

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Further Reflections & Thematic Conclusions

Parallel Cases:

• Comparison to another intimate partner murder-suicide via vehicular crash (Dorothy Fontaine and Mustafa Al Jazeeri, 2023) to show the rare but real precedent of vehicles as weapons in relationships (41:51 – 44:07).

Social and Family Fallout:

• The case destroyed multiple families and communities, sparking advocacy, education efforts, and ongoing pain.

Lingering Questions:

• The lack of concrete answers—about Mackenzie’s state of mind, intentions, and what precisely triggered the deadly decision—prevents true closure. The hosts emphasize that, although the legal process has concluded, the debate continues and only Mackenzie may know the full truth.

“What is clear is that all three occupants in that car lost everything. Mackenzie lost her freedom, and Davion and Dominic lost their lives.” – Mike Morford [50:48]

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Final Thoughts

Hosts Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford maintain an impartial, empathetic tone, presenting facts and highlighting the ambiguities. They remind listeners that the episode is to provide detail, context, and a balanced review—leaving listeners to form their own opinions about one of the most talked-about true crime cases in recent memory.

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For full discussion, analysis, and all details, listen to Criminology Podcast, Episode 417: Mackenzie Shirilla.

Transcript

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[Mike Ferguson]

Criminology is a true crime podcast that may contain discussion about violent or disturbing topics. Listener discretion is advised.

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Sam.

[Mike Morford]

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 417 of the Criminology Podcast.

[Mike Ferguson]

I'm Mike Ferguson and this is Mike Morford.

[Mike Morford]

Mr. Morford, how you doing this week, buddy?

[Mike Ferguson]

Doing pretty good. A little bit stressed out trying to go car shopping for my daughter and you know, getting her first car getting or something that's going to be reliable. So that's on my plate. What are you up to?

[Mike Morford]

Well, my kids are a little bit older than yours, but my oldest is trying to buy her first house. You know, she just got married last month and they're already trying to buy a house, so they're doing adult stuff. Man, kids, kids grow up quick.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, first it's the car, then it's the house and on and on.

[Mike Morford]

Yep, it's always something, but it's usually something good, something fun. All right, let's go ahead and give our Patreon shout outs and we had one this week, but it's It's a great one from Padre Paul Ballin. He's been communicating with me both on TCAT and criminology. So big listener, big fan.

[Mike Ferguson]

That's awesome. And great username too. Thanks so much for that support. It really helps us out. And if anyone else wants to help the show out, head over to patreon.com criminology to get started.

[Mike Morford]

All right, Morph, let's jump right into this week's case and I'm excited about this one. It's one that listeners are probably familiar with thanks to a recent Netflix series diving into the deaths of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan. They were tragically killed due to what was deemed to be a deliberate and intentional car crash. And it's a very tragic case, no doubt about it. But it seems as if the public is focused on the woman who's at the center of those two deaths, Mackenzie Shurilla. She was found guilty of murdering Davion and Dominic. But this Netflix series isn't the only show that's featured Mackenzie. There's been more than one. If you watch one series, you may come away with a little bit of doubt about events. Watch another and you'll feel like this whole thing was meticulously planned by Mackenzie. So what we've decided to do in this episode is go back and look at the whole picture and let listeners decide for themselves what they believe happened.

[Mike Ferguson]

It was early in the morning on July 31, 2022. Everything was quiet. Officers in Strongsville, Ohio, responded to a report of an accident and discovered a mangled Toyota Camry. A passerby saw the twisted wreckage and wasted no time calling into the police. The car was completely destroyed from hitting the side of a brick building at what was clearly a high rate of speed. The car was registered as a 17 year old Mackenzie Schirilla, who officers assumed they would find in the driver's seat, dead from the impact. Police at first weren't sure exactly when the accident happened, but from clues at the scene, they could tell it had been quite a while. As officers combed through the debris, they doubted whether anyone in the car would be alive and they feared the worst.

[Mike Morford]

Inside the car, Mackenzie's upper body was wedged under the passenger side dashboard. She was unable to move. Things looked grim, but they were shocked to find that not only was she alive, Mackenzie was conscious and she could understand them. They asked her what her name was and she was able to answer clearly. Now she was a little bit confused and obviously injured, but she was alive. As first responders tried to Figure out how best to tend to Mackenzie and get her out. They realized she wasn't the only person inside the car. 20 year old Dominic Russo, Mackenzie's boyfriend, was in the passenger seat and police knew instantly that he was dead. Dominic's friend, 19 year old Davion Flanagan, was lying on his back on top of Dominic. He had been shoved forward when the car came to a sudden stop. However, Davion was still alive. Responders had to use tools to cut into the car and get the three out since the car had crumpled around their bodies, trapping them.

