A Google Street View image of a man loading a white sack into the trunk of his car has helped police solve a murder case, BBC reports.
In November 2023, local police in Soria, Spain, received a complaint about a missing Cuban immigrant after the man's relative received suspicious messages about him leaving the country and ditching his phone.
During the investigation, the police landed on the missing man’s partner and her ex-boyfriend and raided their homes. The authorities then found a Google Street View image of a man, allegedly the ex-boyfriend, loading a huge white sack into the car’s trunk.
The police did not specify how they determined the sack contained the missing person's body but noted in a translated statement that the image is “one of the clues." They also found another image of a man transporting a large white sack in a wheelbarrow.
These images were taken in October 2023 in Tajueco, a town in the northern province of Soria, and it was the first time in 15 years that a Google Street View car had been there. (What are the odds?)
Based on the images and the couple’s connection to the missing person, the police arrested the two on Nov. 12, 2024. While the two were in detention, the police found the missing person’s torso buried in a cemetery in Soria. The rest of the body was subsequently found on Dec. 11 and sent for further examination. The case hasn’t been closed yet, and evidence is still being verified.
To capture 360-degree street views, Google mounts a camera system on the roof of a car and drives it around towns. The company also has a support page that mentions which locations it plans to map each month.