Mackenzie Shirilla is making another appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, seeking a last chance at freedom while showcasing glamorous photos from her prison cell.

The 22-year-old was found guilty in 2023 for the murders of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, aged 20, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, aged 19. She intentionally crashed a car into a building at nearly 100 mph just two days shy of her 18th birthday.

Shirilla is currently serving two concurrent 15-year-to-life sentences at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. She will become eligible for parole in September 2037, at which point she will be 33 years old.

On Monday, Shirilla’s support team shared a recent selfie she took in prison on her Instagram account, stating she is ‘trying to do better every day and holding on to hope.’

Just a day later, her legal team submitted a motion to the Ohio Supreme Court, asking it to reconsider last month’s decision that denied her post-conviction relief petition due to a late filing.

Shirilla had brought her case before Ohio’s highest court after lower courts rejected all her prior appeals, but she was denied in May 2025. 

She later filed the motion for post-conviction relief, a separate legal process used to challenge a conviction or sentence outside of a direct appeal, and her last chance at freedom.

The motion was tossed by the appellate court last month because it was filed 366 days after the trial transcript was submitted – just one day past the cutoff. Tuesday’s motion asking the court to reconsider the decision claims the deadlines were confusing.

Shirilla’s attorneys have argued that she should have been allowed more time to submit the motion because juvenile court transcripts were not filed until months after the trial transcripts. 

Her attorneys also argued that the delay was the result of a miscalculation tied to a leap year. 

‘Her post conviction relief was denied due to a deadline technicality,’ Shirilla’s support team wrote on Instagram.

‘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,’ the team added.

Shirilla’s legal team previously fought to overturn her conviction through three separate appeals – two in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and another in the Eighth District Court of Appeals. 

Her attorneys have repeatedly argued that medical evidence suggests Shirilla suffered from a pre-existing condition that may have caused her to lose consciousness before slamming her sedan into a brick building.

They claimed that her trial lawyers failed to adequately investigate evidence that she suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS.

Tuesday’s motion asking the Supreme Court to reconsider Shirilla’s petition comes years after prosecutors said she deliberately drove her Toyota Camry into the side of the PLIDCO building in Strongsville, Ohio, on July 31, 2022, as her relationship with Russo deteriorated.

While Russo and Flanagan died almost instantly, Shirilla survived the crash and was hospitalized with multiple severe injuries. 

Evidence presented at trial showed that the vehicle was traveling approximately 100mph in a 35mph zone moments before impact, with data indicating the accelerator was fully engaged and no brakes were applied.

Surveillance video showed the car speeding down a quiet road before smashing through a business sign and slamming into the building, with first responders finding the vehicle split in half in what one officer called ‘the worst crash I’ve ever seen.’

Shirilla has maintained that the crash was not intentional, calling herself a ‘third victim’ who does not need to be ‘rehabilitated’ in shocking phone calls with her mother.

Judge Nancy Margaret Russo ultimately found her guilty in 2023, famously declaring: ‘This was not reckless driving – this was murder.’

‘She had a mission, and she executed it with precision,’ the judge said.

The case has remained in the headlines in recent weeks following the release of the Netflix documentary, The Crash, which revisited the fatal collision and featured interviews with Shirilla from prison.

PROVO, Utah (AP) — During an ongoing weeklong hearing, defense attorneys for the individual charged with the murder of conservative figure Charlie Kirk are anticipated to scrutinize the dependability of DNA evidence. Prosecutors assert this DNA ties the accused to the alleged murder weapon.

On Tuesday, legal representative from Tyler Robinson’s defense team probed an FBI DNA analyst about the methodologies employed to link Robinson to a rifle discovered concealed in a towel at Utah Valley University, the location where Kirk was fatally shot in September during an event.

Defense attorney Michael Burt expressed skepticism about the analyst’s findings, a sentiment expected to recur as the preliminary hearing continues throughout the week.