[Mike Ferguson]

A life flight chopper was brought in to get Davion to the trauma center. But sadly, by the time the helicopter arrived, he passed away. He and Dominic were both pronounced dead at the scene. Mackenzie was the only one left to save. She was rushed to the hospital where she underwent several surgeries. Doctors had their work cut out for them because she was very badly injured, but she survived. Her liver and one of her kidneys were lacerated. Her carotid arteries were damaged and her femur, arm and three ribs were broken. After being released from the hospital, she required a wheelchair to get around. She also required physical therapy to help her walk correctly and strengthen her muscles.

[Mike Morford]

And there's no doubt morph this was a horrific car crash. I mean, you think about a car traveling at a very high rate of speed hitting a brick building, it's not going to be good. And it wasn't good in this case. And I think one of the things that stands out is kind of the first responders thinking there's not going to be anybody alive in this car. And yes, two people were pronounced dead. I think they were really shocked that anyone survived that. McKenzie survived.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, it's clear that this was a major accident. You hit a brick wall, high rate of speed, and you have two people killed at the scene and one with serious injuries. This wasn't some kind of fender bender. This is a major accident.

[Mike Morford]

Investigators were tasked with trying to figure out how this crash happened. By all initial appearances, this was just a horrific accident. Dominic and Davion's deaths were initially ruled accidental. The three had stayed over at a friend's house after a graduation party the night before. It seemed that Mackenzie was just driving everyone home. She had slept a few hours and should have been okay to drive. When news of the accident made its way around, friends of the trio were shocked and saddened by what happened. Mackenzie was said to be extremely distraught after learning that she was the only survivor of the crash. But friends and family of Davion and Dominic were suspicious that there was more to the story. Those friends had all of the history and knew all of the interpersonal details that authorities investigating the crash didn't. And McKenzie's behavior after the crash didn't do anything to reassure them. Instead, they requested that officers look into the case more closely.

[Mike Ferguson]

Following the crash, Mackenzie seemed mostly focused on herself. She wanted to use the attention she was getting because of the crash to launch a career as a model or an influencer. To many, this wasn't the way someone that was grieving would act. But things would look even worse on Halloween, just three months after losing the so called love of her life, Mackenzie celebrated by dressing up as what many people believed strongly resembled a corpse. And she took videos of herself dancing. Her TikToks seemed to make light of the situation. She made multiple videos while she was still in the hospital, and she gained a ton of followers during that time.

[Mike Morford]

And morph, I think to many people it was her actions, Mackenzie's actions after this crash, the death of a friend, the death of her boyfriend, who she said was the love of her life, that really kind of threw people. I mean, I get it, she was 17 years old and 17 year olds historically don't make the best decisions, but in this age of social media, her decisions really took on kind of a sinister light. She seemed to move forward with ease. And this idea that she was using this crash to kind of launch a career, I mean, it really rubbed people the wrong way, and it still does to this day.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, I remember a lot of cases where people look at how someone acts after the case unfolds, and they're looking at their every move, looking at their attitude, are they laughing, you know, things like that, if they're making videos, you know, all of that forms opinions for people. And we've talked about it before, but you can't always tell what someone's thinking, if they're guilty or not, just from how they act. But it definitely paints a picture for people. You know, from that perspective, it doesn't look good.

[Mike Morford]

