Police are on the hunt for a cold-blooded killer who murdered a senior couple, then set fire to their Queens home on Monday.
According to authorities, the inferno engulfed a home located at 87-86 254th St. in Bellerose around 3:20 p.m. on Sept. 8. When firefighters arrived, they put out the blaze but found two seniors dead.
On Tuesday afternoon, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the suspect as 44-year-old Jamel McGriff of the Bronx, who allegedly had visited another home in the area and asked to use a phone charger but was ultimately turned away before arriving at the back door of 87-86 254th St., where 77-year-old Frank Olton allowed him inside.
“Video shows the suspect interacting with the male victim, and it appears the suspect was allowed into the backyard at approximately 10:18 a.m., the suspect and male victim are seen entering the rear door of the residence. The suspect is next seen on video exiting the house five hours later, at approximately 3:08 p.m.,” Tisch said. “About 14 minutes after the suspect was seen on video leaving the residence at around 3:22pm, the fire department responded to the location after being notified of a fire there by a member of the victim’s family.”
Responding to the scene, first responders said they found 78-year-old Maureen Olton dead on the first floor, badly burned. Frank Olton, meanwhile, was tied to a support column with bungee cord in the basement, sources said. They had been burned. The exact causes of death were not apparent.
The Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of the Oltons’ deaths. Published reports indicated the Oltons had been stabbed multiple times, and Frank Olton’s body had been set ablaze.
A manhunt is now underway for McGriff, who police described as having a “lengthy” rap sheet dating back 30 years and who is currently on parole.
“He is currently out on parole for a first-degree robbery he committed in 2006. After serving more than 16 years on that conviction, he then failed to register as a sex offender in November of 2024, which should have violated his parole. He is also wanted by the NYPD for two other recent robberies committed in Manhattan,” Tisch said.
The Commissioner also warned the public not to allow a stranger into their home who comes knocking.
Cops are asking anyone who may know or have seen McGriff to immediately contact them.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
