Photo: Cuyahoga County Courts
A 19-year-old woman from Ohio was convicted of intentionally crashing her car into a brick to kill her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and his friend, Davion Flanagan, 19.
Mackenzie Shirilla was found guilty of four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, and two counts of aggravated vehicular assault for the crash that happened in July 2022 when she was 17.
When first responders arrived, they found all three occupants of the car unconscious. Russo and Flanagan were pronounced dead at the scene. Shirilla survived and was rushed to the hospital.
Prosecutors said that Shirilla was in a stormy relationship with Russo and wanted to end it. They said she scoped out the route days before the crash. They also showed video evidence that captured Shirilla speeding up as she approached the wall and made no effort to brake.
"Her actions were controlled, methodical, deliberate, intentional, and purposeful. This was not reckless driving. This was murder," Cuyahoga County Judge Nancy Margaret Russo said before announcing the verdict.
The trial did not have a jury leaving Judge Russo to make the decision.
"The video clearly shows the purpose and intent of the defendant," Judge Russo said. "She chose a course of death and destruction that day."
Shirilla's conviction comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison with the chance for parole after 15 years. Her lawyers plan to appeal the conviction.