Google bows to pressure and agrees to pull satellite image that shows murdered 14-year-old's body after his devastated family begged tech-giant to replace it
- Dead body of Kevin Barrera, 14, can be seen on Google Earth image
- Father Jose Barrera pleaded with the company to replace it after seeing it this week
- Google has agreed to replace it within eight days
- Teenager was found battered and shot to death beside train tracks in 2009 and the murder has never been solved
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Google has committed to removing a satellite image from its maps that shows the body of a 14-year-old who was murdered in Richmond, California in 2009.
The boy's father Jose Barrera learned of the image earlier this week and asked that the web giant remove the shot.
In a statement to MailOnline a Google spokesperson said the company has decided to make an exception to its usual procedure and replace the image as soon as possible.
Grisly reminder: The body of 14-year-old Kevin Barrera can be seen on this Google Earth image. His body, which has been blurred by MailOnline, is at the bottom of the image as officers gather above
'Our hearts go out to the family of this young boy. Since the media first contacted us about the image, we’ve been looking at different technical solutions,' read the statement.
'Google has never accelerated the replacement of updated satellite imagery from our maps before, but given the circumstances we wanted to make an exception in this case.'
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ShareTechnology analyst Rob Enderle told KTVU he believed it was unlikely Google would pull the image.
'When they remove it for one person for one thing, then how do they not do it for others?' he asked. 'And so they've found it easier just to say no.'
Jose Barrera said the picture on Google Earth shows his son Kevin, who was found battered and shot to death beside train tracks in Richmond, California four years ago.
Distraught: Jose Barrera is pleading with Google to remove the image, saying it brings back terrible memories
Victim: His son Kevin was beaten and shot to death. No one has been arrested for the killing
'When I see this image, that's still like that happened yesterday,' the distraught father told KTVU. 'And that brings me back to a lot of memories.'
Google technicians estimate they can have the image updated in eight days.
'We’ve spoken to the family to let them know we’re working hard on the update,' concluded the statement.
Kevin Barrera was found shot dead just off the railroad tracks in August 2009 - in the area which was known for trouble. Six people were killed there between February and October of that year.
The teenager, who was known to police, had spent the evening of August 14 with his family but left alone on foot after getting some phone calls.
His body was found at 7am the next morning by a passerby. No arrests have been made in his death.
'I don't know the right words to say how I feel," his father told the Contra Costa Times after the murder. 'My heart is really broke.'
Scene: His body was found on August 15, 2009 in a notoriously troubled area of Richmond, California
His stepmother, Leticia Marquez, told a crowd after the death: 'All you kids who are Kevin's age, please help us. Please help your brothers and sisters, because they are looking for kids your age. They are taking our kids. This age is the right time for bad people to take our sons from us.'
His death was the 33rd homicide victim in Richmond in 2009. By the end of the year, 47 people had been killed there, placing it as the second deadliest city after New Orleans.
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