We already know the opening scene of a Netflix murder documentary: an empty seat, a person walks in seemingly mid-set-up, then they say something about how their hometown was once close-knit. Debates have raged on about turning tragedies into entertainment for years and now a school in Ohio has become the first institution to put its foot down.
Netflix is still licking its wounds from a failed merger with Warner Bros. and now isn’t the time to think about changing the formula in one of its biggest sources of streams. The latest Netflix documentary is called The Crash and focuses on a murder case in Ohio, which followed a juvenile who was tried as an adult for aggravated vehicular homicide.
In 2022, Mackenzie Shirilla, 17 at the time, was driving a 2018 Toyota Camry with Russo, 20, and Flanagan, 19, as her passengers. Shirilla was reportedly driving 100 miles per hour in Strongsville and drove into a brick building. Russo and Flanagan died on the spot. And to make matters worse, Shirilla was found to have been driving under the influence of marijuana.
After months-long deliberations, Shirilla was found guilty of 12 counts, including murder, specifically because she was found to have THC levels that exceeded the legal limit for driving in Ohio. Cuyahoga County Judge Nancy Russo told Shirilla that she “chose a course of death and destruction.” She eventually received two consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole until 2037. Still, Shirilla’s father, Steve Shirilla, saw things a little differently.
“I don’t have a problem with her smoking dope”
Steve was given the Netflix documentary treatment that many are familiar with right now. He was asked one simple question: what he thought about his daughter using cannabis before the accident that ended up changing so many people’s lives. Steve responded, “I don’t have a problem with her smoking dope.” He continued, “If you’re going to smoke a drug, that’s the one I believe you should take.”
Steve was an art and digital media teacher at the local Mary Queen of Peace School, and immediately after the documentary was released, the elementary school received negative attention and threats from people who didn’t like Steve’s comments. Eventually, the school administrators decided to place him on administrative leave because he “demonstrated poor judgment.”
According to The Independent, an anonymous parent defended Steve, saying, “The administrative leave he was placed on was not for actions he has done at the school itself and was as a result of the backlash of the community. There is no reason to be threatening an elementary school.”
Steve, on the other hand, said that the documentary engaged in creative editing and ended up removing what he said from the relevant context. Ultimately, this is not the first time a Netflix murder doc has attracted controversy. Beyond prematurely canceling TV shows, one could make a compelling argument that these murder documentaries are among the main gripes a large number of fans and critics have with the platform.
TV shows will always prioritize dramatic effect over a cold layout of a story, the downside is that some people in real life end up being affected.
