A man arrested in connection with the gruesome deaths of a Queens couple told police on body-worn camera that he killed them and expressed no remorse, prosecutors said Thursday as details of the alleged crimes were laid out in a packed Queens courtroom.
Authorities identified the victims as Frank and Maureen Olton, 76 and 77. Prosecutors said the suspect, 42-year-old Jamel McGriff, was ordered held without bail on 18 counts including murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, arson and identity theft. He is due back in court next week.
Assistant District Attorney John Esposito told the court that McGriff repeatedly told officers after his arrest, "I'll admit it. I killed them," and later said, "I don't give a f–k. I killed them. I burnt the n—. I molested them," statements prosecutors say were captured on body-worn camera. McGriff was wearing what prosecutors described as a white painter's outfit in court as the evidence was presented.
Prosecutors described a prolonged and brutal series of events on Monday, saying McGriff targeted the couple's Bellerose home after approaching other houses in the neighborhood earlier in the day. Video footage reviewed by investigators shows McGriff selecting Frank Olton, who had been working outside his home, and following him through a back door into the residence, prosecutors said.
Esposito said Maureen Olton was still alive when the upstairs of the home was set on fire. Her body was described as "unrecognizable" from burns; the prosecutor said she suffered thermal burns, a fractured larynx — a possible sign of strangulation — and soot in her trachea. Frank Olton, prosecutors said, had been tied to a pole in the basement and stabbed several times; McGriff allegedly set fire to the man's chest before igniting the fire upstairs. Investigators said the suspect remained inside the home for about five hours.
After leaving the home, prosecutors said, the suspect used the couple's credit card to make purchases, including roughly $500 of clothing at Macy's and registering a bonus-points card in his own name. Authorities said he pawned two of the Oltons' cellphones for cash and later attended a screening of the animated film "Light of the World" at the Regal Union Square theater; surveillance footage at the theater and other locations helped police track him to Times Square, where he was arrested Wednesday.
Prosecutors said McGriff has a long criminal history, with 11 prior convictions including four for violent felonies. He was released on parole in 2023 after serving 17 years of a 20-year sentence for armed robbery and sex crimes, records reviewed by prosecutors show.
The office of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision told authorities it received information from the NYPD in 2024 that McGriff had failed to register his address as required on the sex-offender registry, a department spokesman said. Prosecutors said no parole violation was filed before the killings.
Lawyers for the state and prosecutors offered graphic descriptions of the injuries and fire damage during the court hearing. Esposito described the scene as "horrifying and shocking," saying the upstairs of the home was set ablaze while one victim was still alive and that the victims had been tortured. McGriff was arraigned as footage and other evidence were reviewed by the court.
Officials said investigators used surveillance and other forensic evidence to link McGriff to the crimes. He faces multiple counts stemming from the killings and the conduct that followed, including identity-theft charges for unauthorized use of the Oltons' credit card and alleged sale of their phones.
The case, as presented by prosecutors, underscores lapses in supervision and registry compliance for an individual with a lengthy criminal record, according to court filings and statements. The state corrections agency's review of McGriff's registry status and any subsequent action has been cited in court documents as part of the timeline leading up to the killings.
Neighbors and local officials were notified as investigators processed the property and the city made arrangements for the victims. Court proceedings are scheduled to continue next week as prosecutors prepare to present additional evidence and as defense counsel begins responding to the charges.
No one has been convicted in connection with the deaths. The investigation remains active and the Queens District Attorney's office said it will continue to update the court as more evidence is gathered and evaluated.