Man stole signed baseball after killing Queens couple, used own ID to sell phones, DA says

"A Bronx man accused of killing an elderly Queens couple stole a signed baseball from their home and later used his own identification to sell their phones for cash, according to an indictment unsealed Monday. Jamel McGriff, 42, faces 50 charges, including 13 counts of first-degree murder, in connection with the Sept. 8 deaths of Frank Olton, 76, and Maureen Olton, 77, in their Bellerose home. Prosecutors said McGriff spent hours inside the house."

"Surveillance video captured McGriff leaving the home around 3 p.m. with a duffel bag, several hours after he allegedly entered around 10 a.m., prosecutors said. Firefighters responding to a call later that afternoon found Frank Olton tied to a pole in the basement with multiple stab wounds to his neck and chest, officials said. Maureen Olton was found in the living room with burns, a fractured larynx, and soot in her trachea and lung."

An indictment charges Jamel McGriff, 42, with 50 counts, including 13 first-degree murder counts, in the Sept. 8 deaths of Frank and Maureen Olton, 76 and 77, in their Bellerose home. The indictment alleges McGriff forced his way into the home, spent hours inside, attempted to transfer money from the couple's bank account, murdered them, set the house ablaze, and stole cellphones, credit cards, and a signed baseball. Surveillance video shows him leaving around 3 p.m.; firefighters later found Frank Olton stabbed and tied in the basement and Maureen Olton with burns, a fractured larynx, and soot in her airway. He was arrested Sept. 10 and is held without bail.

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