The parolee who murdered an aged Queens couple and torched their home additionally repeatedly tried to steal greater than $10,000 from the victims’ checking account, prosecutors stated after the suspect was hit with a 50-count indictment Tuesday.
Jamel McGriff, 42, was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court docket Tuesday on first-degree homicide, kidnapping and a number of different fees within the monstrous killing of Frank Olton, 76, and his spouse, Maureen Olton, 77, on Sept. 8.
“The extent of violence and depravity that this defendant perpetrated towards the Oltons throughout that 5 hours will shock your conscience,” Assistant District Legal professional John Esposito stated at McGriff’s grand jury arraignment, referring to the period of time McGriff spent within the couple’s Bellerose residence.
“The defendant separated Frank and Maureen throughout their remaining moments, which will need to have been terrifying, tied Frank Olton to a pole within the basement, stabbing him a number of occasions within the chest and neck, killing him,” Esposito stated. “He tried to set Frank Olton on hearth to hide proof of his vicious crime, however that fireplace didn’t catch. He seems to have tied Maureen Olton to a chair upstairs in the lounge, the place he then strangled her to loss of life.”
McGriff, a registered intercourse offender with a prolonged rap sheet, knocked on the Oltons’ door, telling the couple that he was misplaced and wanted to cost his useless cellphone, authorities allege. He had already tried a neighbor’s door, however was rebuffed, prosecutors stated.
Frank Olton provided him assist, and when he went again inside, McGriff adopted, pushing his approach into the house on 254th St. close to 87th Drive whereas the septuagenarian husband yelled in desperation, “Get the f— out!” Esposito stated.
McGriff made a number of makes an attempt to empty the couple’s financial institution accounts, making an attempt to maneuver greater than $10,000 to his personal Money App account, solely to be thwarted by the financial institution’s switch limits, the prosecutor stated. He then known as their financial institution straight for assist, however didn’t reply their safety questions, Esposito stated. The decision was recorded.
Earlier than he left, McGriff set the place’s lounge on hearth and “created a raging inferno” that left Maureen Olton’s charred stays unrecognizable.
“He clearly took the bank cards, as a result of he went from the Altons’ home to Macy’s and used Mr. Alton’s bank cards, not just for clothes, but in addition for films the subsequent day,” Queens D.A. Melinda Katz informed reporters Tuesday. “So there’s numerous proof that reveals he was making an attempt to make the most of that point (in the home) to get entry to monetary means.”
McGriff’s post-murder purchasing spree included a visit to Macy’s in Herald Sq. in Manhattan, the place he purchased $796.10 price of garments with Frank Olton’s bank card, utilizing his personal retailer loyalty account, prosecutors allege. He additionally used his personal ID when he deposited the victims’ cell telephones right into a machine that disburses money for cellular gadgets at a Bronx check-cashing retailer on Sept. 9, prosecutors stated.
The subsequent day, he caught a matinee film in Manhattan, shopping for snacks with the sufferer’s bank card, Esposito stated.
Police caught up with McGriff in Occasions Sq. after the film let loose, Esposito stated, and he was caught on police physique digital camera confessing, “I admit it. I killed them. I don’t give a f—.”
Police discovered two of Frank Olton’s bank cards in his possession, in addition to a signed baseball from the victims’ basement, Esposito stated.
McGriff pleaded not responsible to the fees towards him, and stays held with out bail. His lawyer, Michelle Benoit of Authorized Assist, stated she reserved the appropriate to use for bail at a later date.
He might face life with out parole if convicted at trial.
