Parole Violator Charged in Deadly Queens Home Invasion and Arson

On September 9th, 2025, police in New York City arrested a suspect in the killing of an elderly couple whose home was set on fire just days earlier. Jamel McGriff, a serial robbery suspect on parole, was spotted in midtown Manhattan and taken into custody around 5:40 pm.

The victims, 76-year-old Frank Olton and his 77-year-old wife Maureen, were found dead in their Queens home on Monday, September 9th, around 3:30 pm. Surveillance footage showed McGriff approaching their home earlier that day and entering through a rear door, where he remained for nearly five hours.

According to police, McGriff was going door-to-door in the neighborhood asking to charge his cellphone before targeting the Oltons' home. Frank Olton was found tied to a pole and stabbed, while Maureen Olton's body was severely burned. Authorities were able to track McGriff's whereabouts through the use of the victims' credit cards.

McGriff was on parole after serving 16 years in prison for a robbery conviction. He is also wanted for two recent robberies in Manhattan and failed to register as a sex offender last year. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised the "best detectives and the best cops in the world" for their work in apprehending this "violent criminal."