‘SHE DOESN’T THINK THE RULES APPLY TO HER’: Prison records expose Mackenzie Shirilla’s shocking behind-bars behavior – from video visit violations to contraband and sexual misconduct claims as expert warns she may NEVER get parole

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Mackenzie Shirilla, 21, has been cited for 36 disciplinary violations while serving her 15-years-to-life sentence for the 2022 murders of her boyfriend and his friend

• Prison records obtained by 3News reveal she has been found guilty of 32 separate conduct reports – ranging from contraband possession to inappropriate video visits

• The ‘Hell on Wheels’ killer allegedly exposed herself during a video call while the visitor displayed a sex toy on camera, according to official conduct reports

• A prison expert warns Shirilla’s pattern of misconduct shows ‘no acceptance of responsibility’ – making early release ‘very unlikely’

MARYSVILLE, Ohio – The judge who sent her to prison called her ‘literal hell on wheels.’

Now, newly obtained prison records suggest Mackenzie Shirilla has been living up to that name behind bars.

The 21-year-old convicted killer – serving 15 years to life for intentionally driving her car into a brick wall at nearly 100 mph, killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo, 20, and his friend Davion Flanagan, 19 – has amassed a staggering disciplinary record at the Ohio Reformatory for Women .

According to records obtained by 3News , Shirilla has been cited for 36 conduct reports since entering prison in August 2023. She has been found guilty in 32 of those cases .

The infractions paint a picture of an inmate who, according to experts, refuses to accept responsibility for her actions.

‘She doesn’t believe she’s guilty,’ prison consultant Justin Paperny told the Law & Crime Network.

‘She does not identify with them. She is not one of them. She is innocent. So this injustice is coming her way. Therefore, why should she be held accountable to rules that shouldn’t apply to her?’

VIDEO VISIT VIOLATIONS

Among the most serious allegations involve Shirilla’s conduct during video calls with visitors.

In one September 2025 incident, a conduct report claims Shirilla exposed her breast to a visitor during a video visit.

The visitor – who was not an approved participant – then allegedly exposed her own breast and displayed a sex toy on camera.

Prison staff documented every detail. Shirilla was found guilty and lost access to electronics for 30 days.

‘Disciplinary infractions are very common in prison,’ Paperny acknowledged. ‘But when you engage in destructive behavior like this that threatens the security of the institution, it’s like going 125 in a 65.’

CONTROBAND AND ALTERED CLOTHING

The records also reveal Shirilla has repeatedly been caught with prohibited items.

During one cell search, officers reportedly found:

• Altered state pants

• A fan marked with another inmate’s name

• Four nude magazine pictures

In another incident, officers discovered Shirilla in possession of an astonishing array of contraband, including paint supplies, homemade pillows, altered shoes, fake eyelashes, and more than 20 rocks.

She pleaded guilty but claimed she hadn’t stolen anything – insisting she had received the items from another inmate.

On multiple occasions, she has been written up for wearing altered clothing – including a hoodie that was ‘very form-fitting’ and had been modified without authorization.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATION

Perhaps most troubling is a conduct report accusing Shirilla of sexual harassment toward a female corrections officer.

When an officer attempted to check if she was dressed properly, Shirilla allegedly made a sexually charged comment about the officer becoming aroused.

The remark was documented in official records. Shirilla denied making the statement, but was found guilty of the charges.

Paperny suggested Shirilla’s behaviour stems from a fundamental refusal to accept her situation.

‘She maintains hope. I assure you, she lays on her rack behind the long day, expecting at some point to get a phone call from her lawyer that says, “You prevailed on appeal. You’re coming home tomorrow,”‘ he said.

‘When that news doesn’t come, the reality is going to set in.’

EXPERT WARNING: PAROLE UNLIKELY

With her first parole hearing scheduled for September 2037 – more than a decade away – Paperny warned that Shirilla’s conduct is jeopardising any chance of early release.

‘She’s putting herself in a position where she’s eventually going to go in front of a parole board and she’s going to say, “I’m sorry. I’ve changed. I won’t do it again. I’ve learned my lessons,”‘ he said.

‘And a very cynical parole board is going to say, “Cool. Where is the record? What have you done to demonstrate why you should be released?”‘

Paperny added that Shirilla appears to be following ‘a total case study of what not to do’ while incarcerated.

‘There’s got to be some acceptance of “I killed two people. Generations of their families will never be the same,”‘ he said.

‘It’s not about her suffering. When she begins to think of other people and the impact she’s had on others, she can begin to get on track.’

THE NETFLIX EFFECT

The release of Netflix’s documentary ‘The Crash’ – which featured Shirilla’s first prison interview – has only added to the controversy.

In the documentary, Shirilla maintained her innocence, telling viewers: ‘I’m not saying I’m innocent. I was the driver of a tragedy. But I’m not a murderer.’

Paperny suggested the documentary may have reinforced Shirilla’s sense of victimhood rather than encouraging accountability.

‘Netflix has an agenda to get viewers and bring in money,’ he said. ‘They’re not going to create a narrative that’s going to help her.’

VICTIM’S SISTER FIGHTS BACK

Christine Russo, whose brother Dominic was killed in the crash, has been vocal about her frustration.

‘I’m going to defend my brother,’ she told NewsNation. ‘And if they keep putting out misinformation, I’m going to shut it down.’

For now, Shirilla remains at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, where she has reportedly acquired a nickname among inmates: ‘Shirilla the Killa.’

Paperny offered a final, sobering assessment.

‘She can turn it around,’ he said. ‘We can all become better than decisions of our past. But it’s time she begins to make better decisions.’

‘She just doesn’t think she’s guilty.’

Source: Compiled from various sources