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The Murder of Frank and Maureen Olton

● Indicted Double Homicide Home Invasion 50-Count Indictment
Victims
Frank Olton, 76 and Maureen Olton, 77
Date of Deaths
September 8, 2025
Location
Bellerose, Queens, New York
Perpetrator
Jamel McGriff, 42
Frank -- Cause of Death
Multiple Stab Wounds -- Neck and Chest
Maureen -- Cause of Death
Strangulation -- Burns -- Fractured Larynx
Charges
50-Count Indictment -- First Degree Murder, Kidnapping, Arson, Burglary and more
Case Status
Indicted -- Awaiting Trial
The Victims

Frank and Maureen Olton

Frank and Maureen Olton
Frank OltonAge 76
Maureen OltonAge 77
Home254th Street, Bellerose, Queens
Years in HomeDecades

Frank Olton was 76 years old and Maureen Olton was 77. They were husband and wife, and they had lived in their home on 254th Street in the Bellerose neighborhood of Queens for decades. They had a son who worked as a first responder. On the morning of September 8, 2025, they were at home together on what Queens DA Melinda Katz described as a quiet Monday morning.

Frank and Maureen Olton's family attended McGriff's arraignment in court and wore pins with the couple's photographs on them. Their son released a statement asking for privacy. After the arrest, the family said they were committed to pursuing the highest form of justice for what was done to his parents.

Frank and Maureen Olton had built a life together in Bellerose over many decades. They had a home, a family, and a quiet neighborhood they had known for years. Their son received the fire alarm notification from his parents' home that afternoon while on duty as a first responder and raced to the scene.

01
Background

What We Know

On the morning of September 8, 2025, Jamel McGriff, 42, a Bronx resident and parolee, walked through the Bellerose neighborhood of Queens knocking on doors and telling residents he needed to charge his phone. At least one homeowner turned him away. He then approached the Olton residence at 254th Street. Surveillance footage showed Frank Olton speaking with McGriff outside and allowing him into the backyard, apparently to charge his phone. Investigators later concluded from additional video showing the two men struggling at the back door that McGriff forced his way inside rather than being voluntarily admitted. Audio from the footage captured a voice saying "get the f--- out of here."

McGriff was inside the home for approximately five hours. According to prosecutors, during that time he tied Frank Olton's hands with a cord and bound him to a pole in the basement, stabbing him multiple times in the neck and chest. He also tied Maureen Olton and strangled her to death. He made multiple attempts to transfer money from the Oltons' bank accounts into his own account, but the bank denied the transfers. He set fires in both the living room and the basement before leaving the home at approximately 3:08 p.m., carrying a duffel bag. Within minutes the Oltons' son received a fire alarm notification at his parents' address and called 911.

Responding firefighters found both Frank and Maureen Olton dead inside. Frank was found in the basement, bound, stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest. Maureen was found in the living room with extensive burns, a fractured larynx, and soot in her trachea and one lung. Two separate fires had been set, one in the living room and one in the basement.

Case Timeline

How It Unfolded

September 8, 2025 -- 10:00 a.m.
McGriff Approaches Neighbors -- Olton Lets Him Into the Backyard
McGriff went door to door in the Bellerose neighborhood saying he needed to charge his phone. At least one neighbor turned him away. At around 10:08 a.m. he reached the Olton home on 254th Street. Surveillance showed Frank speaking with him outside before allowing him into the backyard. Additional video captured the two men struggling at the back door, leading investigators to conclude McGriff forced his way inside. Audio captured a voice saying "get the f--- out of here."
September 8, 2025 -- 10:08 a.m. to 3:08 p.m.
Five Hours Inside the Home
Over approximately five hours McGriff tied Frank Olton's hands and bound him to a pole in the basement, stabbing him multiple times in the neck and chest. He tied Maureen Olton and strangled her. He made multiple attempts to transfer money from the Oltons' bank accounts into his own, all of which were denied by the bank. He set fires in both the living room and the basement. At 3:08 p.m. surveillance cameras captured him leaving the home carrying a duffel bag, with smoke beginning to pour from the windows.
September 8, 2025 -- 3:15 p.m.
Son Receives Fire Alert -- Bodies Discovered
The Oltons' son, a first responder, received an alarm company notification of a fire at his parents' home. He called 911 and rushed to the scene. Firefighters and police responded and found both Frank and Maureen Olton dead inside. Frank was in the basement, bound to a pole and stabbed. Maureen was in the living room with extensive burns, a fractured larynx, and soot in her airway.
September 8, 2025 -- 5:54 p.m.
McGriff Uses Stolen Credit Cards at Macy's
McGriff made two clothing purchases totaling $796.10 at Macy's Herald Square using Frank Olton's credit cards. He provided his own personal Macy's loyalty card number to the cashier during the transaction, linking him directly to the purchase.
September 9, 2025 -- 7:45 to 7:52 a.m.
Oltons' Phones Traded for Cash in the Bronx
McGriff deposited both of the Oltons' cell phones into a cash-for-phones machine at a store on Fordham Road in the Bronx, using his own New York State identification for the transaction. He then went to the Regal Union Square movie theater in Manhattan and watched a film using Frank Olton's credit card.
September 10, 2025 -- 5:30 p.m.
McGriff Arrested in Midtown Manhattan
An NYPD officer recognized McGriff in Times Square and took him into custody. He was brought to Queens Criminal Court and held without bail at Rikers Island. Upon arrest he told police, "I'll admit it. I killed them, I don't give a f---. I burnt them. I molested them."
October 14, 2025
Grand Jury Returns 50-Count Indictment
A Queens County grand jury indicted McGriff on 50 counts including 13 counts of first-degree murder, 2 counts of second-degree murder, kidnapping, arson, burglary, robbery, weapons offenses, grand larceny, and identity theft. He pleaded not guilty. Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder set a return date of November 12, 2025. No trial date has been set. McGriff faces a maximum of life in prison without parole if convicted.
02
Investigation

