Florida cold case suspect arrested after contacting the police with information
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A Florida man who contacted authorities saying he had information about a 1987 murder has been arrested and faces murder charges, investigators said Thursday.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 70-year-old Gary Edward Glowacz in connection with the murder of 20-year-old Melissa Ellison on Wednesday.
Police said Glowacz contacted the sheriff’s office on Wednesday and told investigators he wanted to provide information about Ellison’s death.
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According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, 70-year-old Gary Edward Glowacz was charged with murder after contacting authorities in the 1987 killing of Melissa Ellison and saying he had knowledge of the case. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Detectives interviewed Glowacz before obtaining an arrest warrant.
He was booked into the Duval County Jail on charges of murder and robbery with battery.
Authorities celebrated the arrest, which came nearly four decades after the case went cold.
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Investigators said 70-year-old Gary Edward Glowacz was charged with murdering Melissa Ellison in 1987 after he contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and said he had information about the incident. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
“Television shows lead us to believe that murder cases that are not solved within the first 48 hours will go unsolved,” Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said at a news conference. he said. “This is absolutely wrong.”
“While her arrest cannot fill the enormous void left in the hearts of Melissa Ellison’s loved ones, I hope this arrest is another step in the healing process,” he added.
Police responded to a home on Colejean Road around 4:40 a.m. on December 28, 1987, after receiving a report of a deceased person.
Ellison’s body was found by authorities in his bed with injuries consistent with blunt force trauma, according to police.
20-year-old Melissa Ellison was found dead in her home in Jacksonville, Florida, in December 1987. Nearly four decades later, authorities announced his arrest in the unsolved case. (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators said Ellison’s roommates checked on her after hearing her toddler crying on the living room couch.
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The sheriff’s office thanked First Coast Crime Stoppers, the State’s Attorney’s Office, Project Cold Case and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation.
