VIERA, Fla. (Court TV) — A teenager who admitted to killing his mother and her boyfriend is heading to prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors that could see him walk free after 25 years.
Jasper Egler appears in court after pleading guilty on Sept. 25, 2026. (Court TV)
Jasper Egler, 18, was only 16 when he was arrested on two charges of first-degree premeditated murder for the deaths of his mother, Kelley McCollom, 38, and her boyfriend, Matthew Szejnrok, 22. On Friday, Egler appeared in court and pleaded guilty to two amended charges of second-degree murder as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
On July 7, 2024, Egler called 911 to say that an unknown man broke into his home through a sliding-glass door, using a hammer. He was hysterical on the call, but never mentioned any dead bodies in the home.
When first responders arrived, they found Egler’s mother dead in the living room and Szejnrok dead in a bathroom, both with visible gunshot wounds. In interviews with police, Egler first repeated his initial story about an intruder who broke in, but later admitted that he was the one who killed the victims.
Egler, who is referred to by a different name and gender in court documents, told investigators that he was upset that his mother was not embracing his transition and that he was also upset by the age gap in his mother’s relationship. Egler told police that the victims had gone to a party together, and while they were gone, he broke into his mother’s bedroom to get her gun and ammunition.
Egler told investigators that when the victims returned, the teen said “Welcome home,” before shooting his mother several times and then turning the gun on Szejnrok. Egler said he ran out of ammunition while Szejnrok was still alive and trying to flee to a bathroom, so the defendant followed the victim and stabbed him repeatedly.
Egler’s defense initially tried to move the case to juvenile court, but Judge Michelle Naberhaus refused.
Prosecutors agreed not to recommend a life sentence as part of the plea agreement; Naberhaus sentenced the defendant to 50 years with the option for parole after 25 years. After his release, Egler will be subject to supervised probation for 20 years and will have to undergo mental health screenings.
