Frank and Maureen Olton Murdered in Queens Home After Brutal Attack and Fire, Parolee Jamel McGriff Charged in Shocking Case
The quiet neighborhood of Bellerose, Queens, has been shaken to its core after the horrific killing of Frank and Maureen Olton, a beloved elderly couple who spent decades building their lives there. On the morning of September 8, the Oltons’ home became the scene of a crime so brutal that it has left family, friends, and the city struggling to process what happened. Authorities say the attacker, 42-year-old parolee Jamel McGriff, entered their house under false pretenses, tied them up, and left behind a trail of violence before setting the home on fire.
Investigators revealed that McGriff arrived in the area shortly before noon, telling neighbors he needed to charge his phone. That simple request was what allowed him to blend in long enough to gain entry into the Oltons’ backyard and then into their home. Surveillance cameras captured him entering around 10:15 a.m., and according to prosecutors, he remained inside for nearly five hours. During that time, unimaginable events unfolded.
When the fire alarm eventually alerted their son, who works as a paramedic for the FDNY, first responders rushed to the scene. Inside the burning house, firefighters discovered the worst. Seventy-six-year-old Frank Olton was found in the basement, tied to a pole and stabbed multiple times. His wife, 77-year-old Maureen, was discovered upstairs on the first floor, badly burned from the flames. Both had been brutally attacked before the fire consumed much of the home. The images and details shared later in court filings paint a chilling picture of how the couple spent their final hours.
By the time smoke filled the neighborhood and firefighters battled the blaze, McGriff was already gone. Surveillance showed him leaving the house around 3:10 p.m. with two bags. Just twenty minutes later, the alarm was triggered and the fire spread. Later, doorbell camera footage from nearby homes helped authorities trace his escape through the neighborhood. The breakthrough came when McGriff reportedly used the couple’s credit cards, which led investigators straight to him. He was arrested in Midtown Manhattan on September 10, just steps away from Times Square, as the city reeled from the news of the double murder.
What has stunned so many is McGriff’s long criminal record. He was released on parole in 2023 after serving more than 15 years for robbery. He was also a registered sex offender and had failed to update his registration last year, yet remained free. Officials say his record includes multiple prior arrests, raising urgent questions about why he was back on the streets at all. The charges against him now include two counts of first-degree murder, arson, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and identity theft.
Neighbors have described Frank and Maureen as kind, warm, and devoted to their family. They had lived in Queens for decades and were known for their generosity. To many in the community, the brutality of the crime feels almost unreal. Candles and flowers have begun to appear outside the family home, even as investigators continue to work through the evidence inside the charred remains of the house. The couple’s son, who was alerted by the home’s security system just minutes too late to save them, has been left with heartbreak few can imagine.
The loss of Frank and Maureen Olton is not only a family tragedy but also a reminder of the vulnerability many seniors face. A knock on the door from someone asking for help turned into a nightmare that lasted hours and ended in unthinkable violence. It is a story that has left a community in mourning and a city demanding justice. For now, the case is moving through the courts, but the pain for those who loved the Oltons will linger much longer. Their lives were taken in cruelty, yet their memory is being honored in vigils and prayers across Queens.
What remains is the promise from law enforcement and prosecutors that justice will be served. McGriff is behind bars facing charges that could put him away for life, but no sentence can undo what was done. Frank and Maureen’s legacy will live on in the lives of those they touched, even as the community continues to grieve the shocking way they were taken.
