141: Hell on Wheels - The Murders of Davion Flanagan and Dominic Russo (Mackenzie Shirilla)

In August, 2023, Mackenzie Shirilla was sentenced for the high-speed crash murders of her 19-year-old boyfriend Dominic Russo, and their 18-year-old friend Davion Flanagan, murders she committed when she was 17.

Music:
Resonate Recordings

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Episode Transcript

(00:09):
Just so you know, this showis built scary stuff. So don't say
I didn't warn you guys. Iremember, Don't be scared. Episode one

(00:41):
forty one. The mission was deaththe murders of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.
War Baby. Here with another episodeof Murderous Miners. Hey everyone,
in some other news before we getto this week's case. Antonio Armstrong Junior
reported to to begin his sentence offorty years to life on September twenty first,

(01:03):
twenty twenty three, and is nowbeing housed at the Garza West Unit
in Beeville, Texas. If youwant to continue following that case, because
it's not over by any means,local NBC affiliate KRPC two covered it in
depth and released an after trial specialepisode of their show The Evidence Room entitled

(01:23):
Sinner or Saint, which you canwatch online and I've linked in the show
notes. It includes an interview withAntonio Armstrong's Senior's mother, who has the
obvious double burden of being related toboth the victims and their convicted murderer.
This week, we'll be looking ata case that went viral with shocking video
footage and which recently reached a conclusionthe successful prosecution and conviction of seventeen year

(01:49):
old Mackenzie Sharilla for the high speedvehicle crash deaths of her twenty year old
boyfriend Dominic Russo and his nineteen yearold friend Davion Flanagan in Strongsvie, Ohio.
Her social media reflected a carefree teenwho posted tiktoks with captions like I'm
not even cool. I'm just oneof those girls that can do a lot
of drugs and not die, eventhough she was only seventeen at the time

(02:13):
of the crash. Dominick's family memberssaid that the pair had dated for the
previous three to four years, andthat Shrilla had lived with their family for
much of that time. As faras her relationship with Davion, her mother
called him a quote new friend whenoffhandedly referencing him while trying to defend her
daughter's actions, but Davion's younger sistersaid that she had known her for about

(02:35):
three years and that she was quotealways taking the easy way out. Here's
some background on the crash. Justafter five thirty am on Sunday, July
thirty first, to twenty twenty two, Shrilla was captured on security camera footage
driving slowly with her signal on towardthe intersection of Pearl Road and Alameda Drive
in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburbof Cleveland. She has then seen turning

(03:00):
onto Alimeda Drive. The video picksup as Sharrilla drives down Alameda Drive toward
Progress Drive, just before the roadmakes a sharp bend to the left,
with her twenty eighteen Toyota Camra acceleratingso rapidly and violently that the car jerked
from side to side and the airbags deployed as she reached one hundred miles

(03:21):
per hour or one hundred and sixtykilometers per hour and ran up over the
curb. Sharilla did not hit thebrakes, and there were no signs that
she attempted to break at all.She then bounced off a sign and slammed
directly into the corner of a brickwarehouse referred to as the Plidco Building.
The distance between her turn from Pearlto Alameda and the building is about three

(03:43):
quarters of a mile, which seemsmore than long enough for Dominic and Dvion
to figure out what was going on. Davion was just grabbing a ride home
sitting in the back, likely notcomprehending the volatility of the situation he was
in. I should say that rightbefore where they got in the car,
they had spent the evening at ahouse party smoking marijuana, so they were

(04:04):
all technically impaired, but it's stilllikely that Dominic and Davion realized exactly what
was about to happen. Friends whowere at that party spent all evening with
the trio and said that they gotalong fine and that there didn't seem to
be any tension between them, anobservation that the defense would later point out

(04:25):
when someone finally found the aftermath ofthe collision some forty five minutes later,
Davion, flan Again and Dominic Russowere already dead. Shrilla was the only
one of the three who was stillalive when they were found. Shrilla's fuzzy
Prada slipper was still tightly jammed toher car's gas pedal. In the pocket

(04:46):
of her jacket, police found ascale and a bag of psilocybin mushrooms.
What really made authorities feel like shehad intentionally crashed her car to commit murder
was her erratic behavior in the worldweeks before. Court records indicate that the
pair had a toxic romance rife withthreats and fights that Dominic had even recorded

