Mackenzie Shirilla’s mother, Natalie Shirilla, revealed that her daughter has gained weight and looks healthier as she serves her two concurrent 15 years to life sentence in prison for a fatal car crash that killed her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend Davion Flanagan.
“She’s actually gained a little bit of weight, she looks healthier,” Natalie, 51, told The Daily Mail of Mackenzie, 21, in an interview published on Sunday, June 14.
While Natalie said that Mackenzie is doing “physically better,” she added that “she’s still mentally struggling.”
Mackenzie was arrested after she drove 100 mph into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio, in July 2022. Russo, 20, and Flanagan, 19, died in the car crash, while Mackenzie sustained severe injuries.
She was convicted of 12 felony charges in 2023, including murder, felonious assault and aggravated vehicular homicide. Following a high-profile trial, Mackenzie was sentenced to serve two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life in prison. She is currently in custody at the Ohio Reformatory for Women.
Despite being found guilty, Mackenzie has maintained her innocence and insisted she never intended to kill Russo or Flanagan in Netflix’s May documentary The Crash.
Also during the interview, Natalie said she’s not worried about Mackenzie being bullied behind bars because she knows how to stand up for herself.
“I think some people get targeted at times but it’s not something she talks about,” she said. “She’s not afraid to stand up for herself. We talk about how to navigate through those situations.”
Natalie added that she is under the impression that “the women really take care of each other” in the prison.
Mackenzie is also keeping busy by spending her time painting and drawing, according to the mother.
“She listens to music or watches movies,” Natalie said. “They have tablets that have controlled apps. They can’t access the Internet but they can watch movies or listen to music. They also have a gym and can take fitness classes.”
Additionally, Us Weekly previously reported that Mackenzie recently took on a job as a food service worker at the prison.
A prison spokesperson confirmed her job to Us on Thursday, June 11, as well as explained that inmates can make up to $24 per month. However, the spokesperson did not confirm exactly what Mackenzie’s income is.
Mackenzie’s new job was revealed after a prison phone call between her and Natalie was released, in which Mackenzie complained she was bored behind bars.
At one point during the conversation, Mackenzie complained about how slowly time moved for her. “Like it’s only 3:30, how is it only 3:30?” she asked, according to the call obtained by TMZ. “For real I did not even know it was 3:30 I thought it was like 5. It’s 3:30.”
