In an astonishing twist decades in the making, Gary Glowacz contacted the police almost 40 years after the tragic demise of 20-year-old Melissa Ellison. The arrest report reveals Glowacz’s admission, claiming he was unaware of his fatal actions that fateful night.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As the years pass, the question of justice remains for Melissa Ellison, a young Jacksonville mother who died nearly four decades ago. Her alleged assailant, now expressing a readiness to face the law’s scrutiny, has breathed new life into the cold case.
Gary Glowacz, now 70, faced Duval County court on Thursday, firmly pleading not guilty to charges of second-degree murder with a weapon and burglary with assault or battery. These charges were brought to light by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in a pivotal July news conference.
On December 28, 1987, Ellison’s lifeless body was discovered in a mobile home located near Normandy Boulevard in Jacksonville Heights West. This somber scene etched her tragedy into local history.
The arrest report paints a chilling picture: on July 8, 2026, Glowacz reached out to authorities with shocking revelations. During an interrogation with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, he admitted to breaking into the trailer on the night Ellison was murdered. Unfolding a scene of horror, Glowacz confessed to finding Ellison and her baby resting in bed before striking Ellison in the head and neck with a wooden log.
Ellison’s body was found deceased in her bed by her two roommates. The baby was found alive, crying on the couch in the living room, allegedly placed there by the suspect.
Glowacz didn’t know for sure that Ellison died until he saw an article about the case in March 2026, according to an interview detailed in the police report. He waited until July to contact law enforcement because he wanted to avoid “ruining the holidays” for the victim’s family.
Glowacz told police he was on narcotics at the time and had broken into the home to find money or items to sell so he could buy more drugs. While he was not immediately arrested for that incident, police said he was arrested for a separate burglary in that area less than a day later.
Investigators arrested Glowacz, reporting that he recalled details of the crime scene that had never been publicly disclosed.
If convicted of the murder, he could face life in prison. His first pretrial hearing is scheduled for the end of August.