Florida man who contacted police about 1987 killing arrested in connection to cold case

, , 

A Florida man who contacted authorities saying he had information about a 1987 killing was instead arrested and facing a murder charge, investigators said Thursday.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced that Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the killing of 20-year-old Melissa Ellison.

Police said Glowacz contacted the sheriff’s office Wednesday and told investigators he wanted to provide information about Ellison’s death.

OHIO COLD CASE REPORTEDLY SOLVED AS MAN IS CHARGED IN 1985 HOTEL MURDER LINKED TO GEORGIA CRACKER BARREL CLUE

Detectives interviewed Glowacz before obtaining an arrest warrant.

He was booked into the Duval County Jail on charges of murder and burglary with battery.

Officials celebrated the arrest, which comes nearly four decades after the case went cold.

NORTH CAROLINA COLD CASE HEATS UP WITH STEPMOTHER ACCUSED OF KILLING MISSING TEEN

“Television shows condition us to believe that homicide cases that are not solved within the first 48 hours will not be solved,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said during a news conference. “That is patently false.”

“While his arrest cannot fill the enormous void left in the hearts of Melissa Ellison’s loved ones, I hope that this arrest is another step in the healing process,” he added.

Police responded to a home on Colejean Road at about 4:40 a.m. on Dec. 28, 1987, after receiving a report of a deceased person.

Ellison’s body was found by authorities in her bed with injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, according to police.

Investigators said Ellison’s roommates checked on her after hearing her toddler crying on the living room couch.

The sheriff’s office thanked First Coast Crime Stoppers, the State Attorney’s Office, Project Cold Case and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the investigation.

This post was shared from Fox News.

The Fox News Channel (FNC), often referred to as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City. Owned by the Fox News Media subsidiary of Fox Corporation, as of 2022, it is the most-watched cable news network in the United States, and as of 2023, it generates approximately 70% of its parent company's pre-tax profit. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Midtown Manhattan. Fox News provides service to 86 countries and territories, with international broadcasts featuring Fox Extra segments during advertising breaks. Last updated from Wikipedia 2026-09-22T20:01:59Z.
Wide Variation in Reliability
Conservative Bias
Take-Down Requests
If you represent the source for this content and would like us to remove this from our site, please submit a takedown request above and we will review it promptly.
Something here about the community discussion ground rules. Recently updated charts from the most popular data releases according to the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED).
…..comments widget will be down here.
Recently updated charts from the most popular data releases according to the Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED).