There are a lot of cameras in the world. And we don’t just mean in the sense that we’re being over-surveilled — although we are, but we digress. No matter what you’re doing, assume you’re being seen by everyone, from livestreamers to Google Maps Street View photographers, at all times. Eyes are always on you, even if you’re stuffing the body of your girlfriend’s ex in the trunk of your car.
In the tiny northern Spanish hamlet of Tajueco, with a population of just 56 people, an innocent-looking Google Maps car passing through the town’s narrow streets turned out to be the centerpiece of an international murder conspiracy. But let’s start at the top: in November 2023, El País reported that a Cuban expat living in Soria, Spain, began sending texts to a relative that raised suspicions. He told the relative he was moving away from Spain after meeting a new woman and would be cutting off his phone. The relative, finding the texts disturbingly out of character, reported them to the police.
Over the next year, the police quietly worked on the case, piecing together clues that eventually led to the arrest of a couple they identified as their primary suspects. The investigation is still ongoing, and since divulging too much too early could tip off the perpetrators, the local Spanish police have been cagey about their findings. However, they did share with the media that the couple included one partner who was previously romantically linked to the victim. Furthermore, they revealed that a Google Maps image is believed to show the Cuban man’s ex and her new partner loading a suspiciously body-sized white sack into the trunk of a sedan — in broad daylight.
The police stumbled upon the photo during a routine review of mapping applications. The image featured a red car they had already identified as being involved in the crime. Starbucks and McDonald’s have inadvertently played roles in the downfall of other alleged criminals, such as TikTok folklore hero and suspected murderer Luigi Mangione and now Google Maps has joined the lineup of corporate crime busters. These corporations have become so deeply entrenched in our lives that they now serve as unwitting product placements in the stories of some of our generation’s most notable crimes.
The Guardian reports that the small hamlet’s 56 residents eventually caught wind of the Google Maps fiasco, and unsurprisingly, many had already seen the image of the alleged smoking gun in the investigation. “We didn’t think anything of it,” said one resident. He added, “We didn’t think that in the photo of the boot there would be a body.” Nobody would. Unlike other recent missing cases, however, this time it seems the missing person has already died. A few weeks later, all that could reportedly be found of the missing Cuban man in Spain was his torso, discovered in a neighboring hamlet’s cemetery.
The most significant takeaway from this story is how crucial it is to have a friend who can recognize when you’re texting out of character. As of now, the Google Maps image of the alleged crime scene is still available online.