“She is unable to connect Mr. Robinson with the samples in question,” Burt asserted.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Ryan McBride argued that the validity of the DNA testing can be thoroughly assessed if the case proceeds to trial, implying that the preliminary hearing is not the appropriate stage for such discussions.

“The point is there are explanations that are susceptible to different interpretations and arguments,” McBride said. “The court is going to determine if it meets the threshold of reliability at trial.”

Robinson has not yet entered a plea and his attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. They have, however, sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully.

Prosecutors must show they have enough evidence for a trial

FBI analyst Amanda Bakker said after Robinson’s roommate provided a DNA sample for comparison, she was able to rerun her tests and attribute all of the DNA to two people.

Investigators found the towel and suspected murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round — in a wooded area near where Kirk was shot.

DNA on the towel matched to two people, Jennifer Faumuina with the State Bureau of Investigation testified. One was Robinson’s roommate, Lance Twiggs, and the other was very likely Robinson, she said

Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty in the case. They are trying to convince Judge Tony Graf that they have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial on an aggravated murder charge.

In a surveillance video shown in court from the day Kirk was killed, Robinson could be seen climbing over a railing onto a rooftop, crouching down and running to a site overlooking where the activist was speaking, Utah State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull testified Tuesday.

Hull said that after shooting Kirk, Robinson ran back across the roof, dropped to the ground and fled on foot.

Defense team pushes back

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester questioned Hull’s handling of the crime scene on the day of the shooting. She also asked about a bullet that was found on campus at a different location than the alleged site of the shooting.

Hull said that bullet was traced back to a law enforcement officer who had “cleared” his weapon, ejecting an unused bullet.

Prosecutors contend the shooting endangered others at Kirk’s campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law. Robinson also faces possible sentence enhancements based on the prosecution’s claim that he targeted Kirk because of his political views.

During one of several appearances on campus by Robinson on Sept. 10, Hull said the defendant went to the amphitheater where Kirk was later shot and contacted representatives of Turning Point USA, a group co-founded by Kirk that galvanized the conservative youth vote to help Trump win a second term.

The investigator did not detail what occurred during that interaction or if members of Kirk’s security team were present.

Robinson turned himself in after the shooting.

Prosecutors allege he confessed in a note left for Twiggs, who was also his romantic partner, that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” Robinson also sent a text saying he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred,” according to prosecutors.

Robinson’s defense team pushed back Tuesday on the idea that he was hostile to Kirk’s politics. Defense attorney Richard Novak sought to block prosecutors from introducing a statement describing the traditional Christian values of Turning Point USA.

“This doesn’t say anything about Mr. Robinson’s state of mind,” Novak said about the statement from Turning Point USA board member David Engelhardt. “I don’t think that this court should be deciding — based on the record before it — where, if at all, politics and religion intersect.”

The judge ruled that the Turning Point statement was relevant and would be “provisionally admitted” with a final decision at a later date.

PROVO, Utah — As the investigation deepens into the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk, significant evidence has surfaced. A towel and screwdriver found at the crime scene reportedly bear the DNA of Tyler Robinson, who is accused of Kirk’s murder. In a twist, the towel also contains traces of DNA from Robinson’s former lover and roommate, Lance Twiggs.

The 23-year-old Robinson is alleged to have used the towel to camouflage the firearm, which was supposedly used in the crime and later stashed in a wooded area close to Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.

Robinson faces serious charges, accused of gunning down 31-year-old Kirk during a Turning Point USA event held at the university on that fateful day.

While the purpose of the screwdriver remains uncertain, authorities revealed during Robinson’s preliminary court hearing this week that it was discovered near a supposed sniper’s location with a clear view of the TPUSA event.

Both Twiggs and Robinson provided buccal swabs to law enforcement that were used to build their full DNA profiles.

Robinson’s preliminary hearing began Monday and is expected to take all week. Prosecutors must establish probable cause in order for the judge to green light the path to trial on a slew of charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the potential death penalty.

