A convicted New York felon has reportedly admitted to killing an elderly couple, robbing them, and setting their house on fire.
According to The New York Times, police captured Jamel McGriff, 42, Wednesday night, following 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.
During his arraignment Thursday, he was officially charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, identity theft, arson and numerous related charges.
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 alleged that McGriff, who has a long criminal history, arrived at the Oltons’ residence in Bellerose on Monday morning. He allegedly asked to charge his phone and after trying to enter other homes before reaching the Oltons’ residence.
Security footage captured Olton demanding that McGriff leave, but McGriff allegedly forced his way in. Over the next five hours, he is accused of robbing, assaulting, and killing the couple, then setting the house on fire.
The fire reportedly started on Olton’s chest.
McGriff left the home at around 3 p.m., carrying a duffel bag, and by 6 p.m., he had made nearly $800 in purchases with the couple’s stolen credit cards, while using his own store loyalty number, the prosecution said.
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 was found badly burned on a floor inside the home, with a fractured larynx. Her cause of death was 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.
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[Feature Photo via NYPD]
