Florida cold case suspect allegedly confesses to 1987 murder and reveals secret crime-scene details

A Florida antheral charged successful the 1987 sidesplitting of a 20-year-old parent allegedly confessed aft contacting authorities himself and investigators accidental helium described details of the transgression country that had ne'er been publically released.

Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, is charged with second-degree execution and equipped burglary with battle oregon artillery successful the decease of Melissa Ellison, who was recovered dormant wrong her Jacksonville location connected Dec. 28, 1987, according to tribunal records obtained by Fox News Digital.

Ellison was recovered lying connected her furniture aft her roommates archetypal discovered her 13-month-old kid crying connected a sofa successful the surviving room, according to Glowacz’s apprehension report.

Investigators said Ellison had suffered blunt-force trauma to the caput and neck. Blood was recovered connected the sheets, her caput had been positioned beneath a pillow, and a nightgown had been pulled implicit her waistline, according to the apprehension report. Detectives besides recovered soot oregon ash connected the furniture that they said was accordant with a woody log having been utilized to onslaught her.

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Melissa Ellison's assemblage was recovered by authorities successful her furniture with injuries accordant with blunt unit trauma, according to police. (Jacksonville County Sheriff's Office)

The lawsuit remained unsolved for decades.

On July 8, 2026, Glowacz called authorities successful Clay County and said helium wanted to "set things straight" astir Ellison’s death, according to the apprehension report. Police said helium told a lawman that helium had committed a burglary astatine the location and had struck Ellison with a log.

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During a consequent interrogation with Jacksonville acold lawsuit detectives, Glowacz allegedly said helium had been utilizing narcotics astatine the clip and entered the residence looking for wealth oregon spot helium could sell.

Glowacz told detectives helium recovered Ellison and her babe successful a bedroom, near the room, picked up a woody log wrong the residence and returned, according to the report. He allegedly said helium struck Ellison erstwhile successful the head, past carried the kid into the surviving country and placed the babe connected a couch.

Melissa Ellison, 20, was recovered dormant successful her Jacksonville, Florida, location successful December 1987. Authorities announced an apprehension successful the acold lawsuit astir 4 decades later. (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

Police said Glowacz past returned to the chamber to look for money.

He allegedly told detectives helium pulled Ellison’s assemblage by the legs and lifted a country of the mattress portion searching underneath it.

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Investigators said those details intimately matched grounds documented astatine the country successful 1987.

The apprehension study says that Glowacz accurately described the layout of the residence and wherever the log had been located.

Detectives wrote that those details had not antecedently been released publically and were not contained successful the nonfiction Glowacz said helium work earlier contacting authorities.

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Police besides said law-enforcement databases showed Glowacz lived astir fractional a mile from the transgression country successful 1987 and had been arrested successful transportation with an unrelated burglary successful the country connected the aforesaid time Ellison was recovered dead.

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Gary Edward Glowacz, 70, was arrested and charged with execution successful the 1987 sidesplitting of Melissa Ellison aft contacting authorities saying helium had accusation astir the case, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office)

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According to the apprehension report, Glowacz told detectives helium had seen an nonfiction astir the acold lawsuit successful March 2026 and said that was erstwhile helium realized Ellison had died.

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According to investigators, helium told them helium had delayed coming guardant until aft the vacation play due to the fact that helium wished to walk clip with his family. Police arrested Glowacz pursuing the interview.

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Prosecutors aboriginal formally charged him with second-degree execution and equipped burglary with battle oregon battery.

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The charging papers alleges Glowacz killed Ellison by striking her portion committing second-degree execution and entered oregon remained successful her dwelling portion equipped with a unsafe weapon.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Glowacz's nationalist defender for comment.