Crime & Public Safety
Palm Bay teen pleads guilty, sentenced to 50 years in deaths of her mother and mother's boyfriend
A teenager in Palm Bay, Brevard County, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 50-year prison sentence in a case involving the deaths of her mother and the mother’s boyfriend. The plea deal, finalized in court on Friday, avoided a trial and a potential life sentence.
Court documents and prosecutor statements say the defendant, then 16, called the Palm Bay Police Department in 2024 to report a purported home break-in that investigators say never occurred. Charging documents allege the teenager died her mother, Kelley McCollum, and the mother’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Matthew Szejnork, citing disapproval of the relationship; investigators also alleged the mother disagreed with the teen’s gender transition. The state reduced charges from first-degree premeditated murder to second-degree murder to secure the guilty plea.
In court the defendant admitted to the killings and described them as unplanned, acknowledging the presence of a gun. Brevard County Judge Michelle Naberhaus formally adjudicated the guilty plea and imposed a 50-year sentence. Under the sentence the defendant could be eligible for parole after 25 years; if granted, release would occur with supervised custody and continued mental health evaluations.
The report presents allegations as stated in charging documents and the plea; the sentence and adjudication are the documented current status of the case.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.