A man from Florida, who reached out to law enforcement claiming he could provide details about a murder from 1987, found himself under arrest and charged with that very murder, officials revealed on Thursday.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of 70-year-old Gary Edward Glowacz on Wednesday, linking him to the death of Melissa Ellison, who was just 20 years old at the time of her murder.
Authorities stated that Glowacz reached out to them on Wednesday, expressing a desire to share information regarding Ellison’s demise.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office informed that Gary Edward Glowacz was taken into custody and charged with murder related to the 1987 fatality of Melissa Ellison. This arrest followed his approach to officials with purported information about the case. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators held discussions with Glowacz and secured an arrest warrant following the interview.
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.
Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested and charged in the 1987 killing of Melissa Ellison after contacting the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and saying he had information about the case, investigators said. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
“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.
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)
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.