David Hull, of the Utah Department of Public Safety, returned to the witness stand Tuesday morning as prosecutors played surveillance video they allege shows Robinson making his way around campus before and after the shooting, as well as coming and going in his Dodge Challenger.

The second witness of the day, Sgt. Jennifer Faumuina with the State Bureau of Investigations, led the evidence response team processing the scenes at UVU after the shooting.

Faumuina testified that her team recovered a screwdriver from the campus’ Losee Center rooftop, where Robinson is alleged to have fired the shot that killed Kirk.

She also testified that her team recovered the suspected murder weapon, a Mauser 98 bolt-action rifle wrapped in a dark-colored towel nearby. It had been retrofitted to fire .30-06 rounds, consistent with the caliber of bullet fragments recovered during Kirk’s autopsy. 

Faumuina testified that both the towel and the screwdriver had DNA consistent with the same two males — Robinson and Twiggs.

In a handwritten note and text messages, Robinson is alleged to have confessed to the crime to Twiggs, who lived with him at the time and is cooperating with investigators. Twiggs has not been charged with a crime, and the alleged presence of his DNA on the evidence is expected to strengthen the case against Robinson.

Later Tuesday, FBI forensic analyst Amanda Bakker testified that Robinson is likely the majority donor in mixed DNA samples found on both items. Twiggs is believed to be the minority contributor on both.

Prosecutor Ryan McBride objected multiple times during Bakker’s lengthy questioning from defense attorney Michael Burt, arguing that the defense went well “beyond the scope of determining probable cause.”

At one point, Judge Tony Graf Jr. asked how far he intended to go in a line of questioning, to which Burt responded he had one more question before moving on.

“I’ll hold them to that,” McBride said, prompting laughter inside the courtroom.

As the DNA questioning dragged on for much of the afternoon, Erika Kirk at one point shook her head as she listened to Burt grilling Bakker. 

Observers in the gallery, including Erika Kirk, intently watched as Bakker explained a graph displaying specific DNA markers.

Kirk leaned forward and tilted her head as she listened to testimony.

Robinson was also listening and fidgeting. A member of Robinson’s family yawned.

Kirk’s father occasionally took notes.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

If prosecutors prevail in establishing probable cause, which experts say is widely expected, he would be asked to do so.

“Barring the prosecutor somehow forgetting how to get to the courthouse, there’s no realistic chance the state fails to establish probable cause,” Maryland attorney Randolph Rice, who represented the family of Rachel Morin, told News Media Tuesday.

Coach Chris DeMarco maintained his composure during post-game discussions.

When asked about the refereeing following the Liberty’s 88-77 defeat to the Wings on Tuesday, DeMarco responded with a hint of sarcasm, stating that the officials were “awesome” and accompanying his remark with a sly smile.

The outcome of the game wasn’t determined by the officiating.

During the second quarter, the Liberty struggled significantly, being outscored 29-11. Of their few points, seven came from free throws, while they faltered with a dismal 2-for-15 shooting performance from the floor, hitting just 13.1 percent of their shots, including going 0-for-5 from three-point range. This left them trailing by 16 points at the break.

Though the Liberty managed to narrow the Wings’ advantage to under 10 several times in the latter half, they were unable to reclaim the lead.

After the loss, one of the biggest issues plaguing this league took center stage: officiating.

The Liberty were on the wrong end of a few tough calls late.

In one instance, Jessica Shepard appeared to elbow Rebecca Allen in the nose near the baseline as the ball dropped out of bounds.

The Wings maintained possession, and Allen left the game with an apparent nose injury.

Sabrina Ionescu said “it’s tough” to continue playing when it feels like fouls on one end of the floor aren’t called on the other.

“All everyone’s asking for is consistency one way or another, whether they’re going to call it, whether they’re not,” Ionescu said. “You got to call it evenly on both sides, and I think tonight you were kind of able to see how difficult it is when things are being called one way … and then a different way the other way.”

