Teen who killed boyfriend in 160 km/h crash sentenced for murder in Ohio

globalnews.ca:

Ohio may spend the rest of her life behind bars after she was convicted and sentenced for intentionally crashing her car into a brick wall at 160 km/h (100 mph), killing her boyfriend and a friend.Mackenzie Shirilla was only 17 years old on the night she crashed her Camry into the side of a commercial building outside Cleveland. Prosecutors argued at her murder trial that the teen had a toxic relationship with her boyfriend, 20-year-old Dominic Russo, and deliberately drove into the brick wall to end their relationship.In doing so, “she took everybody that was in the car with her,” Tim Troup of the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office said.

This included Russo’s friend Davion Flanagan, 19.Both men were pronounced dead at the scene following the wreck. Shirilla was hospitalized.Shirilla was handed two concurrent life sentences with the possibility of parole after 15 years at her sentencing hearing Monday.

Last week, she was found guilty of four counts each of murder and felonious assault, as well as aggravated vehicular homicide and other crimes.The 19-year-old didn’t testify at her trial, but Shirilla did tearfully read a statement to the families of the victims at her sentencing, saying she couldn’t recall what happened that night in July 2022.“I hope one day you can see I would never let this happen or do it on purpose,” she said. “I wish I could remember what happened.

I’m just so sorry. I’m heartbroken.