In the city of Soria, Spain, images from Google Maps helped locate the body of a missing man and identify a suspect in his murder.
Jorge Luis Pérez Ochandarena, a man of Cuban origin, disappeared a year ago. His body was discovered on December 17 at the Andaluz cemetery.
A crucial clue for the police came from images captured in October last year by a Google Maps vehicle that photographs street panoramas. One of the images shows a man placing a large white bundle into the trunk of a burgundy car.
Another photo captured a person dressed in dark blue clothing transporting a white bundle on a cart. This scene was photographed on a different street in the city.
The National Police used these images, along with mobile phone messages and other evidence, to arrest two suspects on November 12 on charges of murdering and dismembering the Cuban citizen.
According to the police, the Google Maps images provided a “decisive” lead in the investigation, though not the only one. Details of the case were disclosed during a press conference on December 18.
