Dominic Russo was killed when his girlfriend, Mackenzie Shirilla, crashed her car into a brick wall in July 2022
NEED TO KNOW
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The 20-year-old's family members initially stood by Mackenzie before realizing the crash may have been intentional
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Dominic's dad, Frank Russo, and older sister, Christine Russo, were both interviewed for the Netflix documentary The Crash
Dominic Russowas just 20 years old when he waskilled in a high-speed car crash.
Dominic began datingMackenzie Shirillawhen she was a freshman in high school, and they started living together after she graduated high school. Although the two were called inseparable, they also struggled with challenges in their relationship — including trust issues and volatile behavior.
On July 31, 2022, Mackenzie, who was 17 at the time, was driving Dominic and their friend, 19-year-oldDavion Flanagan, home from a party in the early morning hours. Within a few moments, Mackenzie suddenly accelerated her car to 100 mph and crashed it into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio.
Both Dominic and Davion were killed in the crash, while Mackenzie was hospitalized for her injuries and survived. Mackenzie vehemently maintained that the crash was an accident and that she didn't remember the moments leading up to it. However, she was arrested in November 2022 and wasconvicted of Dominic and Davion's murdersthe following March.
While Dominic's parents and family members initially stood by Mackenzie and believed her story, they have since changed their minds and have expressed mixed opinions after seeingvideo footage of Mackenzie's pre-crash behavior.
Both Dominic's dad Frank and sister Christine, opened up about their love for their son and his tragic death in the Netflix documentary,The Crash, which came to the streamer on May 15.
Here's everything to know about where Dominic Russo's family is now.
Who was Dominic Russo?
Dominic was raised in Strongsville, Ohio, and had a close relationship with his parents, Christine and Frank, and his siblings.
“He literally was just starting his life... and he was just a baby. So he had his whole life ahead of him," his sister Christine told PEOPLE in 2023.
Christine described her younger brother as kind, funny and caring.
"He was the most doting and proud uncle to our children," she said. "He was so loved, and he is so indescribably missed. I'm so proud to call him my brother.”
The older sister also participated in the Netflix documentary with some of her other family members and later toldNBC Newsthat the grief has "gotten worse."
"As time goes, we're missing him more as different stages of grief are hitting,” she explained. “Since the sentencing, it's appeal after appeal after appeal. There's no resting; there's no finding peace. It's just constant, like them slapping it again in our face every six months.”
Meanwhile, Dominic's father, Frank, said that his son was a "go-getter" who loved music and basketball.
“He was opening up his own clothing line, he was not average kid, I'll tell you that,” Frank toldNBC Newsin 2023.
What happened to Dominic?
Around 5 a.m. on July 31, 2022, Mackenzie started driving Dominic and Davion home from a graduation party. Thirty-six minutes later, she slammed her 2018 Toyota Camry into a brick wall.
Dominic and Davion were pronounced dead at the scene, while Mackenzie was rushed to the hospital and treated for various injuries, including multiple bone fractures.
When investigating the deadly crash, authorities learned that the interior of the car had "exploded" upon impact, Assistant Prosecutor Tim Troup said inThe Crash.Forensic auto investigators subsequently conducted an in-depth investigation that determined Mackenzie had accelerated the car to an estimated 100 mph in the moments before the crash.
The investigation also found that there were no technological malfunctions that caused the car to inexplicably speed up. The Camry's "black box" revealed that the accelerator pedal was pressed 100% down with no indication of braking.
“Three seconds before the impact, there was some steering input: Right movement, left movement and then a hard right movement,” Sergeant Ryan Fox of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in the doc. “It shifted from drive into neutral, back into drive again.”
Mackenzie's bloodwork tested positive solely for THC and psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana were found in the car. Her attorneys later argued that she could have unconsciously crashed the car as a result of a medical emergency.
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After a three-month investigation, Mackenzie was ultimately arrested in connection with Dominic and Davion's deaths. She was charged with four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault, two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of drug possession and one count of possessing criminal tools.