A lot of times for Dominic's friends and family, this crash didn't come out of nowhere. There was a history of dangerous driving, threats regarding the car, and suicidal ideation. First of all, according to court documents, McKenzie herself captured a lot of instances, over a hundred instances actually, of distracted and dangerous driving, doing things like making TikToks and Instagram Reels, showing herself driving, usually speeding while not wearing a seatbelt, and sometimes even driving while smoking marijuana. The relationship between Mackenzie and Dominic was complicated. They were Close. They had been together for years, since MacKenzie was just 13 and Dominic was 16. They were a passionate couple. They thought they were in love. In fact, in court docs, multiple people described the two as very much in love. They had lived together for years, but they fought a lot. And it got worse over time. They had broken up many times, but always got back together. Dominic's mother recalled that in the six months before the crash, Mackenzie had started getting more possessive and the relationship had become strained. And I'll tell you right now, one thing that jumped out at me, especially while I was watching the. The Netflix doc. But even in some of the other things that I've watched and the research that we did for the case, was McKenzie living with Dominic at 17. I get it, 17, okay. You're not technically an adult. But she had been living with him for a few years at that point, which means she probably started living with him when she was maybe 15. And at least in the. The Netflix documentary, her parents seem to be okay with that. They seem to be fine with that. Now, I'm not judging a person's parenting style. I only know that I wouldn't be okay with that. So that's all I can say.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, I'm, you know, in agreement with you completely. It's not the norm. You know, some people choose to let their older teen children go into a situation where they're living elsewhere. It happens. And years ago, right out of High School, 17, 18, kids got married and stuff, but it definitely seems a little bit different and out of the ordinary nowadays. Just weeks before the crash, Dominic called his mother and asked her to pick him up. He told her that he was in the car with Mackenzie, but she was driving erratically on Interstate 71. Dominic's mom could hear Mackenzie screaming over the phone, saying things like, I'm going to wreck this car right now. Mackenzie eventually pulled over, but there appeared to be some kind of physical altercation between her and Dominic that ended with Mackenzie hitting Dominic. Finally, he was able to get out of the car. Later, MacKenzie claimed that Dominic had been grabbing her steering wheel and causing dangerous situations while she was driving.

[Mike Morford]

Things continued to get worse between the couple. Videos were found after Dominic's death showing McKenzie's behavior when the two were alone. In one video, Dominic is seen refusing to let McKenzie into his home because of how she is acting. She threatened to break in if he didn't let her in and told him there would be a real problem if he didn't start listening to her. According to oxygen.com text between the two showed more of this behavior. Mackenzie, in one text, said, I told you, it's my way or the highway. I would watch your back from now on. And outside of domestic violence or any interpersonal relationships, Mackenzie had a history of suicidal ideation. In March of 2020, when MacKenzie was 15, police were called to her home because she had threatened to take her own life. According to court docs, she wasn't transported to the hospital and didn't receive any treatment because her parents reportedly didn't think her threats were real and didn't believe she would hurt herself. And more if I think this is something that shows up quite a bit in the cases that we do, you have a lot of people looking at a couple from the outside and saying they have the perfect relationship, they're in love, they're meant to be together. But then in a case where investigators have to dive in, what they uncover is anything but an ideal relationship. There's a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that nobody might see that really paints a much different picture of the relationship.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, a lot of times from the outside looking in, people see a relationship that looks perfect or pretty well overall. But when you talk to people that know those people best, you'll find things that are not as easily spot. Maybe there's some kind of fighting domestic abuse. Maybe one of them is suffering from something, whether it's mental illness, suicidal ideations, something like that. You don't really know about that stuff until, you know, you hear about a case like this, where this stuff comes to the surface. And I think that's interesting. When you peel back the layers of the onion like you talked about, you find these things.

[Mike Morford]

And then I think you have to really analyze McKenzie's history of suicidal ideation and then go back and kind of analyze what Dominic's mom heard over the phone. McKenzie saying, I'm going to wreck this car right now, and then, you know, tie that into the crash that ultimately happened. Okay, what does it all mean? Was this a tragic accident, or was this something that Mackenzie did on purpose?

[Mike Ferguson]

All of this stuff that investigators learned was troubling. But the more they dug into the crash itself, the more it began to paint a picture of exactly what happened. And it started to point to the crash possibly being a form of intimate partner homicide as well as a murder suicide. According to Life360, which Davion had installed on his phone, he traveled for just six minutes. They got into the car, started driving at 5:30, and by 5:36, the crash had been set in motion. We don't know if Davion would have survived if the crash had been discovered sooner. And as far as we can tell, it isn't certain that Dominic died immediately on impact.

[Mike Morford]

Mackenzie's blood had been tested at the hospital following the crash to rule out a dui. Being intoxicated would have absolutely explained how such a horrific accident could happen. But there was no alcohol in her system. But she did screen positive for marijuana. Officers also found a bong, a bag of weed, just over 8 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, and a digital scale at the crash site. No mushrooms were found in Mackenzie's blood. If drugs were a factor in the crash, it was just marijuana. She wasn't drunk and and she wasn't tripping. You know, folks, it's summertime and that means a couple of things to me. First of all, I don't think seem a little more relaxed in the summer, but it's also warmer. So I find myself reaching for comfortable pieces of clothing and that's why I keep coming back to Quint. You know, Quint focuses on well made essentials that will really become your staples that you go back to again and again. Quince's 100% European linen pants and shirts are breathable, easy to throw on and the summer upgrade your rotation needs starting at just $34. And their tees are soft enough to wear day in and day out. Everything at quints is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They can do this because they work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for exceptional quality, not brand markup. And I'll tell you, one of the pieces that I grab almost on a daily basis is their activewear flow knit shorts. They're soft, they're breathable. I can wear them anywhere. And it's not just clothing. Quince has become a trusted favorite for everything from home to travel to everyday essentials. Make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to quince.com criminology for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Quincom Criminology for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com criminology this episode is brought to

