Florida cold case suspect allegedly confesses to 1987 murder

A Florida man charged in the 1987 killing of a 20-year-old mother allegedly confessed after contacting authorities himself and investigators say he described details of the crime scene that had never been publicly released.

Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, is charged with second-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery in the death of Melissa Ellison, who was found dead inside her Jacksonville home on Dec. 28, 1987, according to court records obtained by Fox News Digital.

Ellison was found lying on her bed after her roommates first discovered her 13-month-old child crying on a couch in the living room, according to Glowacz’s arrest report.

Investigators said Ellison had suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. Blood was found on the sheets, her head had been positioned below a pillow, and a nightgown had been pulled over her waistline, according to the arrest report. Detectives also found soot or ash on the bed that they said was consistent with a wooden log having been used to strike her.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Prosecutors later formally charged him with second-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery.

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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.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Glowacz’s public defender for comment.