Man accused of killing WWI vet arrested 45 years later in New York, authorities say
A man accused of killing and dismembering an 81-year-old World War I veteran was arrested 45 years later in New York City, authorities said.
Martin Motta, 74, was arrested on Nov. 3 and charged with second-degree murder in relation to the 1976 killing of veteran George Clarence Seitz, who was last seen headed to a haircut in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, according to a news release from the Queen’s County District Attorney’s Office.
“After 45 years, the alleged killer of a WWI Veteran is being held accountable and brought to justice,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.
McClatchy News reached out to the district attorney’s office and NYPD and both declined to comment further.
If found guilty, Motta faces 25 years to life in prison, according to the DA’s office.
Investigators believe Seitz died shortly after leaving his apartment, a few blocks away from a barbershop owned by Motta, Dan Saunders with the Major Crimes Division of the Queens DA’s office said during a New York City police department news conference on Nov. 4.
They think Seitz, who was reported missing on Dec. 15, 1976, arrived for his haircut and never left. Seitz was apparently a regular customer at Motta’s shop, according to Saunders.
His case remained a mystery until a tipster called police in March 2019 and recalled a homicide that had occurred in 1976 and provided specific details where they believed a body was buried.
The remains had been buried in the backyard of a home that Motta allegedly lived in at the time, Saunders said.
“We think that the motive in this case was robbery, and that he was killed, dismembered and the remains buried shortly thereafter,” Saunders said.
A pelvis and partial torso of Seitz were found buried, according to the district attorney’s office.
Saunders explained Seitz “was known to carry large sums of cash and apparently did so on that particular day.”
The medical examiner involved in the case said the cause of Seitz’s death was “homicidal violence by undetermined means.”
Investigators said genetic genealogy was used to identify Seitz’s remains.
Advanced DNA testing was done “to produce a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains” that was provided to the FBI, according to the district attorney’s office. After Seitz was identified the investigation included many witness interviews and searches of records through different agencies across five separate states.
“This indictment serves as an example of how police and prosecutors work together to bring individuals alleged to have committed crimes to justice, regardless of how much time passes or how many obstacles are placed in our path,” Katz said.
“We hope the identification of the remains and the indictment in this case will begin to bring peace and closure to his loved ones.”
Motta was scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 5.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 3:07 PM with the headline "Man accused of killing WWI vet arrested 45 years later in New York, authorities say."
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