A newly surfaced alleged text from Mackenzie Shirilla’s late boyfriend Dominic Russo—four weeks before the July 31, 2022 crash that killed him—describes “very much” limited time on earth and a relationship caught in a weekly cycle of fighting.
Four weeks before the July 31, 2022 crash that killed Dominic Russo, the then-20-year-old allegedly sent a message that sounded less like romance and more like a warning.
In a Tuesday, May 26 report, Russo’s alleged text to Shirilla—sent in the days leading up to his death—reads: “Kenzie you know I love you but I don’t think we should be together at this point, there isn’t very much time on earth,” before adding more about the strain between them.
That alleged message also included a blunt look at their relationship. with the screenshot describing a “breakup fight every week” and pleading to end the conflict: “I’d like to think we could stop fighting but it’s a breakup fight every week neither of us deserve. ” the text reportedly said. It went on, “I don’t wanna fight all the time [and I know] you don’t either. Anyone who’s around anyone every day of the week is bound to fight. If we can’t separate for a little then we are only going to fight more.”.
In the same report, Shirilla’s account of the crash remains unchanged. She has maintained that the early morning July 2022 incident was caused by blacking out behind the wheel due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Her friend Davion Flanagan also died as a result of the incident. The Cleveland Clinic describes POTS as a condition that affects transitioning from “lying down to standing up. such as a fast heart rate. dizziness and fatigue.”.
After Netflix released The Crash—filmed with Shirilla from behind bars—she expressed remorse for the deaths of Russo and Flanagan while stating that her POTS diagnosis caused the crash. The documentary was released on May 15.
The alleged July 2. 2022 text attributed Russo’s fear and urgency to the relationship’s future. concluding: “I don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you. I wish it could work. but I don’t think it’s going to at this point especially with the threats. We should just break up so we can both find happiness somewhere else.” The report states the text was sent on July 2. 2022.
Russo died at the age of 20 in the high-speed crash, which prosecutors later described as a botched murder-suicide attempt. Their argument leaned on the vehicle’s speed of 100 mph and the absence of braking before the vehicle slammed into a brick wall.
Shirilla, now 21, was convicted in 2023. She is currently serving two concurrent life sentences behind bars as a result of the incident and has maintained her explanation centered on POTS. At trial. she was convicted of 12 felony charges: four counts of murder. four counts of felonious assault. two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. and one count each of drug possession and possessing criminal tools.
The new report also adds details beyond the alleged text itself. It says Shirilla texted Russo’s brother after Russo’s death to ask that the family place photos of the former couple within his grave “so he can be with me forever.” The outlet also reported that Shirilla reached out to Russo’s mother to tell her she was considering hypnosis in an attempt to recover memories from the incident.
Inside the documentary conversation, controversy hasn’t stopped with the crash itself. In connection with The Crash. a former inmate claimed Shirilla is nothing like the remorseful prisoner she’s depicted as in the true crime documentary. saying: “When she walked out in the documentary. my jaw literally dropped. because her demeanor and the way that she looked was nothing like the person I was […]”. Another former inmate. Mary Katherine “Kat” Crowder. shared claims that Shirilla didn’t show “remorse” behind bars and wanted to “be like” the Mean Girls character Regina George.
With parole eligibility set for 2037. Shirilla’s case continues to live on two tracks at once: the medical explanation she has offered for why she blacked out. and the relationship details—at least those reflected in the alleged July 2. 2022 message—that portray a romance shadowed by fear. fighting. and a belief that time was running out.
An earlier alleged thread of tension now sits next to the moment prosecutors framed as intentional violence—making the timeline feel heavier, not clearer.
Mackenzie Shirilla Dominic Russo The Crash Netflix documentary POTS July 31 2022 crash Davion Flanagan TMZ report parole 2037 aggravated vehicular homicide murder charges