Mackenzie Shirilla's Friend Told Her in Jail Call that Slain Boyfriend Was Her 'Guardian Angel' (Exclusive)

Key Points:

• Mackenzie Shirilla, convicted of murder and aggravated vehicular homicide for a 2022 crash that killed her boyfriend Dominic Russo and friend Davion Flanagan, received supportive messages from friends during a jail call, with one referring to Russo as her "guardian angel."
• Shirilla, who was 17 at the time of the crash, has maintained the incident was unintentional, attributing it to a blackout caused by her medical condition, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
• Prosecutors argued the crash was a failed murder-suicide attempt, citing car data showing the accelerator was floored and brakes unused before impact, as well as prior threats Shirilla allegedly made against Russo.
• In jail calls obtained by PEOPLE, Shirilla expressed a desire to go home and discussed staying in touch with friends; she is currently serving two concurrent 15-year-to-life sentences and will be eligible for parole in 2037.
• The case and Shirilla’s perspective were featured in the Netflix documentary The Crash, which included interviews and jail call recordings revealing her view of herself as a "third victim" and her resistance to rehabilitation.