Overview

• Jamel McGriff, 42, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court and ordered held without bail on multiple counts including first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, identity theft and related charges.
• According to a criminal complaint, McGriff told detectives he killed, burned and molested Frank and Maureen Olton; he is due back in court on Sept. 16 and faces life in prison if convicted.
• Investigators say he used the victims’ credit cards at Macy’s in Herald Square, linked transactions to his own loyalty account, was recorded at a Union Square movie theater, and sold the couple’s phones for cash using his ID before his Times Square arrest.
• Surveillance reviewed by detectives indicates forced entry, a roughly five-hour ordeal inside the Bellerose home, Frank Olton bound to a pole and fatally stabbed, Maureen Olton suffering extensive burns with soot in her airway, and separate fires set in the living room and basement.
• Authorities describe McGriff as a level-3 sex offender and recent parolee with prior convictions and pending robbery cases, as neighbors plan a Friday night vigil for the victims.