(05:09):
in the month of July twoenty twentytwo alone. Prosecutors said that the pair
had several altercations, pointing to hiscell phone videos that show her quote repeatedly
degrading Dominic, threatening him, anddamaging his property. The incident stemmed from
his refusal to let her inside hishouse, which made her threaten to break

(05:29):
the handle from his door and alsoto key his car. Just two weeks
before Dominic and Davion were killed,prosecutors said that Dominic called his mother for
a ride home while Shrilla was drivinghim down the highway erratically and threatening to
crash her car. This remark wasallegedly overheard by a family friend when he
arrived to pick Dominic up, andhe also claimed that he saw Shrilla quote

(05:54):
striking Dominic with both of her hands. Dominic then exited the vehicle and left.
Regarding that evidence, defense attorney JimMcDonald said that quote, I can't
even fathom how somebody threatening to Kiakarequates to evidence that they're going to kill
them. Her attorneys just didn't feelthat the prosecution met their burden of proof,

(06:15):
that they didn't present sufficient evidence thatclearly proved that the crash was intentional.
He asked the judge for a verdictnot for murder, but for aggravated
vehicular homicide. Prosecutors alleged that shehad no reason to even be in that
area, and that she had evenscoped out that very intersection a couple of
days before the crash, and thatthe escalation of Sherrilla's threats of violence against

(06:39):
Dominic Russo ultimately culminated in her failedattempt at murder suicide. But somehow she
survived and fully recovered after a fewweeks. Dominic Russo, who would have
just celebrated his twenty second birthday onSeptember twenty fourth, twenty twenty three,
was the youngest of seven kids,with one brother. Recalling that quote,

(07:00):
he was always the one who madea smile. He always had the biggest
smile on his face. His oldestsister told People magazine that quote. He
was the most doting and proud uncleto our children. He was so loved
and he is so incredibly missed.I'm so proud to call him my brother.
He was driven when it came tohis passions, like fashion, they

(07:21):
said, mentioning that he'd just starteda clothing line in addition to having other
fledgling businesses. He had a greatsense of humor and was particularly finicky about
always having nice shoes and socks.Dominic also had a love of music and
was an aspiring singer songwriter, somethingthat he and Davion Flanagan bonded over.

(07:43):
According to a GoFundMe started by hismother for a scholarship fund, Davion was
quote a lifelong, gifted athlete whowas known for his infectious smile, kind
heart, and fierce commitment to friendsand family. The teen was starting running
back on the Strongsville High School football team and was team barber. As
a new young adult, he plannedto attend All State Hair Styling and barber

(08:05):
College with aspirations of owning his ownbarbershop one day. He had been adopted
by the Flanagans when he was eightyears old, along with his two sisters,
who were four and six. Inher victim impact statement at Shririlla's sentencing,
his mother said that, quote,Davion and my kids have had more
than their fair share of heartbreak,of hardship and of loss. Davion was

(08:28):
adopted with his sisters from foster care. They are biological siblings. We are
honored to have been chosen to betheir parents, their forever family. So
many dreams shattered, a future stolen. We will never get to see the
amazing man that he was surely tobecome. His life was precious, Like
I said, he was so muchmore than cargo. While Shrilla was in

(08:50):
the hospital recovering, doctors says shewas expressing quote grief, guilt, and
shame about killing Dominic and Davion,which prosecutors later claimed showed consciousness of guilt
even though she claimed to have blackedout. Her attorney later said that any
driver in a fatal crash may feelguilt, but that doesn't mean it's because

(09:11):
they set out to commit murder.Shrilla has always maintained that she doesn't remember
the crash, and she had textedDominic's mother saying, in part quote,
I remember turning on to the streetand then my vision fades to black.
It really kills me not being ableto remember anything. I've been asking my
therapist why I don't remember, andshe said it's because of trauma, but

(09:31):
I'm going to try to get hypnotizedand make myself remember. Then, when
questioned by detectives and told that shewas under criminal investigation, she asked if
her license could be revoked for onlyten years instead of the lifetime ban she'd
receive if convicted, which prosecutors claimsshowed intent. According to published photos,

(09:54):
she was actually recovered enough by Halloweentwoenty twenty two to dress up as a
corpse and go out with her friends. She had also been seen at a
concert. Shrilla's mother said when shewas sentenced to that any photos of her
daughter between the murders and her arreststhat show her out with friends were the
only times she'd left her bedroom.The rest of the time, she said,