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[Mike Ferguson]

began to believe that McKenzie wasn't under the influence of any kind of substance and they didn't think this was a case of her losing control of the car. They started to suspect that she had crashed the car on purpose. A surveillance camera on a nearby building captured Mackenzie's car as it turned on the Progress Drive at 5:34 that morning. Everything looked perfectly normal. She wasn't swerving or speeding. She slowed down for the turn appropriately. She even used the turn signal. Within the next two minutes, the car began traveling faster, reaching 100 miles an hour at one point hit a business sign in the grass and then crashed into the corner of the brick building where it came to a stop. Importantly, the event data recorder in Mackenzie's car showed that the accelerator had been pressed all the way down at the time of the crash. Mackenzie was literally flooring it or putting the pedal to the metal. There were no skid marks or any signs that she had tried to slow down. The surveillance camera just down the road from the crash site captured the car as it flew past at 90 miles per hour. There were no brake lights on at any point.

[Mike Morford]

From the surveillance and the clues they uncovered at the crash scene, it looked like Mackenzie could have done this on purpose. But one argument against this being an intentional crash would be that it couldn't be proven that Mackenzie didn't suffer some sudden medical event that left her unable to try to stop. For example, she could have had a seizure or some other medical emergency that made her unable to respond or try to safely stop the car. The problem with this potential argument was that the gas pedal shouldn't have been pushed all the way down to the floor. If she lost consciousness, her foot should have just been limp doing nothing. And I think morph, this is one of the things that people analyze and argue about online. If this was some kind of medical emergency, what should have happened to the car? Because I think some people could make an argument that, okay, if you lose consciousness, does your foot then just kind of the weight of it maybe floor the car? And others might say, no, it takes too much pressure. The car or the gas pedal shouldn't have been floored.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah. I'm thinking that it takes a conscious action to put your foot down on the gas pedal to get it to accelerate. And I sort of feel that if you were to pass out, your foot pressure would automatically release. That's what I'm thinking. Again, I'm no expert at analyzing that kind of body movement and control, but it just seems to me that that's what might happen.

[Mike Morford]

And I'm sure there are people with way more expertise and training than you and I have that can help answer this question. But you can see why people are divided on certain aspects of this case.

[Mike Ferguson]

According to court documents, Strongsville Police Department patrol Officer Brent Robinson stated that at just 54 miles per hour or slower, he had to hold on to the steering wheel to make sure that he was in control. Because it was a rough road, Mackenzie was driving nearly double Officer Robinson's maximum speed. And when Mackenzie applied for a temporary driver's license after the crash, she agreed that she didn't have any condition that results in episodic impairment of consciousness or loss of muscular control. She had agreed with the same statement when she got her previous license in April 2021. So both before and after the accident, to Mackenzie's knowledge, she had no medical conditions that would interfere with her driving or that could have caused the crash. This is despite a supposed diagnosis of POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in 2017. POTS is a disorder that can cause a high heart rate, dizziness, and fainting, but it happens generally upon standing. The P and O in POTS actually indicate that the T, the tachycardia, happens due to an upright posture. It's a real disorder, and it can absolutely cause a loss of consciousness. It's just the rest of the information that's causing some doubt here. Either Mackenzie didn't have an official diagnosis, didn't feel like her condition was severe enough to interfere with safe driving, or she intentionally withheld the information from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

[Mike Morford]

According to Mackenzie's mother, Natalie Shurilla, Mackenzie's POTS symptoms had flared up in the week or two before the crash. And despite Mackenzie being scared it was going to get worse, she didn't go to the doctor or stop driving. And it seems to me that Natalie fully supports her daughter, so much so that it's been said that she even spoke gibberish to try to keep information from officers in the room with them. And some people online have hypothesized that Natalie concocted a story that would support Mackenzie's innocence. She even seemed willing to stand in one specific spot outside of the jail that Mackenzie was eventually held in so that they could see each other through a small window, and Mackenzie would be able to read her lips without anyone else being part of the conversation. Now, Mackenzie may actually have pods, and it may have been getting worse. There's stress, not taking care of yourself. All of those can certainly exacerbate the symptoms. But Natalie being the only other person who can vouch for her daughter's POTS diagnosis and the flare up doesn't give most people a lot of confidence in it being the truth. She seems determined to do whatever it takes to get her daughter home. Natalie told NBC News, I will never, ever, never stop. And more. If I completely understand a parent standing behind their kid, I get that it would be tough as a parent in this situation. Nobody wants to believe that their child would do something purposely that resulted in the death of two people. Now, you got a lot here, right? You have a lot of people online saying that, well, she's concocting stories to help support McKenzie's innocence. I don't know the truth of all that, but what is clear is that there are a lot of people who don't really believe Natalie. I think that's pretty safe to say.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah. I think anytime you have a case like this that's getting a lot of attention, there's a lot of division over the facts, the details. We don't always know every little thing. And obviously we don't have access to someone's personal medical history all the time. But, you know, all this stuff has sort of fueled debates back and forth between people as to what's true here and what's not.

