A Florida man who reached out to law enforcement claiming he had details about a 1987 homicide ended up being taken into custody himself and charged with murder, investigators said Thursday.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the death of Melissa Ellison, who was 20 when she was killed.
According to police, Glowacz contacted the sheriff’s office on Wednesday and told investigators he wanted to share information related to Ellison’s killing.
Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested and charged with murder in Melissa Ellison’s 1987 killing after telling authorities he had information about the case, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Detectives questioned Glowacz and later secured a warrant for his arrest.
He was placed in the Duval County Jail on charges of murder and burglary with battery.
Authorities welcomed the break in the case, which had remained unsolved for almost 40 years.
Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested and charged in connection with Melissa Ellison’s 1987 death after contacting the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and claiming he had information about the investigation, officials 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.
