Queens manhunt intensifies after elderly couple found tortured and killed in home
Queens, NY – A citywide manhunt is underway for a 42-year-old suspect accused of torturing and killing a married couple inside their Bellerose home, then setting the house on fire before fleeing the scene, according to the NYPD.
Police identified the suspect as James McGriff, who has a lengthy criminal record spanning three decades. Authorities say McGriff was going door-to-door in the Bellerose neighborhood on Monday asking residents if he could charge his cellphone. One resident refused, but 76-year-old Frank Olton allowed McGriff inside his home.
Several hours later, around 3 p.m., surveillance footage captured McGriff leaving the property. Soon after, the home caught fire.
Emergency responders discovered the bodies of Frank Olton and his 78-year-old wife, Maureen Olton, inside. Frank was found in the basement, tied to a pole and suffering from multiple stab wounds. Maureen’s body was found burned beyond recognition, according to investigators.
The couple’s son, a New York City paramedic, was reportedly one of the first responders to the scene, unaware at first that the victims were his own parents.
McGriff was last seen in surveillance footage in the Bronx, allegedly pawning two cellphones. He is considered armed and dangerous. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are working together to locate and apprehend him.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the NYPD immediately.
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Key Points
- Frank and Maureen Olton, both in their 70s, were found murdered in their Bellerose home
- Suspect James McGriff, 42, has a lengthy criminal history and is currently at large
- Victims’ son, a paramedic, responded to the fire unaware his parents were inside