Dominic Russo’s sister, Christine Russo, reacted angrily to a recorded prison phone call in which Mackenzie Shirilla discussed male pen pals with her mother, Natalie Shirilla—urging her to “go to therapy” and get help.
A newly surfaced prison phone call has ignited fresh anger from Dominic Russo’s family—after Mackenzie Shirilla, who is serving time behind bars, gushed about men she says she’s been talking to.
In the call. Mackenzie spoke with her mom. Natalie Shirilla. about the male admirers she has while serving two concurrent sentences of 15 years to life for murdering Dominic and Davion Flanagan in a brutal car crash. Dominic and Davion’s names sit at the center of the case. but what Christine Russo focused on was what happened during the call: Mackenzie appeared to celebrate the attention.
Mackenzie specifically talked about a man named Kevin, saying, “I love him. I don’t know who that is, but I love him. I don’t know how old he is. I don’t even really care that much. I just love him. Like, he’s so fun to talk to.”
She also name-dropped other guys she likes talking to—Sam and Phil—and then added, “It’s all boys. That’s so bad.”
Christine Russo. who participated in the new Netflix documentary about Dominic’s death. The Crash. listened to the phone call and responded with sharp criticism. Speaking out on Friday. she said Mackenzie seems to know her calls are being recorded and that people are reviewing them. Christine suggested Mackenzie was choosing her words carefully.
Then she turned her frustration toward Natalie Shirilla, arguing the mother was enabling behavior Christine believes is harmful.
“She knows now her calls are recorded and that people have been reviewing them. you can tell how she’s carefully using her words. And I think it’s sad her mother condones her talking to strange men she doesn’t know. Like I said 100 times. and I’ll say it again till the day I die. that woman needs to tell her daughter to pick up a Bible and beg the Lord to save her soul. NOT WORRY ABOUT STRANGE OLDER MEN. GO TO THERAPY, GET HELP FOR YOUR KID.”.
Christine’s reaction carries the emotional weight of a family still processing Dominic’s death—and the mismatch between the case’s brutality and Mackenzie’s tone about “pen pals.”
A key detail remains unclear in the newly surfaced call: it is unknown when it took place, including whether Mackenzie was speaking this way before or after she had a prison girlfriend.
Christine also pointed to Mackenzie’s broader prison trouble. As previously reported. Mackenzie has allegedly been caught engaging in a sexually explicit video call with a visitor after getting locked up in 2023. Christine framed that alleged conduct as part of why Mackenzie’s efforts to fight for release may be undermined by her behavior.
Dominic Russo’s family now has a new flashpoint—one that turns on what was said during a recorded conversation, and how Christine believes it reflects what she and her family see as a lack of accountability and help.
Dominic Russo Mackenzie Shirilla Natalie Shirilla Davion Flanagan The Crash Netflix documentary prison phone call pen pals Kevin Christine Russo Dominic Russo’s sister prison girlfriend go to therapy
Therapy should’ve been the headline from day one.
Idk why people are “gushing” about pen pals in jail?? Like what does that even mean for the case. Also the family saying the mom is enabling… sounds like mom knew everything already.
Wait so they’re mad she said she likes boys? But she’s in prison for a murder so everyone’s gonna act like it’s evil or whatever. I’m confused why the Netflix doc is focusing on dating talk when the crash part is the real tragedy. Unless the call proves something I guess.
I saw this on TikTok and it made me mad for some reason. Like “go to therapy” is such a simple thing to say when someone killed people. Also if her calls are recorded, how is she even saying that stuff unless she’s trying to manipulate the narrative? And the mom should’ve shut it down. Sad all around.