NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The man accused of torturing and murdering an older Queens couple in their home last month pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a 50-count indictment charging him with a slew of crimes in the Sept. 8 home invasion in Bellerose.
Jamel McGriff, 42, of the Bronx, who faces the possibility of life in prison for first-degree murder, was ordered held without bail. He's due back in court Nov. 12.
"On a Monday morning in a quiet neighborhood, the defendant forced his way into the home of Frank and Maureen Olton, made multiple attempts to transfer money from their bank account, murdered them and set the house ablaze before fleeing with their phones and credit cards," said Queens D.A. Melinda Katz, who sat in the front row for McGriff’s arraignment.
Family members of the Oltons, including their adult children, were also in court, where they wore pins with the victims’ photo on them as prosecutors detailed the horrifying final hours of their lives.
According to prosecutors, McGriff entered the home around 10 a.m. that morning and didn't leave until shortly after 3 p.m. While inside, he allegedly tied Frank Olton, 76, to a pole in the basement and repeatedly stabbed him in the neck and chest. Maureen Olton, 77, was found in the living room with burns and a fractured larynx.
After killing the Oltons, prosecutors allege, McGriff made two purchases totaling $796.10 on Frank Olton’s credit card at Macy’s in Herald Square but used his own personal loyalty number for the transactions. He also allegedly used his own ID to deposit the Oltons' cell phones in a machine that disburses cash for mobile devices in the Bronx. He was arrested the evening of Sept. 10 in Midtown.
McGriff had been paroled in 2023 after serving a 16-year sentence for armed robbery.