Just read this opinion piece by NYC Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz where she mentions
@othram & the George Seitz case.
Didn't realize it represented the first successful prosecution using forensic genetic genealogy in NYC!
Opinion: Queens district attorney’s Cold Case Unit solves backlog of cases, brings closure for families — Queens Daily Eagle
"I am pleased to report that the Cold Case Unit has already achieved notable results.
Last year, advancements in modern technology and forensics allowed us and the NYPD to solve and successfully prosecute a 45-year-old homicide case using forensic genetic genealogy. Martin Motta was arrested for the 1976 murder of an 81-year-old World War I veteran, George Clarence Seitz. Motta killed, dismembered and then buried Seitz’s remains under a concrete slab in a Queens backyard. His remains were unearthed in 2019 based on a tip from a witness.
A DNA profile that was developed could not identify the deceased man in any local, state or national databases. My office then sought the assistance of the FBI and Othram, a private forensic laboratory in Texas, to generate leads as to the unknown victim’s identity. Othram produced a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains using advanced DNA testing. That profile was given to the FBI, which then developed leads that were turned over to my office and the NYPD.
Those leads enabled us to identify the victim and his identity, in turn, allowed us to find additional witnesses. This was the first successful prosecution of a case using forensic genetic genealogy in New York City. The case we built was so solid that Motta ultimately pled guilty in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence."
GUILTY - NY - Queens, WhtMale 50-90, UP57120, buried since 1970s, found Mar'19 - George Seitz *Arrest in 2021
