Gypsy Rose Blanchard Doesn’t Think Mackenzie Shirilla Will Get Parole

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard is sharing her take on Mackenzie Shirilla’s crimes. 

Following the release of the Netflix documentary The Crash, which featured Shirilla—convicted of murdering Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan in a 2022 car accident—Blanchard explained why she doubts Shirilla will be granted an appeal or eventually be released on parole.

In a recent podcast interview with TMZ, Blanchard stated she believes the documentary about her case has actually hurt the chances of her mother receiving early parole. She explained that parole boards consider a prisoner’s behavior while incarcerated, but emphasize genuine remorse and family connections when making their decisions.

As a lifestyle expert who follows these cases, I want to share an important detail regarding Mackenzie Shirilla’s sentencing. While she was convicted of multiple charges, including four counts of murder, and received a life sentence with potential parole after 15 years, the families of both the Russo family – who she was dating at the time of the crash – and the Flanagan family actually have a say in whether or not she’s ever released. They have the power to keep her from being granted parole, which is a significant point in this case.

According to Blanchard, if the victim’s family opposes her release on parole, it will automatically be denied. She’s witnessed this repeatedly with other inmates during her time in prison.

As Blanchard put it, “They prioritize the victim’s family above everything.”

Gypsy Blanchard, who was released on parole in 2023 after being convicted of second-degree murder for the 2015 death of her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, also thinks Shirilla doesn’t fully understand how serious her own crime was.

He thought it would require a lot of effort from her, including a long period of in-depth therapy. He added that, being young, it would likely take her two decades to fully understand and process everything.

Despite Shirilla claiming she wasn’t a monster in the Netflix documentary released on May 15th, Blanchard believes she needs to mature and accept responsibility for her actions.

She believes the person in question may not feel remorse yet because they haven’t fully processed their feelings. However, she predicts that feeling will come strongly, and when it does, they need to take responsibility and try to make things right with the victims’ families. Ultimately, it’s up to those families whether or not they choose to forgive her.

Even though Shirilla was convicted of killing Russo and Flanagan, she claimed in the documentary that the crash wasn’t on purpose. She explained that her condition, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, caused her to lose control of the vehicle.

In the documentary, Shirilla stated she wasn’t claiming to be blameless, but rather that while she was involved in a terrible accident, she didn’t intentionally cause anyone’s death. She described herself as a driver involved in a tragedy, but not a murderer.

For a deeper look into Shirilla’s crime, keep reading…

Mackenzie Shirilla, born Aug. 2, 2004, grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio, suburb of Strongsville.

She began dating Dominic Russo, who was three years her senior, during her freshman year of high school. After graduating in 2022, she moved in with him.

On July 31, 2022, around 5:30 in the morning, Mackenzie was driving a Toyota Camry when it crashed into a brick building at the corner of Alameda and Progress Drive in Strongsville.

Police arrived at 6:20 a.m. to find, as one officer said into his radio, a car “split in two.”

Dom was lying in the front seat with his friend, Davion Flanagan, on top of him, according to Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Tim Troup in the book The Crash. Both Dom and Davion were declared dead at the scene.

According to Troup, first responders discovered a small amount of marijuana in Mackenzie’s purse and 8 grams of psilocybin mushrooms hidden on her person.

I was going through all the possible reasons for the crash,” Troup, who helped police with the investigation and handled the case in court in 2023, said in the documentary. “Did the driver make a mistake? Was someone under the influence? Or was it something even worse, like a serious crime?”

In his account of the crash, Mackenzie’s father, Steve Shirilla, reported that his daughter suffered a broken thighbone, three fractured ribs, and injuries to her liver and kidney.

He pointed to his upper arm and explained that his bone had broken and the tricep had torn away from it. He also said her neck had been broken, damaging both carotid arteries.

Text messages revealed in the documentary The Crash show Mackenzie brought up a previous instance of Dom being unfaithful, something her friends say led to her having trouble trusting him.

According to a friend of Dom’s, who spoke to police on camera, Mackenzie had a very up-and-down relationship with Dom, constantly switching between expressing strong affection and threatening to break up with him.

According to audio recordings, Dom’s brother, Angelo Russo, told police in September 2022 that Dom attempted to end the relationship with Mackenzie several times, including as early as July, but they continued to stay together.

Rosie Graham, a friend of Mackenzie and Dom, disagreed with the idea that their relationship was unhealthy. In the documentary, she explained that they didn’t fight often, saying, ‘It wasn’t constant arguing or anything extreme. Mackenzie was happy with her life and really enjoyed being with Dom.’

She remembered they were all at a sleepover the night before the accident, and Dom had been cuddling with Mackenzie on the couch.

