One of America's most notorious teenage killers cackled with delight after hearing the Daily Mail shared an expose on her 'Mean Girls' reputation behind bars, newly released prison audio shows. Mackenzie Shirilla, who was 17 when she murdered her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend Davion Flanagan by driving into a building in 2022, was heard discussing the spotlight being back on her case with glee.
Jailhouse Phone Call Reveals Elation
In a jailhouse phone call with her mother Natalie Shirilla, the convicted killer sounded elated that her claims of innocence were making 'national news.' 'Okay, I have something else to tell you - it was published in England', her mother interjected, referencing that the Daily Mail is headquartered in the United Kingdom. 'What?' Mackenzie responded with a laugh. 'Yes! It's world news?' The mother and daughter giggled as they said 'the Daily Mail published it', noting our exclusive reporting earlier this year that saw former inmates allege Mackenzie has become a prolific lesbian behind bars, and has been disciplined a number of times for flouting prison rules.
Hopes for Kim Kardashian's Involvement
In their call, the pair laughed together as Mackenzie speculated that her case could be picked up by Kim Kardashian, who has attempted to publicize several inmates' claims of innocence in recent years. 'Maybe Kim Kardashian will reach out herself,' Mackenzie said. Natalie added: 'That's what I'm saying, I'm hoping. We're getting there. I was gonna do this anyway, so this is great.... craziness, baby girl.'
Background of the Case
Mackenzie Shirilla was found guilty in 2023 and was sentenced to 15 years-to-life in prison, after it was found she intentionally accelerated her car into a building to kill her boyfriend and friend. Shirilla has maintained her innocence ever since, and in a message to the Daily Mail from behind bars in March, she repeated her argument that she is the victim of a 'wrongful conviction.' Her pleas received new attention in recent weeks after her case was featured on the new Netflix documentary The Crash, where she insisted she 'blacked out' and did not remember the crash. But with her appeal for a new trial denied in March, the now-21-year-old will not face the possibility of parole until 2037.
Life Behind Bars
She will remain in the Ohio Reformatory for Women near Columbus, where she has quickly gained a reputation as a prolific lesbian and 'Mean Girl' behind bars, a former inmate previously revealed. The former inmate, who gave her name as Kat, told the Daily Mail earlier this year that Shirilla was enjoying such torrid romances with other women that she would regularly walk around with 'hickeys on her neck.' 'She showed absolutely no remorse,' she said. 'Mackenzie acted like it was glorified high school... she walked around like she was famous.' 'The girlfriend thing was well known,' Kat continued. 'And in prison it's very common especially for people in her life sentence situation, and especially with the younger girls.'
Prison Reputation and Behavior
Public records showed that Shirilla has been written up in prison documents as having 'consensual sexual contact' with other inmates, and Kat said she quickly developed a taste for other 'lifers' - women who have committed the most serious crimes and who face spending the rest of their lives incarcerated. 'People would talk about her girlfriends, and you'd hear about her falling out with them,' Kat added. Another former inmate, Shyann Topping, claimed to have been in a relationship with Shirilla in a series of TikTok videos. Topping said she fell for Shirilla's good looks and charm and hoped the pair would 'be together' on the outside. She made that pledge despite Shirilla facing 15 years to life behind bars. Topping said she was later turned off by Shirilla's personality and mean behavior towards other inmates. She has since moved on with her life.
Appearance and Lifestyle in Prison
When she was convicted in a bench trial in 2023, footage of the 17-year-old sobbing was beamed around the world. Her good looks and continued assertions that she suffered a medical emergency helped fuel theories among some in the internet community that the murderess is innocent. There were no signs of any tears or frowns in the most recent photos of Shirilla, though. She appears to be making the most of her time behind bars, with photos sent to family and friends showing her posing for selfies in a full face of immaculately-applied makeup. In one selfie, Shirilla's lips appear suspiciously plump, but Kat said there would not have been any way for her to be injected with filler while behind bars. Kat told the Daily Mail that Shirilla's parents have flooded her commissary account with cash, allowing the murderess to obtain the latest clothes and sneakers as well as high-end makeup. 'Anything that was hard to get? Mackenzie would have it,' Kat said.
'Mean Girls' Behavior
Shirilla's enviable wardrobe saw her adopt a Regina George-like demeanor, Kat said, referring to the school bully played by Rachel McAdams in the 2004 movie Mean Girls. Kat said Shirilla would cruelly taunt inmates from less fortunate backgrounds than hers while showing 'no sadness or frustration about being in prison.' 'She always had full makeup. But as I got to know her more, she would see people who didn't have much because they didn't have family on the outside, and she would call them 'state babies' and mock their clothes.'
Public Statements and Family Reactions
In February 2026, Shirilla shared her first public statement since her conviction on an Instagram account controlled by her family. She insisted she is 'NOT guilty of murder!', adding that she 'loved Dom and would never do anything to hurt him, Davion or anyone else I care about.' Her post also echoed her recent phone call to her mother that she hopes Kim Kardashian could take up her case, as her family tagged the reality TV star in their Instagram caption. Meanwhile, the family of Shirilla's late boyfriend, Dominic Russo, say his killer's total lack of contrition continues to cause them anguish. Christine Russo said her brother's memory has been 'twisted' in the public eye, and said 'not only was his life ended, but my family's life was destroyed. It's unfathomable.' 'The case has tortured our family... her claims of innocence are beyond insulting to us,' she told the Daily Mail earlier this year. Christine said her father has been tortured by the crash for years, and said he still 'wants to know what happened in the car that day.' 'He wants to know what Dom's last words were, what was happening... it keeps him up at night and it's the first thing he thinks of in the morning. If she ever cared about Dom, she would tell the truth and let us rest.' There is some comfort at least for the Russo and Flanagan families in knowing Shirilla will spend the best years of her life trapped behind bars - and that there is no prospect of her re-entering society until the youth she squandered is far behind her.
