An Ohio teen faces decades in prison for killing her boyfriend and another man after she slammed her vehicle into a building at a speed topping 100 miles per hour last year.
Mackenzie Shirilla, 19, was found guilty Monday of murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, and numerous other charges in connection with the deaths of 20-year-old Dominic Russo and 19-year-old Davion Flanagan, Cleveland.com reports.
Prosecutors alleged that Shirilla drove the vehicle into the brick building intentionally in July 2022 to kill Russo in an effort to end their chaotic relationship.
Shirilla denied the allegations, with her attorney, James McDonnell, arguing in court that the state failed to demonstrate the crash was on purpose and that she could have lost control of the vehicle, according to Fox 8.
But Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley noted that the defendant was recorded on video accelerating the vehicle and turning abruptly left and right before she crashed. Data from the vehicle showed no attempts to stop or slow down.
At the time, Shirilla was allegedly high after smoking marijuana and had levels of THC beyond the state’s legal limit.
“There is no doubt that this happened because of the relationship with Dominic and the defendant’s intent was clearly to end that, and she took everybody that was in the car with her,” O’Malley said, according to WKYC-TV.
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Shirilla faces an automatic life sentence in prison but will be eligible for parole in 15 years, according to Cleveland.com.
In handing down the conviction, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo described Shirilla as “literal hell on wheels,” according to WKYC-TV.
“This was not reckless driving,” Russo said in court. “This was murder.”
GoFundMe accounts are raising money for memorials of Flanagan and Russo.
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[Featured image: Mackenzie Shirilla/Fox 8 screenshot]
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