[Mike Morford]

And, you know, the one thing you're going to have in a case like this that's been so well publicized is online speculation. There's no way to stop it, and there's a lot of it out there.

[Mike Ferguson]

It seems that perhaps the biggest reason to doubt any kind of medical emergency or loss of consciousness is that someone was in control of the car. 4.7 seconds before the crash, the car was shifted into neutral. It seems that someone in the car had made a move to try and slow it down. It may have been Dominic or even Davion reaching forward from the back seat to try and prevent a crash. But according to court Documents. It was quickly shifted right back into drive as the accelerator was fully depressed.

[Mike Morford]

Maybe one of the most damning facts was that Mackenzie had driven that route just three days before, as if she had been scoping out the perfect location to for carrying out her plan. This was not a route she normally took, and apparently it wasn't even necessary for her to take that road to get to Davion or Dominic's homes. Now, this isn't proof that she was planning a murder, but it definitely gives weight to the idea that she was looking for a good place to crash her car. And in all of those videos of her driving around, she was never wearing her seatbelt properly. And if at all, when she crashed, she was the only one in the car wearing a seatbelt. It likely saved her life. Dominic and Davion suffered severe head trauma, probably from being pitched forward, while Mackenzie was initially held in place and protected by the airbags.

[Mike Ferguson]

All of this was enough for prosecutors. They felt they had a strong enough case against Mackenzie. In their minds, this was no longer a tragic accident. It was a double murder. The manner of death for both Davion and Dominic was changed from accidental to homicide. On November 4, 2022, MacKenzie was arrested on her way home from a physical therapy appointment and she was charged with four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of drug possession, and one count of possessing criminal tools. She was tried as an adult despite not being 18 years of age yet.

[Mike Morford]

And more, if you and I both have girls, I'm trying to imagine what it would be like to have your 17 year old daughter be charged with double murder. Four counts of murder. I really have no idea the range of emotions that number one, MacKenzie would go through. And then you know her family, but you also have the families of Davion and Dominic who we talked about.

[Mike Ferguson]

Right.

[Mike Morford]

At a certain point, maybe very early on, I don't believe they thought this was an accident. Now McKenzie's family did. So you can only imagine all the different emotions that were going on. And then for McKenzie, at 17 years old to be arrested and not arrested for some little, you know, kind of small thing. This is, you know, you detailed it out. Four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, aggravated vehicular homicide. I mean, these are very serious charges. Now, on the one hand, if she did this on purpose, all the charges are justified. If she didn't, man, that would be tough.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, this is one of the situations where we don't know the truth. We don't really know. We weren't in that car. We didn't witness it. So we have to sort of take the, you know, the prosecution's word that they've gathered enough evidence to prove that this wasn't some kind of medical emergency, wasn't an accident. And I think that's what sort of has really fueled this case and allowed people to take both sides and sort of, you know, theorize as to what could have happened. You know, was this something Mackenzie did on purpose? Was she. Is she looking guilty or something that she had no control over? And it's. It's one of the things that makes people talk about this case so much.

[Mike Morford]

Yeah, I. I do think, by and large, this is exactly what has grabbed people's attention. Now, McKenzie claimed in court docs to have no memory of the crash, stating that she recalled starting to turn onto Progress Road, but that everything after that fades to black. At one point, she claimed she wanted to undergo hypnosis to try to make herself remember. But to this day, her story is that she turned onto Progress Road and then woke up in the hospital. No one can actually say for sure that she's lying. We can't see into her brain and say, see, the memory is right there. She's hiding the truth. But it is terribly convenient for her story if she wants to hide the truth. There were no mechanical or electronic issues found with her car. The vehicle was being controlled. She was known to drive recklessly and had threatened to crash in the past. To prosecutors and a lot of other people, it seemed more and more likely that MacKenzie and McKinsey alone was responsible for the crash and had caused it purposefully.

