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What online platform led to a breakthrough in an old missing person case?

Answer: Google Earth.

More than two decades after a Florida man went missing while driving home, authorities have located his remains with some assistance from Google Earth.

Gizmodo reports that a resident of a Florida housing development was using Google Earth recently when they noticed what looked like a submerged car in the pond behind their neighbor’s home. When alerted, the neighbor had a friend fly their personal drone over the pond for a closer look. When they determined that there really was a car in the water, they called the police.

Authorities retrieved the car and determined that it had been in the pond since 1997 and contained the remains of William Moldt, who had gone missing in the area in November of that same year. The housing development was reportedly under construction at the time, but authorities were unable to determine how Moldt ended up there. According to the Charley Project, the car had been visible on Google Earth since at least 2007.

Kate is a senior copy editor in Northern California. She holds a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in professional writing from the University of California, Davis.