Palm Bay, Florida — A Florida teenager who waited inside her family home for her mother and her mother’s boyfriend to return, then greeted them by saying “Welcome home” before opening fire, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Julia Egler, 18, of Palm Bay, pleaded guilty Friday, Sept. 25, to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of her mother, Kelley McCollum, 38, and Matthew Szejnork, 22, according to the Office of the State Attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped the original charges of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. The agreement allowed Egler to avoid a trial and the possibility of a life sentence.
Teen Was 16 When the Murders Happened
Egler was 16 years old when the killings occurred in July 2024. During Friday’s court hearing, she described herself as a child who made what she characterized as a terrible decision.
“I was just a kid who made a bad decision,” Egler said, according to Fox 35 Orlando. “The gun just happened to be in here. I didn’t plan what I did. I just did it.”
According to charging documents, investigators said Egler had ongoing disagreements with her mother.
Police alleged that Egler disapproved of her mother’s relationship with Szejnork, who was considerably younger than McCollum. Investigators also said McCollum did not approve of Egler’s gender transition.
The disagreements became part of the investigation into what happened inside the family’s Palm Bay home.
Police Initially Responded to an Intruder Call
Just after midnight on July 7, 2024, Palm Bay police officers responded to what authorities described as a frantic 911 call from Egler.
She told the dispatcher that an unknown intruder had broken into the family’s home on Benchor Road SE and claimed she was hiding inside a bedroom.
When officers arrived, however, they discovered McCollum dead from multiple gunshot wounds in the living room. Szejnork was found in a bathroom. He had suffered gunshot wounds as well as multiple stab wounds, according to authorities.
Investigators quickly began questioning Egler’s account of what had happened.
Evidence Contradicted the Break-In Story
According to the State Attorney’s Office, detectives found physical evidence inside the home that did not support the claim that an unknown person had entered the property.
Authorities noted no signs of forced entry, while the positioning of evidence inside the house also conflicted with Egler’s description of an intruder attack.
Investigators also discovered bloody footprints that matched Egler’s shoes, according to reports at the time.
As detectives continued interviewing her, Egler eventually broke down and confessed to staging the supposed break-in, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors Say She Waited for Them to Return
According to charging documents, Egler told investigators that she took a gun from her mother’s bedroom and then waited in the kitchen for McCollum and Szejnork to come home.
When they entered the kitchen, police said Egler was waiting with the firearm and had a chef’s knife in her pocket.
“Welcome home,” Egler told them, according to her statement to investigators.
She then admitted to shooting them several times. After she ran out of ammunition, prosecutors said Egler began stabbing Szejnork, who was described as “fighting for his life.”
Authorities said Egler later told detectives that Szejnork “essentially asked (Egler) to take him out of his misery.” She then allegedly went into her mother’s bedroom to obtain additional ammunition before returning to the kitchen and shooting Szejnork in the head.
Egler Will Face Decades Behind Bars
Under the plea agreement, Egler received a 50-year prison sentence for the two killings. Because she was 16 at the time of the crimes, however, she will be required to serve a mandatory minimum of 25 years before becoming eligible for a sentence review based on her age at the time of the offense.
After completing her prison sentence, Egler will also be required to undergo a mental health evaluation and serve 20 years of supervised probation, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
The sentence brings a legal conclusion to a case that began with what investigators initially believed was a home-invasion report before evidence pointed back toward someone inside the family home.
Victim’s Brother Speaks in Court
During the sentencing hearing, Dustin Szejnork, Matthew Szejnork’s brother, delivered a victim impact statement describing the lasting effect of the killings on his family. He told the court that his family still lives next door to the house where the murders occurred.
“Her actions didn’t just take my brother, they ruined our home,” he said. “There isn’t a sentence that will bring my brother back.”
What are your thoughts on the sentence in this case? Share your reaction in the comments below.