[Mike Ferguson]

Mackenzie's only defense was a potential medical episode caused by something like pots. But as we already discussed, there was no evidence that Mackenzie suffered any kind of medical issue, and no expert was called to testify that she even had POTS or explain whether it could cause a loss of consciousness when someone was driving. Mackenzie chose not to have her fate decided by a jury of her peers. Instead, she opted for a bench trial in front of a single judge. She was hoping for some leniency, hoping that even if she were found guilty, a judge would believe she could be rehabilitated since she was so young and might go easy on the jail time in exchange for other punishments that could be ordered, like probation, driving classes, or even making her surrender her driver's license.

[Mike Morford]

And to me, more of, I don't think this is a bad decision. I mean, people may differ on this point, but when you're in front of a jury. You know, juries can get emotional. We're all human. The judge, maybe or not maybe. Definitely. Probably less emotional. Right. More on the facts and things like that. So in a case like this, it might not be a bad idea to forego the jury and just have the evidence decided by a judge.

[Podcast Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Mike Ferguson]

I don't know what went into the decision to go that route. If someone advised her or her attorney or whatever, that that would be the wiser way to go. But you're putting your faith in one person, and I think Mackenzie was hoping that that would give her a better outcome.

[Mike Morford]

Yeah, I'm sure it was calculated. I'm sure it was based on advice of her counsel. On August 14, 2023, MacKenzie was found guilty on all 12 counts. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, who was not in any way related to Dominic despite their shared last name, sentenced her to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Now, a lot of listeners might think that 15 years for a double murder is a light sentence, but when Judge Russo handed it down, it was with the belief that Mackenzie would be denied parole. If she wants to get out in just 15 years, she'll need to lead an exemplary life behind bars and take some real accountability. She will need to be able to prove to the parole board that she understands the weight of her actions enough to not repeat them. She has to prove that she won't be a danger to anyone and that she can be a productive member of society. And if she ever does get out of prison, she will never be able to legally drive again. Her driver's license has been suspended for life.

[Podcast Advertiser]

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[Mike Morford]

go to ro co safety. So she's found guilty on all 12 counts. That's pretty definitive. And the judge hands down a sentence of 15 years to life. I mean, could she get out in 15 years? Yeah, possibly. I don't know that most people get paroled their first time up. I doubt that she will spend the rest of her life in prison though. I'm sure she will be paroled at some point. Now the one thing I will say is that if she hopes to get parole, she's going to have to act much differently in prison than she did as a free person because her behavior more often. We talked about some of it, but you know the videos that she made, a lot of it she documented against herself. They didn't paint her in a good light at all. And I'm sure a lot of that was brought up in court and some of it probably went a long way.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, and there was a lot of background information too that became apparent that they had to consider as well. And that helped demonstrate that she had a pattern of troubling behavior, troubling statements. I think that all played into the final outcome.

[Mike Morford]

Now I don't know if the decision to just have the judge decide was good or not. Don't know what a jury would have done. They could have come back with an even harsher sentence. I mean, it's hard to get harsher than life in this situation, but maybe the parole would have been even longer. I don't know.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, I think it's a real gamble that you take and you maybe seconds second guess yourself if the outcome isn't what you hope for.

[Mike Morford]

Now, the flip side of that is that you could have had somebody on the jury who just didn't believe that the prosecution had enough evidence and maybe the trial could have gone in a completely different direction.

[Mike Ferguson]

There are a lot of people in online forums and discussion threads trying to find satisfying answers, trying to find the medical condition that could have caused this, trying to find some kind of explanation. They want to make sense of why all this happened. Most of them simply can't accept that someone would be willing to intentionally take out someone they call their soulmate, even knowing that there was a third person in the car. It can't be that someone could make such an awful, world shattering decision in just six minutes.

[Mike Morford]

And to me it's totally understandable, right, that people are trying to make sense of this because this is one of those cases that is very hard to make sense of. There's not a lot of sense to be found, I guess is the best way to say it. But this case is not the only one where a vehicle was used as a weapon. Even in like a murder suicide type case. One of these tragedies that comes to mind was recorded by a dash cam focused on the inside of the car. There was no sound, but you can tell that the two individuals were having some kind of disagreement, according to NBC Washington. You can also clearly tell what Dorothy Fontaine's last words were on April 5, 2023. And those were, no, Empress is in the car. She yelled this as she was bracing for impact. Her five year old daughter Empress can be seen sitting in the backseat, completely unaware that the car had swerved into oncoming traffic. Dorothy's boyfriend, Mustafa Al Jazeeri had sped from a left turn lane all the way across an intersection, driving the wrong way.

