A Florida man accused in the decades-old murder of a young mother reportedly confessed when he voluntarily contacted authorities. Investigators claim that Gary Edward Glowacz, charged in this cold case, shared details about the crime scene that had never been publicly released before.
Now 70 years old, Glowacz faces charges of second-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery in connection with the 1987 death of 20-year-old Melissa Ellison. Court documents reviewed by News Media indicate these charges stem from Ellison’s death at her home in Jacksonville on December 28, 1987.
The tragic scene unfolded when Ellison’s roommates found her 13-month-old child sobbing alone on a living room couch. The child’s cries led them to Ellison, who was discovered lying lifeless on her bed, as noted in the arrest report for Glowacz.
Investigative reports detail that Ellison suffered severe blunt-force injuries to her head and neck. Blood was present on her bedsheets, and her head was oddly positioned beneath a pillow while her nightgown was pulled up over her waist. Detectives also identified soot or ash traces, linking them to a log believed to have been used in the attack.
Authorities found Melissa Ellison in her bed with signs of blunt force trauma, corroborated by the police findings. (Jacksonville County Sheriff’s Office)
The case remained unsolved for decades.
On July 8, 2026, Glowacz called authorities in Clay County and said he wanted to “set things straight” about Ellison’s death, according to the arrest report. Police said he told a deputy that he had committed a burglary at the home and had struck Ellison with a log.
During a subsequent interview with Jacksonville cold case detectives, Glowacz allegedly said he had been using narcotics at the time and entered the residence looking for money or property he could sell.
Glowacz told detectives he found Ellison and her baby in a bedroom, left the room, picked up a wooden log inside the residence and returned, according to the report. He allegedly said he struck Ellison once in the head, then carried the child into the living room and placed the baby on a couch.
Melissa Ellison, 20, was found dead in her Jacksonville, Florida, home in December 1987. Authorities announced an arrest in the cold case nearly four decades later. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Police said Glowacz then returned to the bedroom to look for money.
He allegedly told detectives he pulled Ellison’s body by the legs and lifted a corner of the mattress while searching underneath it.
Investigators said those details closely matched evidence documented at the scene in 1987.
The arrest report says that Glowacz accurately described the layout of the residence and where the log had been located.
Detectives wrote that those details had not previously been released publicly and were not contained in the article Glowacz said he read before contacting authorities.
Police also said law-enforcement databases showed Glowacz lived about half a mile from the crime scene in 1987 and had been arrested in connection with an unrelated burglary in the area on the same day Ellison was found dead.
Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested and charged with murder in the 1987 killing of Melissa Ellison after contacting authorities saying he had information about the case, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
According to the arrest report, Glowacz told detectives he had seen an article about the cold case in March 2026 and said that was when he realized Ellison had died.
According to investigators, he told them he had delayed coming forward until after the holiday season because he wished to spend time with his family. Police arrested Glowacz following the interview.
Prosecutors later formally charged him with second-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery.
The charging document alleges Glowacz killed Ellison by striking her while committing second-degree murder and entered or remained in her dwelling while armed with a dangerous weapon.
News Media has reached out to Glowacz’s public defender for comment.