The Ohio Supreme Court just slammed the door on Mackenzie Shirilla’s latest attempt to walk free, and legal experts say her fight is now over in the state. The 22-year-old, known as the “hell on wheels” killer, was hoping to reopen her case, but the chief justice wasn’t having it.
On Tuesday, Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy denied Shirilla’s motion for reconsideration, according to court records obtained by local outlets. It’s the second time in weeks the state’s highest court has turned down her appeals after her earlier request was rejected in June for being filed too late.
Shirilla is serving 15 years to life for the July 2022 crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, 19. Prosecutors say she deliberately slammed the gas pedal, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour before plowing into a brick wall in Strongsville, Ohio.
During her 2023 trial, the judge called her a “literal hell on wheels” as she broke down in tears in the courtroom. She was convicted on multiple counts, including felonious assault and aggravated vehicular homicide.
Now locked up at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, Shirilla isn’t giving up completely. She reportedly filed a separate petition in federal court, arguing her constitutional rights were violated and her attorneys didn’t do enough to help her. That case is still pending.
Her first parole hearing isn’t scheduled until 2037, when she’ll be 33. Meanwhile, the case, which gained worldwide attention after Netflix released the documentary “The Crash” in May, continues to spark heated debates online.
What happens next for Shirilla in federal court?
