Florida Teen Sentenced to 50 Years After Pleading Guilty in 2024 Killings of Mother and Her Boyfriend

Trans Florida teen Julie Egler, 18, expressed remorse during her sentencing for killing her mother and her mom’s much-younger boyfriend.USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A Florida teenager has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the 2024 killings of her mother and her mother’s much-younger boyfriend — a case investigators said grew out of long-running family conflict before ending with an attempted cover-up.

Julia Egler, now 18, had originally faced two counts of first-degree premeditated murder in the deaths of her mother, Kelly McCollom, 38, and McCollom’s boyfriend, Matthew Szejnrok, 22.

Under a plea agreement, those charges were reduced to second-degree murder. Egler will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.

“I’m sorry,” Egler told the court during Friday’s sentencing. “I’m haunted by grief every day. I have shown that I can be rehabilitated. Please give me a chance to reintegrate back into society.”

Investigators Said Egler Waited for the Couple to Return Home

Kelly McCollom, 38, and her boyfriend Matthew Szejnrok, 22, both died at the scene.Family handout

According to the affidavit, Egler waited for McCollom and Szejnrok to arrive at their Palm Bay home in 2024.

When they returned, investigators said Egler greeted them with the words “welcome home” before using her mother’s .38-caliber revolver. Both McCollom and Szejnrok died at the scene.

Authorities said Egler later attempted to make the home appear as though it had been targeted by an intruder.

She called 911 and claimed that a man had broken into the house by smashing a sliding glass door with a hammer. When the dispatcher asked about the hammer, Egler said it was simply the family’s “house hammer” that had been nearby.

Her account began to unravel when she struggled to describe the supposed intruder, telling the operator: “Oh … it’s hard to remember.”

Investigators subsequently noticed evidence they believed contradicted the burglary story. Glass found on McCollom and on Szejnrok’s phone suggested to police that the sliding door had been broken after the killings.

Police also recovered the revolver outside Egler’s bedroom window, along with other physical evidence they said connected her to the scene.

Egler ultimately confessed after being taken in for questioning.

Police Pointed to Long-Running Conflict Inside the Family

Investigators said the killings followed years of tension between Egler and her mother.

Palm Bay Police Lieutenant Virginia Kilmer said Egler cited “long-standing conflicts with her mother,” including disagreements surrounding Egler’s gender transition and her disapproval of McCollom’s relationship with Szejnrok, as motives for the crime.

Egler, who was born female, had expressed a desire to transition to male, according to the supplied report.

The affidavit also stated that Egler objected to the significant age difference between her 38-year-old mother and Szejnrok, who was 22.

Authorities additionally referenced two previous abuse-related allegations connected to members of the family. One involved Egler’s biological father roughly 11 years earlier, while another concerned an allegation that Szejnrok grabbed McCollom during a public argument. Those charges were ultimately dropped.

Victim’s Brother Reveals He Was Only 75 Feet Away

Egler claimed to 911 that a man broke into their home with a hammer.USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the most emotional moments of the sentencing came from Szejnrok’s brother, David, who lived next door to the home where the killings occurred.

David told the court that he was home at the time but initially mistook the sounds he heard for fireworks.

“I was 75 feet away from my brother and had no idea he was fighting for his life,” he said.

For David, the consequences extended beyond losing his brother. The crime also permanently changed what home meant to his family.

“Her actions didn’t just take my brother, they ruined our home,” he told the court. “There isn’t a sentence that will bring my brother back.”

With the plea agreement accepted, Egler will now serve a 50-year prison sentence, with the possibility of parole after 25 years.