Google Maps aids in solving Spanish disappearance mystery
The Google Maps image on the spherical Street View played a significant role in resolving a disappearance case in Spain. The photograph shows a man by the open boot of a car, which helped the police determine the subsequent stages of the disappearance.
The Street View image assisted in solving the disappearance case in Spain, as reported by the BBC and The New York Times. In the "street" photo, a person is seen loading a large object into a car boot. Another photo shows someone transporting a large white package on a wheelbarrow. The police observed a connection between these two situations, which helped unravel the case and confirm it involved a crime.
The Spanish national police reported that part of the remains of the missing person were found in a cemetery in the province of Soria. Advanced technical methods were used to locate them. One of the key clues was images from a location-searching application discovered during the investigation. This Google Street View photo was related to the crime.
This is not the first instance where Google Maps images have aided law enforcement. In January 2022, it was announced that after 20 years, with the aid of Street View, an Italian mafia boss was arrested, interestingly also in Spain. This referred to Gioacchino Gammino, who had escaped from a prison in Rome.
The police then focused on details available from Google Maps, and Gammino was identified based on a distinctive scar. Further identity confirmation was obtained through photos from the restaurant's fan page where he worked. Gammino is not the only criminal previously identified thanks to the internet. Even earlier, another mafia member was identified thanks to a video posted on YouTube.
