Mackenzie Shirilla has provided a fresh update regarding her case, as her social media page shared glamorous images of her in prison while her bid for release faces obstacles.
Shirilla is reportedly trying to bring her case to the attention of the Ohio Supreme Court, with her family claiming that the 22-year-old was ‘wrongfully convicted’ in 2023.
She is currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women after being sentenced for the murder of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, 19.
The court found Shirilla guilty of deliberately crashing a car into a building at around 100mph just before her 18th birthday, resulting in two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life.
Despite her imprisonment, Shirilla has apparently been utilizing her time by conducting photo sessions for herself.
On Monday, a recent selfie was uploaded to Shirilla’s Instagram page, highlighting her well-groomed brows and a new slit on the left side.
The caption mentioned her recent setback in her quest for freedom, stating: “Mackenzie is trying to do better every day and holding on to hope. Her post conviction relief was denied due to a deadline technicality.”
It further criticized her legal representation, noting: “The decision has nothing to do with the contents of it, it was unable to even be reviewed. Her appellate lawyer missed a deadline by filing it one day late due to a leap year, which also makes HIM ineffective assistance of council. Mackenzie and her family (along with everyone’s help) will respectfully continue to do everything they can so that the merits of the brief can be heard, just as anyone else would do in their position.”
The post urged everyone to ‘keep sharing everything you can and Please sign and share this petition for a fair re-trial.’
It concluded: “We ALL deserve fair representation and once you review her case you’ll agree she did not get that. Please click, sign, and share the petition in her bio. – Mackenzie Shirilla’s Support Team #freemackenzie #mackenzieshirilla #wrongfullyconvicted #thecrash.”
A day after the post was published, her legal team submitted a motion for the Ohio Supreme Court to reconsider their decision to deny her post-conviction relief petition due to the technicality.
Shirilla has made three attempts to appeal her murder conviction, twice at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and once at the Eighth District Court of Appeals.
All appeals have been rejected by the Supreme Court.
Shirilla will be eligible for parole in 2037 when she reaches the age of 33.