Google Maps Helps Solve Year-Long Spanish Murder Mystery, Captures Suspect Hiding Body in Car

MADRID — Google Maps played a pivotal role in solving a year-long murder investigation in Spain after investigators discovered a key image showing a suspect hiding a body in a car.

The case began in November 2023 with the disappearance of a man in Castile and Leon. Police arrested the missing man's partner and her ex-partner in Soria province. During a raid on the suspects’ homes and vehicles, investigators stumbled upon a crucial lead: a Google Maps Street View screenshot from October 2024 showing a person placing a white-covered object into a car boot in Tajueco village.

While not the sole breakthrough, the image helped connect the dots. Police later found a decomposed human torso, believed to be the victim, in a Soria cemetery. The victim, a 33-year-old Cuban, had been murdered. Authorities have ordered the suspects into custody as the investigation continues.