On July 7, 2024, at approximately 12:06 AM, the Palm Bay Police Department received a 911 call from Julia Egler, 17, reporting a break-in at her residence. Julia told the dispatcher that an unknown male, about 5’8″ tall, had broken into the house through the back sliding glass door using a hammer found in the backyard. Julia, hysterical throughout the 9-minute call, did not mention the presence of her mother or her mother’s boyfriend in the home.
When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered a grisly scene. In the living room, they found the body of Julia’s mother, Kelley McColom (42 years old), and in the bathroom, the body of Kelley’s boyfriend, Matthew Szejnrok (22 years old). Both had suffered gunshot wounds. Multiple shell casings were found near Matthew’s body, and it quickly became evident that this was a double homicide.
Detective Brown spoke briefly with Julia outside the residence. She recounted that she had been home alone in the living room when she heard someone trying to break in. She grabbed her dogs and locked herself in her bedroom, leaving her phone on the couch. She reported hearing the intruder make loud noises, believing he kicked in Kelley’s bedroom door. She said the barking of her pit bulls deterred the intruder from entering her room. Julia remained in her bedroom even after hearing Kelley and Matthew return home, followed by gunshots and screams. She stayed in her room for about an hour before exiting, only to discover the bodies of Kelley and Matthew.
Upon searching the residence, officers found significant evidence suggesting a different narrative. Blood droplets led to the bathroom where Matthew’s body lay. A silver .38 Special revolver was found in the backyard, underneath Julia’s bedroom window. The glass from the shattered back door was on top of the bloody footprints and on top of Matthew’s cell phone, contradicting Julia’s timeline. Surveillance footage confirmed that Kelley and Matthew arrived home at 10:34 PM, with no motion detected until officers arrived at 12:12 AM.
