POS who allegedly killed, burned elderly NYC couple snatched Yankees ball from inside their home
Jamel McGriff, 42, was hit with a 50-count indictment Tuesday for allegedly torturing Frank and Maureen Olton inside their Bellerose home before going on a shopping spree on their dime. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post
A Queens man accused of brutally murdering an elderly couple and setting their home on fire allegedly stole a souvenir New York Yankees baseball as he fled the grisly scene, prosecutors said Tuesday.
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, 42-year-old Jamel McGriff faces a 50-count indictment for the horrific September 8 attack that left Frank Olton, 76, and his wife, Maureen, 77, dead inside their Bellerose home. Prosecutors say McGriff tortured the couple before killing them, then used their credit cards for a shopping spree and pawned their phones.
Investigators say McGriff forced his way into the Oltons’ home, tied up Frank in the basement, and stabbed him multiple times. Before fleeing, he allegedly stole a 2001 New York Yankees baseball autographed on behalf of the team that had been displayed in the house.
Authorities say McGriff remained in the home for roughly five hours. After setting it ablaze, he was seen leaving with a duffel bag. He then reportedly went straight to Macy’s in Herald Square, where he spent nearly $800 on clothing using Olton’s credit card—brazenly giving the cashier his own loyalty number during the purchase. He later pawned off the couple’s phones in the Bronx and even went to a movie theater in Manhattan to watch Light of the World, a 2-D animated film about Jesus, all charged to the victims’ accounts.
Police tracked McGriff down two days later, on September 10, using surveillance footage from the theater that placed him in Times Square.
Tragically, prosecutors revealed that Maureen Olton was still alive when the fire was set. She was found in the living room with a fractured larynx and soot in her airway, evidence that she was breathing as the fire spread.
McGriff’s criminal history includes 11 prior convictions, four for violent felonies. He was on parole following his release from prison in 2023 after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence for armed robbery and sex crimes. Authorities said he failed to register his address on the state’s sex offender registry earlier this year.
The new indictment includes 13 counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, and dozens of related charges. If convicted, McGriff faces life in prison without parole.
“According to the charges, on a quiet Monday morning, the defendant forced his way into the Oltons’ home, attempted to steal from their bank account, murdered them, and set the house ablaze before fleeing with their belongings,” DA Katz said in a statement. “He used their credit cards before the NYPD finally caught up with him.”
McGriff is due back in court on November 12.
About Post Author
