NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Queens grand jury indicted a man Wednesday who allegedly killed a then-81-year-old World War I veteran who vanished in 1976.
Martin Motta, 74, faces a second-degree murder charge for George Clarence Seitz's death after his dismembered remains were discovered in 2019 in the backyard of a Richmond Hill home.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the victim was last seen leaving his Jamaica, Queens, home in December 1976 to reportedly get a haircut.
After the discovery, NYC's Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined a DNA profile but failed to link it to any relatives within local, state and national databases.
In February, a private lab was able to produce a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains and with the assistance of the FBI was able to compare potential family members of the victim.
Eventually, these efforts allowed investigators to positively identify the remains as Clarence Seitz's.
Officials said after a "painstaking investigation" led by the NYPD and the Queens DA’s office, evidence was uncovered that linked Motta to the homicide.
"After 45 years, the alleged killer of a WWI Veteran is being held accountable and brought to justice. We hope the identification of the remains and the indictment in this case will begin to bring peace and closure to his loved ones," Katz said in a statement.
He faces up to 25 years-to-life in prison if convicted.