Nearly two years after one of America's most talked-about criminal cases, Mackenzie Shirilla, now 21, is back in the spotlight. A text message Shirilla allegedly sent to Dominic Russo's mother, Christine Russo, after the fatal July 2022 crash has become the latest focus of public scrutiny.
The message, included in a 2024 Ohio Court of Appeals opinion, has been circulating widely on social media. In it, Shirilla reportedly wrote: “I remember turning onto the street, and then my vision fades to black.” She also allegedly said she could not remember the events leading up to the crash, suggesting that trauma might explain the memory gap, referencing discussions with a therapist and raising the possibility of using hypnosis to recover her memory.
Shirilla's lawyers are also asking the Ohio Supreme Court to review her case, arguing that her trial attorneys did not fully investigate whether POTS, a condition that can cause a person to lose consciousness, played a role in the crash. However, prosecutors strongly disagree, with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office stating that they are confident that any court reviewing the case will conclude that Shirilla is guilty of murder.
