Brutal Murder Case in Queens

A man has been charged with the shocking murder and arson of an elderly couple in Queens. In a disturbing twist, he is alleged to have stolen a souvenir New York Yankees baseball while fleeing the scene, according to prosecutors and other sources.

On Tuesday, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 42-year-old Jamel McGriff has been indicted on 50 counts related to the horrific incident involving 76-year-old Frank Alton and his 77-year-old wife, Maureen, in their Belrose home.

The indictment states that McGriff broke into the couple’s residence on September 8, took the baseball—reportedly a signed 2001 Yankees ball—and tied Frank up in the basement, where he allegedly stabbed him multiple times.

Law enforcement noted that the baseball was a treasured item displayed in the couple’s home.

In addition to the murder and arson, officials report that McGriff also took the couple’s credit cards and their cell phone as he fled the residence, which he subsequently set on fire.

Witnesses saw him leaving the scene with a duffel bag, indicating he had been inside for approximately five hours. Shockingly, he headed straight to Macy’s in Herald Square, where he spent $796.10 using Frank Alton’s card—apparently using his own loyalty number at checkout.

Additionally, McGriff pawned two cell phones at a Bronx check-cashing store and used money from the Altons to watch a movie at the Regal Union Square theater.

He was apprehended on September 10 after police tracked him down using surveillance footage from the theater.

Prosecutors highlighted that Maureen Alton was alive when the fire was set, found in her living room with severe injuries, including a fractured larynx.

This isn’t McGriff’s first brush with the law; he has 11 prior convictions, four of which are for violent offenses. He served 17 years of a 20-year sentence for armed robbery and sexual crimes and had only recently been released on parole in 2023.

If convicted, McGriff faces the possibility of life in prison without parole. The charges against him include multiple counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping.

District Attorney Katz emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “On a quiet residential street, the defendant broke into the home of Frank and Maureen Alton, attempted to access their bank account, killed them, set the house on fire, and fled with their valuables.” She also mentioned that he used the stolen credit card before being apprehended.

McGriff is set to return to court on November 12.