NEW YORK, NY – A man who was accused to have murdered a World War I veteran and dumping his body near a Queens home in 1976 has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Martin Motta, 75, of Jamaica, Queens was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 1976 killing of an 81-year-old World War I Veteran.
District Attorney Katz said, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner discovered human remains consisting of a pelvis and partial torso buried under a concrete slab in the backyard of 87-72 115th Street, Richmond Hill, Queens, on March 12, 2019. A DNA profile retrieved from the remains could not identify the deceased man at the time in local, state or national databases.
The NYPD used a private forensic laboratory to identify the remains of the unidentified victim,.
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 George Clarence Seitz, an 81-year-old veteran of World War I,” Katz said. “Further investigation revealed that Mr. Seitz was last seen at approximately 10 a.m. on December 10, 1976, leaving his home in Jamaica, reportedly on his way to get a haircut at defendant Martin Motta’s barbershop. After an extensive investigation, information was obtained that identified the victim as a regular customer of the barbershop and linked Motta to Mr. Seitz’s demise and its concealment.”
According to Katz, an extensive investigation by the NYPD and the Queens DA’s office included multiple interviews of witnesses and extensive records searches through five states and various agencies.
“Crucial evidence revealed the defendant fatally stabbed Mr. Seitz in the head after robbing him of approximately $7,000 to $8,00 then dismembered and buried his body beneath concrete slabs in the Richmond Hill backyard where it was uncovered 43 years later,” she said.