Netflix’s ‘The Crash’ Reopens Wounds—And Christine Russo Is Fighting Back
https://www.tmz.com/2026/05/28/dominic-russo-sister-slams-mackenzie-shirilla/
Netflix’s “The Crash” was the streaming service’s most-watched movie last week, but Dominic Russo’s sister Christine is ripping her brother’s murderer, Mackenzie Shirilla, over the fame, notoriety, and money flowing her way in the wake of the doc. And she’s not just talking—she’s legislating.
The documentary chronicles how Shirilla deliberately drove a car into a brick wall at 100 miles per hour in Strongsville, Ohio in 2022, killing Russo and their mutual friend Davion Flanagan. Shirilla was convicted of murder in 2023 and sentenced to 15 years, making her eligible for parole in roughly a decade. The case already blew up online years ago—now, with the documentary premiering on Netflix on May 15, it’s viral all over again.
What’s burning Christine up isn’t just that the story’s back in rotation. It’s what her brother’s killer is allegedly doing with the attention. Text messages suggest Shirilla is still manipulating people in prison, using coded language with her mother to avoid detection. Shirilla laid in a hospital bed making TikToks within hours of killing two people, according to Christine. The prison has apparently become another platform.
Enter “Dom’s Law.” The petition, known as “Dom’s Law,” is named in honor of Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan—and called “Victims Before Influencers: Modernizing the Son of Sam’s Law.” Ohio’s Son of Sam’s Law prevents criminals from profiting off violent crimes, but it was written in the 1970s and basically covered book sales, journals, and news articles—not social media. The new law would cover social media. A modernized Ohio law would require disclosure of monetized social media accounts, sponsorships, documentaries, merchandise, podcasts, online fundraising and business arrangements connected to crime-based notoriety.
Christine is also launching a foundation in her brother’s name to sponsor underprivileged kids in basketball, a sport that was central to their bond growing up. But the legislative push hits different. She’s not asking for sympathy—she’s building something that could actually protect future victims’ families from watching their tragedy become somebody else’s brand.
The 16BARS take: Christine Russo isn’t just grieving—she’s weaponizing her platform to change the game. If “Dom’s Law” passes, it rewrites how Gen Z criminals monetize notoriety, and that’s a W the whole culture should get behind.