(10:16):
Srilla stayed in her room near ashrine she'd dedicated to Dominic's memory.
She also posted many photos and commentsunder Dominick's online obituary, saying things like
quote, I miss you, nugI still feel you're just gonna walk in
the door any second. I missyour laugh, your perfect smile. God,

(10:37):
you are the last person to deservethis. You had such a perfect
life ahead of you. I wishI told you all this more please wait
for me. It was the weekafter Halloween that she was arrested on November
fourth, twoenty twenty two, andcharged as an adult with fourteen different crimes.
By then, she had turned eighteenyears old. Kayahoga County Prosecutor Michael

(11:01):
O'Malley said that quote, the intentwas obvious upon seeing that video, that
there was only one goal, andthe computer demonstrated that there was no attempt
to slow down or stop. Thatit was full speed into a building,
and tragically it cost two people theirlives. We put plenty of that sort
of evidence in front of the judge. There is no doubt that this happened

(11:22):
because of the relationship with Dominic andthe defendant's intent was clearly to end that,
and she took everybody that was inthe car with her. The defense
pointed out several alternative explanations for thecrash, like she was young and maybe
just lost control of the car,saying that a detective had found one hundred
and thirty six pictures in a folderlabeled quote reckless driving. They said that

(11:46):
the car jerking back and forth possiblyshowed that she'd been driving fast but tried
to regain control. They also triedto say that perhaps Shrilla fainted after her
mother testified that about three years beforethe crash, her daughter had been diagnosed
with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, adisorder which could make her pass out if

(12:07):
dehydrated. In the end, hecorroborated his client's blackout explanation by saying that
quote, we are really never goingto know what happened in that car,
much less prove with evidence beyond areasonable doubt. The judge did not buy
that explanation at all, saying atShririlla's sentencing later that a representative from the

(12:28):
Motor Vehicle Department had testified that quote, not only did the defendant deny any
medical condition when applying for her license, which her mother co signed and attested
to, but also that just afterthe accident, Mackenzie renewed her driver's license
and again denied any medical condition.Ultimately, on August fourteenth, two thy

(12:50):
twenty three, Shrilla was found guiltyof four counts of murder, four counts
of felonious assault, two counts ofaggravated vehicular homicide, one count of drug
possession, and one count of possessingcriminal tools. For the scale and the
shrooms. She didn't testify on herown behalf. After she was found guilty,
Davion's mother said that quote, We'rejust thankful that we feel justice was

(13:13):
served today. There's not a daythat goes by that we don't miss our
son, and justice was served forhim today. But honestly, there's no
winners here. There's no winners heretoday. His father wrote on Facebook that
quote, we do not seek vengeance, only justice for our son, who
was nothing more than an innocent passengerlooking for a ride home. Shrilla had

(13:35):
had a bench trial and went beforeJudge Nancy Margaret Russo over a four days
span in August twenty twenty three.She explained before she read her verdict that
quote, in a bench trial,the judge sits as the jury and the
finder of fact, as well asthe ruler of law. It is a
reminder of just how difficult a jobit is to serve as a finder of

(13:56):
fact. She went on to saythat quote, I have done what I'm
sworn to do. I have carefullyand deliberately considered all the evidence in this
case, including the testimony of thewitnesses, the science, the expert opinions,
offered the medical evidence, the physicalevidence, the photographs, and the
video evidence. There is nothing thatI can do or say today that will

(14:18):
return these two young men to theirfamilies. There is nothing I can say
or do that will restore Mackenzie Sherrillato the life she had before July thirty
first, twenty twenty two. Thistrial is the culmination of decisions made by
one person, the defendant. Thosedecisions have forever altered the futures of three

(14:39):
families, and of you also,Mackenzie, and your decisions forever rob Dominic
and Davion of the futures they hadbefore them. If there's one thing that
can be taken away from this case, as painful as it is, it
is this. Every decision we makeis important. Every action we make is
important. Regardless of whether the discidecision is a good one or a bad

(15:01):
one, or the actions are goodor not, the result is the same.
The consequences of that decision ripple throughtime and affect many more people than
one might think at the time ofthe decision. In criminal cases, the
state carries the greatest burden under ourlaw. As I previously stated, I
considered all the evidence presented and atthis point I would like to comment specifically

(15:24):
on Exhibit ATO two, the crashvideo. This is the type of evidence
you can never unsee. You cannever forget the video or audio of this
exhibit. It is chilling and tragic. The video clearly shows the purpose and
intent of the defendant. She chosea course of death and destruction that day.

