Google Street View image helps police unlock murder case in Spain

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

The Google app allows users to view images of streets around the world – filmed by cars fitted with cameras.

It captured the exact moment when the body of the victim was allegedly removed.

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

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

Officials say another photo sequence shows the blurred silhouette of a person carrying a large white bundle in a wheelbarrow.

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

The male victim, who according to El Pais newspaper is a 33-year-old Cuban citizen, was reported missing in October 2023 after a relative received text messages from the victim’s phone that he found suspicious.

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

On November 12 this year, police arrested a woman said to be the missing man’s partner and a man said to be her former partner.

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

The accused are in custody and the investigation continues.