Frank Olton,Maureen Olton Obituary, Death; – The police in New York City are actively searching for the individual who unlawfully entered a residence in Queens, murdered an elderly couple, and subsequently set the house ablaze, according to authorities.
The victim, Frank Olton, aged 76, was discovered bound to a pole in his basement, suffering from numerous stab wounds, while his wife, Maureen Olton, aged 77, was found on the first floor, severely burned, as stated by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch during a news conference on Tuesday.
There is currently no known connection between the victims and the suspect, who has been identified as 42-year-old Jamel McGriff, Tisch reported.
Witnesses indicated that a man knocked on a neighbor’s door on Monday morning, requesting to charge his phone, and that neighbor subsequently denied him entry before he approached the victims’ residence.
Surveillance footage captured the suspect arriving at the victims’ home, with Frank Olton allowing him inside, according to the commissioner. Detectives suspect that the individual spent approximately five hours within the victims’ home, likely searching for items to steal before igniting the fire. Surveillance footage also revealed the suspect exiting the residence around 3 p.m., as reported by the police.
The victims’ son, who serves as a paramedic with the New York City Fire Department, was notified of the fire by an alarm system and promptly responded to the scene, according to police reports.
Tisch characterized the incident as a “horrific double homicide, robbery, and arson.”
She stated that law enforcement is seeking assistance from the public in locating McGriff, cautioning that he should be regarded as armed and dangerous.
McGriff, who is currently on parole for first-degree robbery, possesses a lengthy history of violent criminal activity spanning 30 years, Tisch noted. He also failed to register as a sex offender in November 2024, which should have resulted in a violation of his parole, she added, and he is additionally wanted for two other robberies that occurred in Manhattan this summer.
“This suspect’s modus operandi involves going door-to-door soliciting some form of assistance until he is granted entry — therefore, do not permit anyone you do not know or are not expecting into your home,” she emphasized.
