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LISTEN: Palm Bay police release 911 call made by teen accused of killing mom, mom’s boyfriend

Julia Grace Egler, 16, faces 1st-degree premeditated murder charge

PALM BAY, Fla. – The Palm Bay Police Department on Wednesday released a 911 call made by a 16-year-old girl accused of killing her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.

Julia Grace Egler, 16, faces two counts of first-degree murder. News 6 is naming Egler due to the circumstances of the case.

According to the Palm Bay Police Department, Egler made a 911 call claiming that a man broke into the home. When police arrived, they found the girl’s mother, Kelley McCollom, 38, and the mother’s boyfriend, Matthew Szejnrok, 22, dead in the home, officials said.

In the 911 call, Egler told the dispatcher that a man broke into the home and that she hid in her room with her two dogs. She said her mom and her mother’s boyfriend were out shopping during the break-in.

[LISTEN TO FULL 911 CALL BELOW]

“You still have your dogs with you?” the dispatcher asks.

“They’re still in my room. I didn’t let them out because I didn’t want them getting blood all over their paws,” Egler responds about 7 minutes into the call.

“Wait, did you say blood all over their paws? Is there blood inside your house?” the dispatcher says. “... Whose blood is it?”

Later, the dispatcher asked, “Do you know if anyone is hurt at your house?”

The girl cries before appearing to say, “They’re dead.”

Palm Bay police said Egler shot and killed her mother before shooting the mother’s boyfriend and stabbing him repeatedly. The police department said Egler told officers she was upset with mother for not accepting her gender transition. Police added that Egler also didn’t like the fact that her mother was dating Szejnrok, who was 16 years younger than her mom.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Egler told police she grabbed a revolver from her mother’s room and waited for the two arrive home.

“When they walked through the front door, she told them ‘Welcome home,’” the report said, before firing shots at the two.

Egler was arrested and transferred to the Juvenile Detention Center.


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About the Author
Brenda Argueta headshot

Brenda Argueta is a digital journalist who joined ClickOrlando.com in March 2021. She is the author of the Central Florida Happenings newsletter that goes out every Thursday.

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