On July 7, 2024, Matthew Szejnrok, a 22-year-old resident of Palm Bay, Florida, and his girlfriend, Kelley McCollom, 41, were fatally attacked in their home. The perpetrator was McCollom's 16-year-old daughter, Julia Egler.
The events unfolded late on the night of July 6, when Egler, who had been experiencing longstanding conflicts with her mother, particularly over her gender transition and her mother's relationship with Szejnrok, decided to act.
Egler stole a .38-caliber handgun and a chef’s knife from her mother’s bedroom and waited in the kitchen for the couple to return home. When McCollom and Szejnrok arrived, Egler greeted them with "Welcome home" before drawing the gun and shooting her mother multiple times. She then turned the gun on Szejnrok, who pleaded for her to stop as she shot him repeatedly.
After running out of ammunition, Egler followed Szejnrok into the bathroom, where she stabbed him repeatedly with the chef’s knife. When Szejnrok asked her to "put him out of his misery," Egler retrieved another bullet from her mother's bedroom and shot him in the head, killing him.
Following the murders, Egler called 911 and reported that an unknown male intruder had broken into the house and killed the couple, claiming she had hidden in her bedroom with her dogs. However, police quickly became suspicious of her story due to inconsistencies and evidence found at the scene, including a gun under her bedroom window and bloody footprints matching her shoes. During the investigation, Egler eventually confessed to the crimes.
Szejnrok, originally from New Jersey, had moved to Florida in 2022 seeking a fresh start after his mother's death from COVID-19 complications in 2021. He was a 2020 graduate of North Brunswick Township High School and was remembered for his loving nature, infectious laughter, and kind heart.
Egler has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder and is currently in custody at the Juvenile Detention Center in Sharpes, Florida. The motive behind the killings was attributed to Egler's deep-seated resentment towards her mother's relationship with Szejnrok and the ongoing disagreements about her gender transition.
