You are reading

Queens Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for 1976 Killing of WWI Vet

Martin Motta, top left, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday for the 1976 killing of World War I veteran George Clarence Seitz, bottom left, in a decades-old cold case. Investigators digging up Seitz’s remains in 2019, right (Photo: Screenshot and Queens DA)

Nov. 7, 2022 By Michael Dorgan

A Queens man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday for the 1976 killing of a World War I veteran — in a decades-old cold case that was solved using forensic genetic genealogy for the first time in New York City.

Martin Motta, 75, of Jamaica, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree last month and was sentenced at Queens Supreme Court today for killing 81-year-old George Clarence Seitz — whose dismembered body was discovered buried in the backyard of a Richmond Hill home in 2019.

Motta, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, admitted to fatally stabbing Seitz in the head after robbing him of approximately $7,000 to $8,000 nearly 46 years ago.

He then dismembered Seitz’s body at the neck, shoulders and hips — before burying it beneath concrete slabs to the rear of the 115th Street house. Motta was 29 at the time of the killing.

Seitz’s remains — a pelvis and partial torso — were found in March 2019 after police received a phone call from an individual who said he had details about a homicide the year of Seitz’s disappearance, investigators said previously. Police believe threats of intimidation may have prevented the caller from coming forward sooner.

Seitz had been last seen leaving his home in Jamaica to get a haircut at a barbershop where Motta worked on Dec. 10, 1976, and was reported missing five days later, according to reports.

Police said previously that Motto’s motive was to rob Seitz, who had been known to carry large sums of cash.

WWI veteran George Clarence Seitz, pictured left. A police sketch of Seitz, pictured right (Photos: Queen’s District Attorney’s Office (L) and NYPD (R))

After finding body parts at the Richmond Hill home, investigators were unable to identify the remains for roughly two years.

Authorities failed to get a DNA match after searching local, state and national databases. The Queens DA and the NYPD then sought the help of the FBI and a private laboratory.

The private lab, Othram Laboratories, used advanced DNA technologies including forensic genetic genealogy to produce a genealogical profile from the skeletal remains. The technology helps to connect the deceased—such as people whose bodies have not been identified–with their family members.

The profile was handed off to the FBI, which found leads for the Queens DA and the NYPD to investigate.

Investigators contacted potential family members of the victim and obtained DNA samples to compare to the remains. Through their efforts, they confirmed the body belonged to Seitz.

Once Seitz was identified, Motta was identified as a suspect during a subsequent investigation that involved multiple witness interviews and extensive record searches.

The investigation, which was led by the NYPD and DA’s Office, then found “crucial evidence” that linked Motta to the murder.

“After 46 years, a veteran of the First World War gets justice,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “The successes of modern technology and forensics made it possible for us to… identify the bones of the victim.”

Katz said she established the Cold Case Unit shortly after becoming the Queens District Attorney in an effort to try and solve cases where time appeared to have run out.

“Time allowed forensic genetic genealogy and our investigators to catch up to this defendant.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Shots fired as NYPD confronts suspected car theft crew at Flushing auto shop Friday morning

The NYPD opened fire on a car theft crew who were caught in the act of stealing vehicles in Flushing on Friday morning.

Police from the 109th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at around 5:30 a.m. at the Express Auto Repair shop at 134-02 33rd Ave. Officers encountered a group of ten men who were in possession of firearms in a parking area near the intersection of Prince Street and 33rd Avenue. As the officers approached on foot, the gunmen jumped into several vehicles and attempted to flee at a high rate of speed toward the officers, an NYPD spokesman said. One officer discharged his service weapon as the vehicles fled northbound on Miller Street toward 32nd Avenue.

Queens voters to decide key Civil Court races in 2025 primary and general elections

Jun. 6, 2025 By Athena Dawson & Czarinna Andres

Queens voters will head to the polls this year to decide a mix of contested and uncontested Civil Court races, including three competitive Democratic primaries and multiple general election matchups. The contests span countywide vacancies and judicial seats in four Municipal Court Districts. The primary election will take place on Tuesday, June 24, with the general election set for Tuesday, November 4.

Gotti grandsons charged in Howard Beach assault after home burglary by Gambino associate: NYPD

Two grandsons of the late Gambino mob boss John Gotti were arrested Monday for dishing out some street justice against an associate who allegedly robbed the Howard Beach home of the don’s namesake on Saturday.

Reputed Gambino associate Gino Gabrielli, 31, was arrested on Sunday, a day after he allegedly broke into the residence of 31-year-old John Gotti, at 94-19 157th Ave. in Howard Beach on the afternoon of Sunday, June 1, and stealing $3,500 in cash, a luxury wristwatch, a pair of earrings, a wallet and a jewelry box, according to the criminal complaint.