Rosie said everything was completely smooth sailing – there wasn’t a single disagreement, moment of stress, or negative feeling between anyone.

According to Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Elliot Rawson, who investigated the crash, the car was traveling at an average speed of 97.8 miles per hour when it reached the intersection and collided with the building.

According to Troup, tests on Mackenzie’s blood revealed the presence of THC, the chemical that makes marijuana active, but showed no alcohol or psilocybin was present.

According to the forensic auto investigator, the car’s brakes, steering, tires, and acceleration were all functioning as expected, meaning there was no mechanical failure, Troup explained.

According to Sergeant Ryan Fox of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, data from the car’s recorder indicated the gas pedal was fully pressed down for five seconds before the crash.

“Most people would want to slow the vehicle or stop the vehicle to avoid that type of an impact,” Fox said. “In this case, there was no braking.”

According to the data, in the three seconds leading up to the crash, the driver sharply turned the steering wheel right, then left, and then right again. During this time, the car briefly shifted out of drive into neutral before being put back into drive.

According to Troup, the boys appeared to be desperately trying to regain control of the vehicle. He believes Dom and Davion were pulling on the steering wheel and trying to shift gears, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to prevent the accident.

According to a friend of Dom’s mother, Mackenzie had reportedly threatened to drive Dom off the road with him inside two weeks before the crash. Detective Troup stated the evidence strongly suggested the crash wasn’t accidental. The car’s accelerator was fully pressed, there was no braking, and no mechanical failure. Additionally, Mackenzie and Dom had a deeply troubled and deteriorating relationship, and she wasn’t under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Mackenzie was arrested for murder on Nov. 4, 2022.

She pleaded not guilty and waived her right to a jury trial.

Over four days in court, starting August 7, 2023, Troup presented evidence – including text messages, social media posts, and witness statements – suggesting a harmful relationship where Dom wanted to leave, but Mackenzie wouldn’t allow it.

According to Troup’s testimony in court, the woman intentionally crashed her car into a wall and then firmly stuck to her decision.

Mackenzie stated she didn’t remember the crash or anything that happened that morning. Her mother, Natalie Shirilla, testified that Mackenzie was diagnosed with POTS in 2017 – a long-term condition affecting the body’s automatic functions, causing a rapid heartbeat and potentially leading to sudden dizziness or fainting. Her mother suggested Mackenzie may have experienced a medical issue that caused her to lose consciousness.

The judge convicted Mackenzie of four counts of murder, acknowledging that Ohio law permits prosecutors to present multiple legal arguments for a single act. She was also found guilty of four counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, drug possession, and possessing criminal tools.

Mackenzie was sentenced on Aug. 31, 2023, to two terms of 15 years to life in prison, to be served concurrently.

 
At the hearing, the then-19-year-old said in a prepared statement that she was “deeply sorry” and she hoped Dominic and Davion’s families could see that she “didn’t do this on purpose.”

In the aftermath of the incident, Davion’s sister, Davyne Flanagan, strongly criticized Mackenzie’s apology, calling it insincere. She stated, “I can tell when someone isn’t being genuine, and that definitely wasn’t.”

To honor Davion, his family created a scholarship fund to help students afford barber school – something he was planning to do himself in the fall of 2022. His father, Scott Flanagan, said the day they awarded the first scholarship was “one of the few times I’ve truly felt happy” since the accident.

In the documentary, Dom’s father, Frank Russo, and sister, Christine Russo, shared how they stood by Mackenzie, even after her arrest.

Christine explained they initially assumed alcohol or drugs might have been a factor, figuring accidents are common. She added, “You’d never imagine someone like her could be responsible for your brother’s death.”

Mackenzie, who is 21 years old, is currently serving her sentence at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, according to state records.

In The Crash, she described her daily struggle, saying, “It’s incredibly difficult in here.” She explained that she constantly tries to improve herself and avoid trouble, and that she’s always thinking about her loved ones.

In September 2024, an appeals court in Ohio confirmed her conviction, and the state’s Supreme Court later refused to review the case in 2025. She will first be eligible for parole in September 2037.

Mackenzie, speaking publicly about the trial for the first time, stated, “I’m not a bad person.”

She believes she and Dom likely would have been married by now. She described him as very protective and loving, adding that they were true partners.

Mackenzie admitted they argued, but they always made up quickly. They’d often be back to watching movies and eating popcorn on the couch within a few hours.

She said they were on their way back to Dom’s house around 5 a.m. when the crash happened. She remembers turning onto a street, and then waking up in the hospital the following day, feeling like her life had been completely turned upside down.

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2026-05-29 21:49