Ionescu believes flopping is a bigger issue now “than it’s ever been before.”

“Sometimes I think teams that don’t sell it as much don’t get rewarded,” Ionescu said. “And I think that’s just a tough way to play because you want to continue to play basketball at a really high level and not have to change the way you play because of the officiating and because of what’s being called. … I think that’s something that needs to continue to be a point of emphasis is we can’t let the game get to that.”

Ionescu said she understands fixes to officiating are a “work in progress” and acknowledged the Liberty didn’t lose Tuesday purely because of officiating.

“We’re never going to point the finger at it, at it being the refs or one thing or another,” she said, “because obviously that’s not something that we can control, but it’s something that we know is going to improve.”

Karmelo Anthony, a teenager convicted of killing Austin Metcalf, is pushing for a fresh trial and the appointment of a new judge for any subsequent legal matters in his case. This information was disclosed by his defense team.

In a swift decision made last month, a jury in Collin County, near Dallas, found the 19-year-old guilty in under three hours for the murder of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf. The incident occurred during a high school track event in April 2025.

The jury handed down a 35-year sentence to Anthony, dismissing his defense argument that the act was in self-defense.

In an effort to have Anthony’s conviction overturned, his legal representatives have filed for a retrial. They are also advocating for Judge John Roach, who initially led the June trial, to be removed from overseeing future case proceedings.

In their press release, Anthony’s attorneys stated, “The legal defense team representing Karmelo Anthony has filed a Verified Motion to Recuse, requesting that Judge John Roach be removed from presiding over all remaining post-trial proceedings.”

‘The defense has also filed a Motion for new trial, raising constitutional and legal challenges stemming from the trial, and is requesting that those issues be decided by an independent judge.’

Anthony’s new legal team did not explain why it is seeking Judge Roach’s removal.

But in a previous interview with the Daily Mail, attorney Lee Merritt – who is not a member of Anthony’s legal team but has been advising his family – outlined the arguments he expected would be raised in any appeal. 

The appeal would be based on multiple grounds, Merritt told the Daily Mail in June, including whether race was a factor given that no Black jurors served on the panel and whether Anthony received effective legal representation. 

Merritt accused Anthony’s previous attorneys Mike Howard and Toby Shook, who handled the trial, of providing a ‘complete lack of a defense’, claiming ‘they didn’t call basic witnesses either in the sentencing phase.’

‘They only called his mom, which is what you do when you have a murderer and no one else to testify for.’

After Anthony’s conviction, his parents asked Merritt to assemble a legal team to handle his appeal.

Michael Ware, the man who leads the Texas Innocence Project and helps get inmates off Death Row is part of that team, although Anthony is a client of Ware, not the Innocence Project.

Anthony and Metcalf had never met before the track meet, as they attended different high schools. 

But they were set on a collision course on the day of the meet when Metcalf’s coach instructed him to help guard Memorial High School’s team tent and prevent students from other schools from gathering underneath it.

Anthony, who attended a different school, sat beneath the Memorial tent and was asked to leave at least 15 times, prompting a verbal confrontation with Metcalf. 

As the argument escalated, Metcalf stepped toward Anthony to shove him. Anthony then pulled an open folding knife, which prosecutors said he had concealed in his backpack, and stabbed Metcalf before fleeing the tent. 

Metcalf died at the scene in the arms of his identical twin brother. 

After Anthony’s June 9 conviction, his parents asked Merritt to assemble a legal team to pursue an appeal. 

Roach did not immediately respond to Daily Mail’s request for comment. 

Metcalf’s family declined to comment. 

However, even if Anthony’s request is granted, it would take months, maybe years for a new trial. 

A judge would decide if there is any merit to the legal issues raised by Anthony and whether they merit a new trial. 

In the meantime, the convicted felon is being held at the Wallace Pack Unit, located near Navasota, Texas about an hour outside of Houston.

Anthony is in protective custody, not general population, at the men’s prison.