Overview

• Jamel McGriff, 42, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court and remanded without bail, with a return date set for Sept. 16.
• He faces multiple counts including first-degree murder, arson, kidnapping, robbery, burglary, identity theft and related charges that could bring life in prison if convicted.
• A criminal complaint details that Frank Olton, 76, was bound to a pole and fatally stabbed in the basement, and Maureen Olton, 77, suffered extensive burns, a fractured larynx and soot inhalation, with fires set on two floors.
• Investigators now say video and audio indicate a forced entry rather than an invitation, with the suspect seen inside for about five hours after previously seeking to charge a phone at neighboring homes.
• Police traced purchases on the victims’ credit cards and the resale of their phones—transactions linked to McGriff’s own ID and loyalty account—leading to his Midtown arrest; authorities note he is a level 3 sex offender with a decades-long record and was on parole.