Mackenzie Shirilla's Mom Says Convicted Daughter Is 'Trapped In A Nightmare' After Appeal Rejected

The Ohio Supreme Court has dismissed the latest appeal from Mackenzie Shirilla's end, where the convicted killer of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan alleged her lawyers failed to adequately represent her during her trial. In a June 2026 hearing, the court ruled the petition 'jurisdictionally barred,' meaning they legally could not consider the merits. Amid this, Mackenzie's mother, Natalie, has shared a new update about her daughter's mental state.

Natalie Shirilla says her daughter is 'trapped in a nightmare' in emotional new update

Natalie, who has been quite vocal about her daughter's innocence since her conviction, recently shared an update about Mackenzie's alleged mental state in prison following the Ohio Supreme Court's decision to reject her latest appeal. Speaking on the June 24, 2026, episode of the Cuomo Crime Time podcast, Natalie said her now 21-year-old continues to struggle emotionally while serving her prison sentence. 

Speaking to Chris Cuomo, Natalie Shirilla said that her daughter is being portrayed in the wrong light, insisting that the 'storytelling' around that fatal 2022 crash is "not wholly accurate." Mackenzie allegedly continues to insist she has no memory of the crash that led to her conviction. She added that Mackenzie has reviewed the evidence or discovery materials related to her case. Natalie claimed:

"It's almost like she's trapped in a nightmare that she has no memory of. She's never seen the evidence. She's never seen the discovery. She's never seen anything."

Mackenzie Shirilla, the former teen whose 'hell on wheels' story was documented on Netflix's The Crash, was convicted of deliberately crashing her car to kill her boyfriend, Dominic 'Dom' Russo, and their friend, Davion. While the evidence pointed towards Mackenzie, her parents continue to plead that their daughter is innocent.

Natalie says the most painful part for her daughter is living with the knowledge that Russo and Flanagan are gone while having no recollection of the moments leading up to the crash. She told Cuomo:

"All she knows is that the boyfriend that she loved with her whole, whole heart is gone and Davion is gone. She was the driver in a car accident, and has no memory of it."

Natalie Shirilla talks about her daughter's prison artwork

In the interview, Natalie also revealed that Mackenzie has turned to art while incarcerated, creating self-portraits that she says reflect her emotional state. According to her mother, the drawings depict Mackenzie with a crown of thorns around her neck or her mouth sewn shut, surrounded by question marks and messages.

Natalie became emotional while describing the artwork, saying it shows a young woman trying to make sense of a tragedy she believes she cannot remember. She tearfully revealed:

"It's so sad, and one of these days I'll share it. I'm not going to share it now for obvious reasons, but it's really sad. She does self-portraits of herself where she has a rose of thorns around her neck or her mouth is sewn shut, and she's got all these question marks around her head like, 'Why, why, why?' And like, 'Where's Dom?’ Like, ‘What happened and [to] Davion?'"

What the court has said about Mackenzie Shirilla's conviction

Natalie's comments came just one day after the Supreme Court of Ohio declined to hear Mackenzie's latest appeal, leaving her conviction intact. Her legal team had argued the case raised important constitutional questions deserving further review. However, Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy declined jurisdiction. 

Prosecutors argued during the 2023 bench trial that Mackenzie deliberately drove her Toyota Camry into a brick building at more than 100 mph to end what they described as a toxic relationship with Russo. Evidence presented in court showed that the accelerator was fully depressed in the seconds before impact, with no indication of braking or mechanical failure. They also relied on text messages, witness testimony, and crash reconstruction evidence to argue the collision was intentional.

Mackenzie remains incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, with her first parole hearing scheduled for September 2037. What is your take on Natalie's claims?

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Credit: Mackenzie Shirilla/Instagram, Law & Crime/Facebook, The Crash/Netflix

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