The manhunt for Jamel McGriff, the suspect in the brutal murder and arson case in Queens, came to a close yesterday when NYPD officers apprehended him in Midtown Manhattan. McGriff, 42, had been on the run since being identified as the primary suspect in the deaths of an elderly couple, Frank and Maureen Olton. According to Gothamist, McGriff was captured after authorities tracked his purchase history on the victims' credit card, leading to his location in the Times Square area.
The apprehension became possible due to the high-tech capabilities of the NYPD's domain awareness system and a specialized messaging app that alerted officers every time McGriff made a transaction with the stolen credit card, originally reported by ABC7. The alert system proved instrumental in his capture after McGriff used the credit card at the Regal Union Square movie theater then he was subsequently located by officers receiving the card alert as he moved through Times Square.
This case has particularly unsettled the Bellerose community, where the Oltons were found in their home with Frank in the basement, suffering multiple stab wounds, and Maureen on the first floor, severely burned. NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch shared chilling insights, saying to ABC7, "Mr. Olton was found in the basement, tied to a pole with multiple stab wounds. Mrs. Olton was found on the first floor, severely burned," also noting that there was no known connection between McGriff and the victims beyond their fatal encounter.
McGriff has a disturbing criminal past including a status as a level three sex offender and served 16 years for an armed robbery and he is wanted for more recent armed robberies this summer, per information from the Gothamist; furthermore, his behavior struck other residents as concerning, with a resident of the same shelter as McGriff, a man named Victor, stating in an ABC7 interview, "And the guy walked around here like he was some kind of tough guy. And then you go and murder an elderly man?" while expressing disbelief over the suspect's actions. The Department of Social Services, according to ABC7, is now working in concert with authorities to aid the investigation.
