murder

Father of 20-year-old murdered by girlfriend in 100 mph crash doesn't want life in prison for her

Frank Russo, 61, the father of Dominic Russo, who was killed by Mackenzie Shirilla when they were boyfriend-girlfriend, doesn't support sending her to prison for life.

Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan.
WKYC

Ohio teenager Mackenzie Shirilla may spend the rest of her life behind bars after a judge ruled she intentionally drove 100 mph into a brick building, killing her boyfriend and his friend, in a "mission of death."

But Frank Russo, 61, the father of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, 20, doesn’t support sending Shirilla to jail for life. 

“It’s horrible for everybody. Yeah, I lost my son, it’s harder on our family, but I don’t want the rest of her life ruined too. It isn’t going to make me feel any better,” he told NBC News Friday. 

 “The whole thing’s just a shame,” he added.

Shirilla was 17 when she crashed into a building around 5:30 a.m. on July 31, 2022, in Strongsville, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb. The passengers — Russo and Davion Flanagan, 19 — were pronounced dead at the scene. She miraculously survived.

Last week, a judge found Shirilla, now 19, guilty of 12 counts — including four counts of murder — after a four-day bench trial. Her sentencing is set for Monday.

Read the full story at NBCNews.com here.

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