The Investigation

The investigation moved rapidly. Detectives from the 105th Precinct and the Queens South Homicide Squad obtained surveillance footage from cameras throughout the neighborhood and surrounding areas, building a clear picture of McGriff's movements before and after the killings. Video placed him at the Olton home from 10:08 a.m. to 3:08 p.m. and captured him leaving with a duffel bag as smoke poured from the windows behind him.

McGriff was identified through a combination of commercial transactions he made using the victims' property and his own identifying information. At Macy's Herald Square he used Frank's credit card while providing his own loyalty card number to earn points. At the Bronx cash-for-phones machine he used his own New York State ID. The following day he used Frank's credit card again at a Manhattan movie theater. Each transaction was captured on surveillance footage.

Detectives identified McGriff as a known individual with a 30-year criminal record including 17 arrests since 1998, a 2006 first-degree robbery conviction for which he served 16 years, a 2024 charge for failing to register as a sex offender, and two armed robberies in Manhattan that occurred in the summer of 2025 for which he was also wanted at the time of his arrest. He had been released from parole in 2023 and had failed to register his address as required.

An NYPD officer recognized McGriff in Times Square on September 10 and arrested him. His statement to police upon arrest included an admission to the killings. The Queens DA's office secured a 50-count grand jury indictment in October 2025. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney John Esposito of the District Attorney's Homicide Bureau.

03
Arrest & Charges

The Accused

Jamel McGriff
Jamel McGriff
Age 42 -- Bronx, New York -- Stranger
Indictment: 50 counts including 13 counts First-Degree Murder, 2 counts Second-Degree Murder, Kidnapping, Arson, Burglary, Robbery, Weapons Offenses, Grand Larceny, Identity Theft
Plea: Not Guilty -- October 14, 2025
Status: Held Without Bail -- Rikers Island
Maximum Sentence: Life Without Parole
Prior Record: 17 arrests since 1998, 16 years served for 2006 armed robbery, Level 3 sex offender, 2024 charge for failing to register, two armed robberies summer 2025
Parole Status: Released 2023 -- Failed to register address as required
In Memoriam

They Are Not Forgotten

Frank Olton was 76 years old. Maureen Olton was 77. They had lived in their Bellerose home for decades. They had a son. They had a life built over many years in a neighborhood they had known since before most of their neighbors were born. On a Monday morning they were home together, and that was where they died.

Frank and Maureen's family came to court for McGriff's arraignment wearing pins with the couple's photographs on them. They asked for privacy. Their son's statement said they were committed to pursuing the highest form of justice for what was done to his parents. That is all that has been made public, and it is enough to understand what their loss has meant to the people who loved them.

Frank and Maureen Olton were simply spending a Monday morning at home. We will say their names together, as they lived.

"Frank and Maureen Olton were simply spending a Monday morning at home and their deaths have shattered the sense of safety and security in New York."
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz
Sources
Queens County District Attorney's Office -- DA Melinda Katz · New York Police Department -- 105th Precinct, Queens South Homicide Squad · Queens Supreme Court -- Justice Kenneth Holder · NBC New York · CBS New York · ABC7 New York · Gothamist · Fox News · New York Post
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