On Tuesday, police began a significant manhunt for a violent sex offender linked to a tragic fire that resulted in the deaths of an elderly couple, who happened to be the parents of FDNY paramedics.
The suspect, Jamel McGriff, 42, has a history of criminal activity as a former probationer and is believed to have played a role in the brutal killings of 78-year-old Maureen Olton and her 76-year-old husband, Frank Thomas Olton.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish warned that McGriff is “armed and dangerous.”
According to reports, McGriff entered the couple’s home on 254th Avenue through the back door around 10:15 AM on Monday. He reportedly terrorized the elderly couple for nearly five hours, a scenario captured on surveillance footage.
Tragically, Frank Olton was found ablaze from flammable liquids, and both victims had been stabbed multiple times, as per ABC Eyewitness News.
Just 14 minutes after the initial encounter, the fire alarm activated, prompting a fire department response to the flames.
Maureen Olton was discovered on the first floor of their home, while Frank was found in the basement, tied up before the fire started and unresponsive.
McGriff had previously been sentenced to almost two decades in prison for a robbery and sexual assault in 2006, but was on probation after his release in 2023, according to state records.
In 2005, McGriff was convicted of assaulting a 23-year-old woman at knifepoint, as noted in the state’s Sex Offenders Registry.
Sources suggest that he may have perpetrated another sexual offense after his release.
Furthermore, it was reported that McGriff was also a suspect in an attempted robbery in Manhattan on August 31, where he allegedly tried to steal a phone but fled empty-handed.
As of now, he has not been charged in either incident, although he has been identified as a person of interest.