“The evidence all comes together to show: This was not an accident,” Troup said in the Netflix doc.
In August 2023, Mackenzie wassentenced to two concurrent terms of 15 years to life in prisonwith credit for time served and a permanent suspension of her driver's license.
What have Dominic's family members said about his death?
Shortly after losing their beloved family member, Dominic's parents initially supported Mackenzie and believed that the crash was an accident.
However, in September 2022, Dominic's brother, Angelo, started speaking with authorities and admitted that his brother and Mackenzie's relationship was far from perfect. Angelo also claimed that Dominic tried breaking up with Mackenzie several times and shared video footage of Mackenzie allegedly trying to break into Dominic's home after he wouldn't let her inside.
“Dom tried to break up with her multiple times,” Angelo told police, per footage shown inThe Crash. “Dom would have to call Kenzie's parents, call her mom and stuff, and say, ‘Hey, you need to get Kenzie out of here. She's refusing to leave my house; she's being crazy.' "
Dominic's sister Christine told police that she knew they were fighting but also thought it was a tragic accident.
"You know, they were kids. Accidents happen all the time like that," Christine said inThe Crash. "You never in a million years think, 'This girl killed your brother.' "
Upon seeing the footage of Mackenzie trying to break into Dominic's house, the Russo family's opinions changed, and many of them believed that Mackenzie had intentionally killed Dominic. Both Dominic's mom and brother Angelo ended up testifying in court about the couple's allegedly volatile relationship.
Even though many of the Russo family members came to the same conclusion about what happened to Dominic, not all of them agreed on Mackenzie's sentencing.
“It's horrible for everybody. Yeah, I lost my son, it's harder on our family, but I don't want the rest of her life ruined too. It isn't going to make me feel any better,” Frank told NBC News at the time. "The whole thing's just a shame."
Frank added, "She's just a little kid. She f---ed up. She did a damn stupid thing but now her parents are destroyed, her family's destroyed too. I wish there was a way she could get some kind of help, some kind of treatment.”
However, his sister Christine told PEOPLE that she disagreed with the sentencing for different reasons.
“I feel like the sentences should have been [run] consecutively,” she said. “I can't imagine how I would feel if Mackenzie got out in 14 years. My brother's life and Davion's life was completely stolen. They don't get out in 15 years. They don't come back in 15 years. They don't get any chance to live a life.”
Dominic's mom,Christine, spoke at Mackenzie's sentencingand said that "evidence and science proved" she "murdered my son Dominic, as well as Davion."
"Time does not heal this wound," she emotionally shared. "Mackenzie is going to prison because you did this. Be thankful that you're still alive and have a future, whatever that may be. Dom and Davion were robbed of their futures, their hopes and their dreams. Mackenzie showed no mercy on Dom, nor did she on Davion. Only God at this time can have mercy on her soul."
Where is Dominic Russo's family now?
In the years since Dominic tragically died, his family members have either taken a step out of the public eye or continued advocating for him.
Both Frank and his daughter, Christine, appeared inThe Crashwhere they opened up about Dominic's death and legacy. The two further slammed Mackenzie for trying to get her conviction appealed.
"She actually intentionally murdered him," Christine said of Mackenzie in the doc, while later adding, "She got 15 years, that's nothing."
Since the documentary was released on May 15, Christine hasaccusedThe Crashfilmmakers of lyingabout aspects of the case and only using interviews from Mackenzie's friends. She went on to launch a podcast,The Big Sister: Unhinged, where she says she is "working tirelessly to reclaim his narrative from media sensationalism and misinformation."
"A central focus of her work is debunking lies and defending Dominic's character," the description reads. "She dives into the realities of public tragedies and the warning signs of toxic relationships, offering a platform where victims' families can find clarity. Based in Ohio, Christine remains a pillar of the Russo family, dedicated to advocacy and ensuring Dominic and his friend Davion are remembered for the truth of who they were and the lives they lived."
Read the original article onPeople
