Florida Teen Pleads Guilty to Double Murder, Sentenced to 50 Years

A transgender teenager in Florida has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murders of her mother and the mother's 22-year-old boyfriend. Julia Egler, 18, accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder in the July 2024 shooting deaths of Kelly McCollom, 38, and Matthew Szejnrok, 22.

Egler stated in court that she was haunted by grief and sought a chance for rehabilitation. At the time of the murders, Egler was 16 years old. Authorities indicated that Egler was motivated by disapproval of her mother dating a significantly younger man, and also by her mother's alleged lack of approval for Egler's gender transition. Court documents referred to Egler as Julia, while Egler told detectives her preferred name is Jasper and she wished to transition to male.

Following the incident, Egler made a frantic 911 call, claiming an intruder had broken into the home. She initially told the operator that a man had entered through a sliding glass door using a hammer, but her account unraveled when police arrived at the scene. Detectives observed broken glass on McCollom's leg and Szejnrok's phone, suggesting the glass was broken after their deaths. Evidence found at the scene included a revolver outside Egler's bedroom window, a bloodstained knife in the bathroom, and footprints matching Egler's shoes. No external cameras captured any sign of an intruder.

During questioning, Egler confessed to the double homicide. She told authorities she had stolen her mother's gun and waited in the kitchen with the weapon and a knife. She admitted to confronting her mother and Szejnrok upon their arrival and opening fire on her mother. When the gun was empty, Egler reportedly used the knife on Szejnrok before reloading the revolver and shooting him in the head. Egler also admitted to staging the scene to resemble a home invasion, stating she had "reached her boiling point" after ongoing disagreements with her mother.

Palm Bay Police Lieutenant Virginia Kilmer stated that conflicts over Egler's gender transition and her mother's relationship with Szejnrok were cited as motives. Egler, born female, had been attempting to transition during her teenage years.

Police investigated past domestic incidents involving the family, including an alleged abuse incident involving Egler's biological father about 11 years prior and an incident involving Szejnrok in April 2024, according to Florida Today. In the latter case, Szejnrok was accused of grabbing McCollom during a public argument, but charges were dismissed.

David Szejnrok, Matthew Szejnrok's brother, who lived next door, told the court that he was unaware his brother was in danger at the time. He stated that Egler's actions not only took his brother's life but also devastated their family.

Egler was initially charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Under the terms of the plea agreement, she will be eligible for parole after serving 25 years of her 50-year sentence.