Google Maps aids Spanish police in solving disappearance case
The Google Maps photo in the spherical Street View played a crucial role in solving a disappearance case in Spain. The photograph shows a man by the open trunk of a car, which helped the police determine the subsequent stages of the disappearance.
The Street View photo was key in resolving the disappearance case in Spain, as reported by both BBC and The New York Times. In the "street" photo, a person is seen loading a large object into a car trunk. Another image shows someone moving a large white package using a wheelbarrow. The police noticed a connection between these two situations, which helped solve the case that turned out to involve a crime.
The Spanish national police reported that part of the remains of the missing person was found in a cemetery in the province of Soria. Advanced technical means were used to locate them. One of the clues was images from a location-searching application discovered during the investigation. This Google Street View photo was related to the crime.
This isn't the first time that Google Maps photos have assisted law enforcement. In January 2022, it was announced that after 20 years, with the help of Street View, the head of the Italian mafia was arrested, interestingly also in Spain. The reference is 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 isn't the only criminal previously identified thanks to the Internet. Even earlier, another mafia member was identified thanks to a video posted on YouTube.
