JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WKRC) – An arrest has been made in a 1987 cold case after a man contacted law enforcement decades later.
According to a statement issued by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, a 70-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the 1987 killing of a Jacksonville woman after authorities say he contacted law enforcement and provided information about the decades-old case.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Gary Edward Glowacz in the killing of 20-year-old Melissa (Taylor) Ellison.
According to investigators, patrol officers responded to a home on Colejean Road at approximately 4:40 a.m. on Dec. 28, 1987, after receiving a report of a deceased person. Officers found Ellison in her bed suffering from blunt force trauma.
Authorities said Ellison’s roommates discovered her after going to check on her when they found her toddler crying on the living room couch.
Gary Edward Glowacz was arrested in connection with the 1987 killing of Melissa (Taylor) Ellison after authorities say he contacted law enforcement and provided information about the decades-old cold case. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit launched an investigation, reviewing available evidence and conducting numerous interviews. Despite those efforts, the case eventually went cold.
According to the sheriff’s office, Glowacz contacted dispatch at the Clay County Sheriff’s Office on July 8, 2026, and said he wanted to provide information about Ellison’s death.
Glowacz was transported to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, where detectives interviewed him. Authorities said an arrest warrant was subsequently issued.
Gary Edward Glowacz was arrested in connection with the 1987 killing of Melissa (Taylor) Ellison after authorities say he contacted law enforcement and provided information about the decades-old cold case. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Glowacz was booked into the Duval County Jail on charges of murder and burglary with a battery.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office credited First Coast Crime Stoppers, the State Attorney’s Office, Project Cold Case and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office with helping keep the investigation active over the years. The case remains under prosecution.