Google Street View image helps police solve murder case in Spain

A Google Street View image of a man loading a large white plastic bag into the trunk of his car has helped solve a murder case in a town in northern Spain, police say.

Google’s app lets users see images of streets around the world – captured by camera cars.

It records the moment when the body of the deceased was allegedly taken out.

Two people were arrested last month, accused of being responsible for the disappearance and murder of a man last October. His remains were found in a cemetery last week.

It was the first time in 15 years that a Google car had been in the city of Tahueca in the northern province of Soria.

Officials say another series of photos shows a blurred silhouette of a man carrying a large white package in a wheelbarrow.

However, police said the images were not “decisive” in solving the case.

The male victim, identified by El Pais newspaper as a 33-year-old Cuban citizen, was reported missing in October 2023 after a relative received text messages from the victim’s phone that appeared suspicious to him.

A relative told police that the victim had met a woman, was leaving Spain and wanted to get rid of his phone.

On November 12 of this year, the police detained a woman who was believed to be the roommate of the missing person, and a man who was her ex-partner.

Earlier this month, a badly decomposed torso believed to belong to the victim was unearthed in a nearby cemetery.

The defendant was detained in custody, the investigation is ongoing.