Mackenzie Shirilla Spoke to Her Mom in a 'Secret Language'-and What She Allegedly Said Will Blow Your Mind

Netflix's new documentary, The Crash, is taking the world by storm following its May 15 release. The doc tells the story of Mackenzie Shirilla-a 17-year-old who drove her car into a brick building going 100 mph, killing her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan, on July 31, 2022, in Strongsville, Ohio.

Shirilla, who somehow survived the gruesome crash, claims she has no recollection of what happened that morning. After reviewing evidence, including some disturbing camera footage, Shirilla was arrested on murder charges. A judge found her guilty on 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, and sentenced her to 15 years to life in prison back in August 2023.

On May 21, 2026, People magazine reported that Shirilla was using a made-up language while speaking to her mom, Natalie Shirilla. Per the report, prosecutors were able to decode the language, which is spoken by adding "ezza" after each syllable of a given word. In one conversation that happened while Mackenzie was in the hospital prior to her arrest, prosecutors say she asked her mother a very specific question: "Can we tell the police I had a seizure?"

Prosecutors believe this one question proves that Mackenzie was trying to cover-up an intentional crime.

On The Crash, Natalie suggests that her daughter may have suffered some kind of medical episode due to her prior diagnosis of POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), which can cause low blood pressure.

Mackenzie, now 21, is serving her sentence at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. She is eligible for parole in 2037.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 6:18 AM.