A man from Florida has been arrested and charged with murder after he reached out to authorities claiming to have information regarding a homicide from 1987. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported that Gary Edward Glowacz, aged 70, was taken into custody in connection with the death of 20-year-old Melissa Ellison.
Glowacz contacted the sheriff’s office, expressing a desire to share details about Ellison’s murder. Following this, investigators interviewed him before obtaining a warrant for his arrest. He is now facing charges not only for murder but also for robbery with a firearm and has been booked into the Duval County Jail.
The resolution of this case comes nearly four decades after the crime occurred, prompting officials to celebrate the breakthrough. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters remarked during a news conference that the idea that unsolved murders remain that way is a misconception, saying, “That’s clearly false.”
He also emphasized that while this arrest cannot mend the loss felt by Ellison’s loved ones, it might aid in their healing process. On December 28, 1987, police responded to a report of a deceased individual at a home on Colejan Street, where they discovered Ellison’s body. The medical examination indicated she had sustained injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.
Witnesses revealed that Ellison’s roommate had heard a child crying and went to investigate, leading to the horrific discovery. The Sheriff’s Office extended gratitude to various agencies involved in the lengthy investigation, appreciating their collaborative efforts, including First Coast Crime Stoppers and Project Cold Case.
