Photo Courtesy of Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office
In February 2021, the laboratory, Othram Laboratories, used advanced DNA testing to produce a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains.
By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Tuesday that Martin Motta, 75, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the 1976 killing of a 81-year-old World War I veteran George Clarence Seitz. Motta faces 20 years in prison.
District Attorney Katz said, “This long-cold case marks the first successful application in New York City of forensic genetic genealogy. No matter how much time has passed, we will use every tool at our disposal to achieve justice. It is precisely for cases such as this one that I created the Cold Case Unit when I became Queens District Attorney. For the gruesome murder of a World War I veteran, the defendant eluded arrest for more than 46 years. Now he is headed to prison thanks to the collaboration between the NYPD and our Cold Case Unit.”
Motta, of Jamaica, pleaded guilty Tuesday to manslaughter in the first degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Holder indicated that he would sentence the defendant on Nov. 7 to a determinate term of 20 years.
According to the charges, on March 12, 2019, human remains consisting of a pelvis and partial torso were discovered buried under concrete in the backyard of 87-72 115th St., Richmond Hill. The body had been dismembered at the neck, shoulders, and hips.
File Photo
On March 12, 2019, human remains consisting of a pelvis and partial torso were discovered buried under concrete in the backyard of 87-72 115th St., Richmond Hill.
The remains enabled the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine a DNA profile, in the hopes of identifying a family member. That profile was searched within local, state, and national databases with negative results.
In 2020, the Queens District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD sought the assistance of a private laboratory and the FBI to help generate leads to the unknown victim’s identity. In February 2021, the laboratory, Othram Laboratories, used advanced DNA testing to produce a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains. The genealogical profile was given to the FBI, which then generated leads that were turned over to the Queens District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD. Investigators began to contact potential family members of the victim and obtained DNA samples for comparison to the discovered remains.
Through these combined efforts, investigators were able to confirm that the remains found were those of Seitz, a veteran of World War I. Further investigation revealed that Seitz, then 81-years-old, went missing at approximately 10 a.m. on Dec. 10, 1976. He was last seen leaving his home in Jamaica, reportedly on his way to get a haircut. After an extensive investigation, information was obtained that identified the victim as a regular customer of the defendant at the barbershop and linked Motta to the crime.
Crucial evidence obtained in the investigation which was led by the NYPD and the Queens DA’s office revealed that the defendant fatally stabbed Seitz in the head after he robbed him of approximately $7,000 to $8,000.
