Nearly 40 Years After Young Mother Was Killed, A Phone Call Cracks Cold Case
Melissa “Missy” Taylor Ellison’s killing remained a mystery for nearly four decades after the 20-year-old mother was found dead in her Jacksonville, Florida, home in December 1987, while her 13-month-old daughter was left crying in the living room. For her daughter, Casie Ellison, growing up meant carrying a loss she was too young to remember but could never escape. For years, she said she tried…
Nearly four decades after 20-year-old mother Melissa Taylor Ellison was discovered dead in her Jacksonville, Florida home, her case remains unsolved. Her 13-month-old daughter, Casie Ellison, carried the loss of her mother, who was found dead in 1987 while Casie was just a baby. About 25 years after the murder, Casie realized that she herself was at the same age her mother was when she died.
In July 2024, more than 38 years after Melissa's death, a 70-year-old man named Gary Glowacz contacted the Clay County Sheriff's Office with information about the cold case. Glowacz confessed to striking Melissa with a log during a burglary he claimed he was searching for money to buy drugs. He was charged with second-degree murder and armed burglary with assault or battery.
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