[Mike Ferguson]

Just like in the crash in which Mackenzie was driving. There were no skid marks and most of the damage to the car was located on the passenger side. And just as Mackenzie survived the crash that killed Davion and Dominic, Mustafa survived the crash that killed Dorothy and Empress. Just like when Mackenzie was driving. The available video shows that Mustafa wasn't driving erratically until just before the crash. And Dorothy never reached for the steering wheel. She just tensed up and waited for the crash. The accelerator would have been fully depressed with someone controlling the wheel. And two innocent victims completely helpless to stop what was going to happen. The situations are incredibly similar. What's scary is that cars are central to most of our lives, and we're in or around them every day. We know they can kill, but it's usually an unwanted and traumatic accident, not something like this. And even when we think about people using cars to kill people, it's usually by hitting a pedestrian or mowing down people in a crowd. It doesn't usually involve severely injuring yourself in the process.

[Mike Morford]

What's disappointing is we still don't know exactly why this happened and why it was that Mackenzie chose to do this. You can say it was domestic violence or an act of self harm or a crime of passion, but we don't know what triggered this at that exact moment. According to those at the party the night before, everything seemed fine. Mackenzie and Dominic weren't seen fighting there. Their relationship had been strained for months. So what changed in those few minutes after they got in the car? And why in such a drastic manner? McKenzie had made threats before. What made her finally follow through with them?

[Mike Ferguson]

According to Dominic's brother Angelo, Dominic wanted to break up with Mackenzie. Whether he brought this up just before they got into the car or during the drive, we have no idea. But it could easily be a case of if I can't have you, no one can. We know that the most dangerous time for a person experiencing domestic violence is when they try to leave the situation. Maybe Mackenzie wasn't even trying to actually crash the car. Maybe it was a bluff, at least at first. A way to scare Dominic and threaten him. It's extremely common for abusers to trap their victims in a car and drive in a way that scares them. You can't really do anything to fight back, or you risk being the reason the car actually crashes. And if you jump out, you risk getting seriously injured.

[Mike Morford]

But this, not knowing exactly why McKenzie decided to crash the car at that moment is one of the main reasons that people keep searching for the some other reasonable explanation. It just seemed to happen so fast. It doesn't seem like there was any time for anything to even set her off. But this is part of why prosecutors believe this was a premeditated crime. If she had just been waiting for the right moment, it didn't happen as fast as it seems at all. Six minutes becomes three days or three weeks or even three months, however long it was actually an idea bouncing around in her head. Davion's presence in the car also makes people feel like there must be some other reason that this happened. Maybe she was upset with Dominic. But why would she crash the car with Davion in it too. If she didn't feel that she would be around to face the consequences, as investigators believe her intention was to end her own life and kill Dominic in the process, then there was no real reason to let Davion being there ruin her plans. It could also be that maybe Dominic, thinking he'd be safer with the third person in the car, chose that moment to tell Mackenzie he wanted to end the relationship and she lost it. And to me, again, just another reason why people are so fascinated by this case. And there's so much back and forth online about it. You know, when, when everything is not laid out, not known exactly how it went down well, again, it leads to speculation. You've got a lot of theories in this case from it being intentional, as the, the judge found it to be, and why it was intentional to it being accidental. Medical, you know, all these things. But sticking with the intentional, you know, was it that Dominic wanted out of the relationship and during this drive is when he decided to tell McKenzie that it was over? It's, it's a real possibility. Yeah. I mean, you have to at least entertain it.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah. And it's the, it's that short ride for me that is interesting because they had been out seemingly, okay, partying, having fun, and then something in that very short time happened and you have to wonder, was something said, was something done that changed the atmosphere and caused this quick decision, or was this something that was being planned out? And I think what's frustrating is that these are the things we can't really know the ANSWERS to. In September 2023, MacKenzie filed an appeal, but her conviction was upheld. In October 2024, a motion for post conviction relief was denied. In May of 2025, an appeals court refused to review the case. She plans to exhaust all of her appeal options, which prevents the Russo and Flanagan families from feeling any sense of closure. Davion's father, Scott Flanagan, tired of all Mackenzie's efforts to get out of prison, told NBC News, it seriously never ends. How many chances does she get when our son and Dominic didn't get a single one? He compared the constant appeals to a scab being constantly ripped off. Dominic's older sister, Christine Russo, said, there's no resting, there's no finding peace. She discussed domestic violence and toxic relationships as well as deep diving misinformation in this case on her podcast the Big Sister Unhinged. If the case is keeping her up at night anyway, she might as well use the attention on the case to help Educate people about the warning signs of a toxic relationship. Maybe she can turn her pain into something that helps others.

