A convicted New York felon has reportedly admitted to killing an elderly couple, robbing them, and setting their house on fire.
Jamel McGriff, 42, was apprehended by police on Wednesday night, as reported by The New York Times, after the deaths of Maureen Olton, 78, and her husband, Frank Thomas Olton, 76.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, officials responded to the fire Monday afternoon and found the victims dead at the scene.
On Thursday during his arraignment, McGriff faced charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, identity theft, arson, along with several other related offenses.
During the hearing, he remained quiet, but reportedly shook his head when his status as a registered offender was brought up by the prosecution.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated that McGriff, who has a substantial criminal background, approached the Oltons’ home in Bellerose on Monday morning, initially seeking to charge his phone, having unsuccessfully attempted to enter other homes before reaching the Oltons’ place.
Security cameras recorded Olton telling McGriff to leave, but he allegedly forced his entry. Over the next five hours, he reportedly robbed, assaulted, and killed the pair, subsequently igniting a fire in the house.
The fire reportedly started on Olton’s chest.
McGriff exited the residence around 3 p.m. carrying a duffel bag, and by 6 p.m., he had spent nearly $800 using the couple’s stolen credit cards, utilizing his own store loyalty number, according to the prosecution.
Inside the basement, police found Frank Olton tied to a pole in the basement with a bungee cord and wire. He had numerous stabbed wounds.
His wife’s body was discovered severely burned on the house floor, with evidence of a fractured larynx. Her death resulted from asphyxiation, smoke inhalation, and strangulation.
“I’ll admit it. I killed them,” he said when police captured him, according to the complaint. “I molested them.”
Meanwhile, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said McGriff’s criminal history spans back 30 years.
In 2006, he was convicted of robbery and spent 16 years in prison. He’s also wanted for two robberies in Manhattan and for violating his parole conditions.
In November, McGriff failed to register as a sex offender.
“He had been checking in regularly and his parole officer, actually, did a great job for us not on one, but two occasions because he also did the identification for us for the robbery that took place in the confines of the 13th Precinct, which was the Verizon store,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said.
McGriff did not enter a plea. Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar ordered him to remain behind bars without bail.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via NYPD]
