Julia Egler, 18, received a 50‑year prison term in Florida after pleading guilty to the July 7, 2024 murders of her mother Kelley McCollom and her boyfriend Matthew Szejnrok in Palm Bay.
The killings unfolded just after midnight when Egler, who was 16 at the time, staged a fake burglary, grabbed a .38‑calibre revolver from her mother’s bedroom, and waited for the couple to return.
She greeted them with a false “Welcome home,” then opened fire, killing McCollom in the living room and stabbing Szejnrok in the bathroom after the gun ran out of rounds.
Prosecutors originally charged Egler with two counts of first‑degree premeditated murder, but a negotiated plea agreement reduced the charges to second‑degree murder, a move approved by the victims’ families.
Judge Michelle Naberhaus set the 50‑year sentence, mandating a 25‑year minimum before any review and requiring a 20‑year supervised probation period after release.
The case underscores the high‑stakes intersection of juvenile law and adult‑level violence, leaving the community to grapple with the loss of a 36‑year‑old mother and a 22‑year‑old boyfriend, while the state moves forward with the enforcement of the sentence.