[Mike Morford]

And we see that quite a bit. Right. People involved in. In a very traumatic case find a way to help others, you know, whether that is setting up, you know, a foundation in their loved one's name. In this case, it might be a podcast that helps educate listeners about domestic violence and toxic relationships. I think that's pretty common morph for family members to. To try to find an outlet for their pain and actually do some good in the process.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, this is just a bad case all the way around. Two lives lost and the families having to watch as they feel the person that is responsible is trying to just repeatedly get out of prison and not really serve her time. And that's got to be very frustrating. But if someone like his sister can have a voice on her podcast and talk about this case, since people are already talking about it and clear the air on some things, and that's a. That's a really good outlet, it seems.

[Mike Morford]

Well, the one thing that. That I'm sure of is that nobody wins, right. In a case like this, a lot of people are critical of McKinsey's family and their parenting. Now, whether that's warranted or not, people have to make their own decisions. But they don't win either. Right? They lost a daughter. She's still alive, but she's going to be in prison for a long time. And obviously, you have Davion's family, Dominic's family. They did lose someone forever. This is, like you said, just a tragic case all the way around. And if you're a listener looking for answers, we're sorry, but we don't have them. Nobody really does other than Mackenzie. And she's not talking. What is clear is that all three occupants in that car lost everything. Mackenzie lost her freedom, and Davion and Dominic lost their lives. Davion wanted to become a barber, and he hoped to one day have a shop of his own. At the time of his death, he was waiting for a decision on his application to Allstate Hairstyling and Barber College. A memorial scholarship was established in his name to help people with a similar pay for school and the state licensing exam so that they can achieve their dreams like Davion would have if his life hadn't been tragically cut short.

[Mike Ferguson]

MacKenzie maintains that she had no intention to kill Dominic or Davion, accepting guilt for vehicular homicide, but not for murder. She told oxygen.com I'm not saying I'm Innocent. I was a driver of a tragedy, but I'm not a murderer. She's currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. Her first chance of parole will come on October 29, 2037.

[Mike Morford]

So as we wrap this one up more, it is, as we said, a fascinating case, a tragic case. Definitely one of those that a lot of people have and are paying attention to. It's also a case, I think, where people are divided. Some people are in the camp that, you know, she's definitely guilty, she did it on purpose. Some people are in the camp that she didn't do it on purpose. And then there's probably people in the camp of, you know, I'm just not sure. I don't know exactly what she did, and I'm not sure that it went down either way. Now, when we were in Crime Con in Vegas, a lot of people came up to me on podcast row and wanted to talk about this case. And I will say that I believe everyone I talked to about it was in the camp of her being guilty. And I think if you look online, there's more people in that camp than any other.

[Mike Ferguson]

Yeah, I heard a lot of discussion, too, about this and about the attention that centers around mackenzie. And, you know, what did she know in advance? Did she plan this? You know, was this a spur of the moment thing? And then there's still defenders, too, that. That sort of think maybe there's some reason why this happened that she couldn't control. And I think that's what continues to drive discussion of this. You know, my wife watched the Netflix documentary and she doesn't usually watch true crime. And she was like, oh, I can't believe this case. It's just one of those cases that makes you go, wow, what happened here?

[Mike Morford]

Yeah, I know. My oldest daughter has been fascinated by this one as well. She's watched everything she can on this case. But we said it from the very beginning, right? We're here to put out all the known facts, the details that we can find, and it's up to everybody to make their own decision as to what they think happened. But that's it for our episode on McKinsey Shrilla. As always, if you love the show but haven't done so yet, take a minute, go out, leave us a rating, a review. Also, keep telling your friends. Word of mouth about the podcast really goes a long way if you want

[Mike Ferguson]

to find us on social media. We're on every major platform. Just search for criminology podcasts on your favorites and for news about the show, old episodes and more. Head over to our website criminologypodcast.com and if you want to join a discussion about the show and the cases we discuss, head over Facebook and search for Criminology Podcast discussion and fans.

[Mike Morford]

So that's it for another episode of Criminology. But Morph and I will be back with all of you next Saturday night with a brand new episode. So until then for Mike and Morph, we'll talk to you next week.

[Mike Ferguson]

Take care everyone.

[Podcast Advertiser]

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