'Welcome Home,' Teen Says Before Shooting NJ Native, Girlfriend To Death: Police

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ — A former Middlesex County man was killed in a double homicide carried out by his girlfriend’s 16-year-old daughter in Florida, according to Palm Bay Police.

Matthew Szejnrok, 22, was killed on July 7 along with his girlfriend Kelley McCollom, 41. The woman’s 16-year-old-daughter has admitted to killing the pair, police said.

Szejnrok lived in North Brunswick and was a 2020 graduate of North Brunswick Township High School.

Szejnrok and McCollom were stabbed and shot to death after they returned home from an outing, an affidavit of probably cause said. Initially, the teen had called 911 and reported that someone had broken into the house. At no point during the call she mention Szejnrok or McCollom, police said.

The teen told police she was alone at home when a man tried to break into the house. She told police she grabbed her dogs and locked herself inside her bedroom, leaving her cell phone on the couch. The teen said the intruder remained in the house and when Szejnrok and McCollom returned, she heard screaming and gunshots, according to the affidavit.

The 16-year-old left her room an hour later and discovered her mother and boyfriend dead, she told police. The teen said she then entered her mother's bedroom to check the lockbox/safe to see if anything was stolen and discovered that the holster for the gun was empty, and there was ammunition missing as well, according to the affidavit.

During the investigation, police found a gun underneath the teen's bedroom window and the glass sliding door had been shattered from the outside. Police said they also found bloody footprints that matched the teen’s shoes. There were also several cameras outside the house that the police reviewed and found no intruder.

Her story did not match and during further questioning, the teen confessed to killing Szejnrok and McCollom, according to the affidavit.

The teen told police she broke into McCollom’s bedroom while she was gone and got the revolver and ammunition. She waited in the kitchen for the couple to arrive, with a gun in her hand and the knife in her right pants pocket.

When Szejnrok and McCollom walked through the front door, she told them "Welcome home.” Moments later, she shot her mother several times, then shot Szejnrok, as he pleaded with her to stop, the affidavit said.

She then followed Szejnrok into the bathroom and began stabbing him repeatedly after running out of ammunition, police said. Moments after stabbing Szejnrok, he asked her to "take him out of his misery," said the affidavit.

She then went into McCollom’s bedroom, loaded another round into the revolver and shot Szejnrok in the head, according to the document.

The teen also admitted to opening the back sliding glass door and breaking the slider from the outside, before tossing the revolver near her bedroom window, to make it appear as if someone had broken into the home.

According to the affidavit, the teen was upset with her mother’s dating age gap.

She was placed in custody and charged with two counts of 1st degree pre-meditated murder. The teen was then escorted from the interview room to Palm Bay PD's booking facility and later turned over to the Juvenile Detention Center without incident, police said.

According to his obituary, Szejnrok moved from New Jersey to Florida in 2022 looking for a fresh start.

“Matthew will be remembered for his loving nature that touched everyone he encountered. His infectious laughter could brighten even the darkest days, and his kind heart knew no bounds. Whether it was cracking jokes or lending a listening ear to those in need, Matthew had an uncanny ability to make others feel seen and loved,” the obituary said.

“In addition to being funny and kind-hearted, Matthew was known for his goofy antics that never failed to bring smiles to those around him. His playful spirit was contagious – reminding us all not to take life too seriously but instead embrace each day with lightheartedness.”

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