He went missing 22 years ago. Then someone saw his car in a pond on Google Maps.
A missing persons case from 1997 has been solved thanks to Google Maps.
While looking at satellite imagery provided in the app, a Google user discovered an image of a car in a pond in Wellington, Florida. When the car was excavated, the skeletal remains of a person were found inside.
Back on Nov. 7, 1997, 40-year-old William Moldt of Florida was reported missing. Nearly 22 years ago, Moldt called his girlfriend to let her know he was on his way home from a nightclub. He was never seen or heard from again.
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Fast forward to Aug. 28, 2019. Barry Fay, a resident of a gated community known as Grand Isles in Wellington, received a call from his neighbor. The neighbor’s ex-husband had called her to say he noticed a car submerged in a pond behind Fay’s house while he was searching the area using Google's satellite imagery.
After confirming the sighting with the help of a drone, Fay says he called the former owner of his residence to see if she was aware of the vehicle. According to Fay, she was “shocked.”
Fay called the police.
“Upon arrival deputies confirmed there was a vehicle in the pond,” reads a statement from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department. “The vehicle’s exterior was heavily calcified and was obviously in the water for a significant amount of time. Upon removing the vehicle skeleton remains were found inside.”
You can view the satellite image yourself on Google Maps right here and see Moldt’s 1994 Saturn SL in the pond. Apparently, the car has been visible via Google’s satellite imagery since 2007, but hadn’t been noticed until now.
The body was confirmed to be that of William Moldt on Sept.10.
When Moldt went missing more than two decades ago, the housing development was still under construction. Police seem doubtful that we’ll ever know how Moldt and his car ended up in that pond.
Google Maps recently rolled out the ability to see local bikeshare availability, how busy your public transportation ride will be, and even a tool that helps addicts find recovery resources.
The app now also seems to have an unintended new feature: solving decades old missing persons cases.
Topics Google