(15:45):
Exhibit Ato two crystallizes the deadly decisionmaking of the defendant. She morphs
from a responsible driver to literal hellon wheels as she makes her way down
the street. She had a missionand she executed it with precision. The
mission was death. This was notreckless driving. This was murder. Before
her sentencing, Dominick's father said,quote, it's horrible for everybody. Yeah,

(16:10):
I lost my son. It's harderon our family, But I don't
want the rest of her life ruined. Two. It isn't going to make
me feel any better. She's justa little kid. She fucked up,
she did a damn stupid thing.But now her parents are destroyed. Her
family's destroyed too. I wish therewas a way she could get some kind
of help, some kind of treatment. Judge Russo did not hold back at

(16:33):
all when handing down her sentence onAugust twenty first, twenty twenty three,
saying quote, today is the sentencingof the defendant for the purposeful and intentional
murders of Davon Flanagan and Dominic Russo. And in a way, it's the
second time their families are gathered togetherto grieve. It's also a day when

(16:55):
Mackenzie's family will grieve the future oftheir daughter. All three of these families
and the friends of these families aresuffering, and all of their lives have
been irrevocably changed because of the actionsof the defendant. The unintended and collateral
consequences of a selfish, intentional,cruel decision by Mackenzie will ripple forever in

(17:17):
time. It's literally changed history becauseit's ended two lives. Two young men
are dead. Their deaths were horrible, terrifying, and tragic. I will
say again, if any reasonable personreviews Exhibit eight h two, there can
be no doubt in your mind whathappened this night. There can be no

(17:37):
doubt of the absolute terror of thetwo people in that car. The defendant
controlled all of the events. Shechose the day. Specifically, she chose
a day just before her eighteenth birthday. She chose to drive a car,
the time to drive the car.She chose an obscure, previously scouted route
through an industrial parkway. She chosethe target to hit and the victims.

(18:02):
She chose the means and the methodto follow through. And she planned and
purposefully executed the events of July thirtyfirst, twenty twenty two. The review
of the evidence supports the factual findings. The judge went on to say that
there was no medical condition that causedthis as an accident. There was no

(18:22):
mechanical failure of the car. Therecord was clear on the facts and the
evidence. Her mother's uncorroborated statements withoutany medical testimony or records is not persuasive.
It's also important to remember that evenif mackenzie intended to also die in
this crash, that is irrelevant.A failed suicide attempt is not a defense

(18:44):
to murder, and even in amurder suicide attempt, when the perpetrator executing
the plan survives, the other deathor deaths are still murdered. There's only
one person responsible for the pain ofeveryone in this room, and that person
is you, McKenzie. Nobody elseis responsible. The judge was totally aware
that she may receive pushback on herdecision, saying that quote, I'm troubled

(19:07):
that should I give you a concurrentsentence, that people will believe that I'm
somehow being disrespectful to one of thevictims. And on the other hand,
I have to weigh the punishment.There's a very good likelihood that you,
Mackenzie, will spend the rest ofyour life in prison. That won't be
up to me. I understand thatthe pain in this room wants me to
impose the harshest sentence, but Idon't believe that would be the appropriate sentence

(19:32):
because I do believe that Mackenzie willnot be out in fifteen years. So
she's sentenced on count two, themurder of Davion Flanagan, fifteen years to
life. She's sentenced on count one, the murder of Dominic Russo, fifteen
years to life, to be servedconcurrent to each other. Soon after,
Dominic's older sister told People magazine thatquote, there's a huge hole in us

(19:56):
all. We will never be wholeagain. I feel like the sentences should
have been run consecutively. I can'timagine how I would feel if Mackenzie got
out in fourteen years. My brother'slife and Davion's life was completely stolen.
They don't get out in fifteen years, They don't come back in fifteen years.
They don't get any chance to livea life. About a month after

(20:18):
Shririlla was sentenced, Davion's parents spoketo the Dailymail dot Com about her,
calling her quote self centered, selfish, and narcissistic, after saying that she
should quote just admit what you didand apologize, then start to change.
Mackenzie Shirrilla is housed at the OhioReformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio,

(20:41):
serving concurrent sentences of fifteen years tolife. She will be eligible to apply
for parole in two thousand and thirtyseven. Once again, thanks for listening,
and until next time, don't bescared