A man on parole, previously tied to the torture and murder of an elderly couple in New York City, is accused of leaving the scene with a Yankees baseball and using their credit card.
Jamel McGriff, 42, was indicted on multiple charges related to the alleged torture and murder of Frank Alton, 76, and his wife Maureen, 77, at their home in Long Island.
According to the indictment, McGriff allegedly broke into the couple’s home on September 8, stabbing Alton several times while Maureen was restrained in the basement.
Authorities reported that McGriff took a 2001 Yankees souvenir baseball, along with the couple’s credit cards and cell phones, before fleeing and setting the house ablaze.
A Yankees baseball inside the home reportedly featured a stamped sign of the team, as noted by law enforcement officials.
Prosecutors indicated that McGriff spent nearly five hours in the house before exiting with a duffel bag.
After leaving, he went to Macy’s, where he used Alton’s credit card to rack up about $796.10 in clothing. He even provided his loyalty number during this transaction, according to prosecutors.
The man is also accused of pawning one of the couple’s cellphones in the Bronx and stealing Ms. Alton’s credit card while she was watching a movie in Manhattan.
McGriff was arrested on September 10 after police identified him through surveillance footage from the theater.
During his arraignment, prosecutors claimed that Maureen Alton was still alive when McGriff allegedly set the fire. She was discovered in the living room with a fractured larynx, and there was evidence of soot in her windpipe and lung.
McGriff has a troubling history with 11 prior convictions, including four violent felonies, and was on parole at the time of the alleged attack. He had spent 20 years incarcerated for armed robbery and sexual offenses, being released in 2023.
A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department noted that McGriff had been out of prison for over a year when the state correctional department discovered he had not registered his address with the sex offender registry in 2024.
Court records reveal that McGriff faces 50 charges, including 13 counts of first-degree murder and additional counts of kidnapping, along with various other murder-related charges.
Currently, McGriff could receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole, with his next court appearance set for November 12th.
