Mackenzie Shirilla’s attorneys seek Ohio Supreme Court appeal review

Lawyers representing Mackenzie Shirilla, who was convicted of double murder, have filed a motion asking the Ohio Supreme Court to reconsider her appeals. This comes after the court declined to review her post-conviction appeals, citing a late filing and lack of jurisdiction by the trial court.

Shirilla was convicted in 2023 of the murder of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Prosecutors argued that the crash that led to the deaths was intentional, citing evidence such as surveillance video, vehicle data, and the car’s speed of nearly 100 miles per hour without braking.

Her lawyers are now asking for a reconsideration, explaining that they missed the deadline by one day due to a leap year error in 2024. They argue that Shirilla faced confusing and inconsistent deadlines, leading to the late filing.

Under Ohio law, convicted defendants have 365 days after the filing of trial transcripts to challenge their conviction. Prosecutors claim Shirilla’s deadline was missed by a day, with her attorneys filing late on October 24, 2024. The new attorneys representing Shirilla filed another appeal on April 27, 2026, arguing that the clock should have started later due to a separate transcript being filed after the main trial record.

In a recent decision, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld its ruling on jurisdiction and reiterated that the trial court was correct in determining that it lacked the authority to excuse the delay. However, Justice R. Patrick DeWine dissented from the decision.

Shirilla’s first parole hearing is scheduled for 2037, and her legal team continues to pursue avenues for her case to be reconsidered.