The remains of Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada, a supermarket employee who vanished a decade ago, have been tragically discovered in a startling location within the No Frills Supermarket in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Murillo-Moncada, 25 years old at the time of his disappearance on November 28, 2009, was reported missing by his parents after he left their home during a snowstorm following an argument and never returned.

For ten years, his whereabouts remained a mystery until January, when contractors tasked with dismantling the supermarket, closed for three years, uncovered his decomposing body wedged in an 18-inch gap behind a freezer, the Des Moines Register reports.

Authorities initially suspected the body had been there for a considerable period. Council Bluffs Police Sergeant Brandon Danielson recalled that Murillo-Moncada was immediately considered upon the discovery of the body.

Following forensic analysis and DNA testing, recently confirmed to belong to Murillo-Moncada through comparison with samples from his parents, the investigation revealed no signs of foul play.

The autopsy concluded that Murillo-Moncada's death was accidental. Police theorize he entered the store after the argument with his parents, climbed atop a freezer, and fell into the narrow space behind it, approximately 12 feet below.

Former employees corroborated that climbing on the freezers for storage purposes was not uncommon, and the noise from the machinery could have masked any calls for assistance.

"It's so loud there's probably no way anyone heard him," explained Sgt. Danielson.

Shoppers also recalled a persistent foul odor inside the store over the years, potentially linked to Murillo-Moncada's remains.

One person wrote on Facebook: "I shopped there all the time and it smelled horrible! I even asked the butcher one time if the back area was dirty with dried blood from cutting the meat and he said no it was really clean. It smelled for a long time!"

With these findings, the police have closed the cold case investigation into Murillo-Moncada's disappearance, shedding light on a decade-long mystery that tragically ended within the confines of the supermarket where he once worked.

Featured image credit: Council Bluffs Police Department

The body of an Iowa man who mysteriously vanished a decade ago has been discovered trapped behind a freezer at the grocery store where he used to be employed. Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada’s remains were finally found when contractors began gutting the site of the No Frills Supermarket, finally solving a case that had haunted investigators for nearly 10 years. 

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The body itself was actually unearthed in January this year, when external workers began removing the store’s shelving and storage units. Police were summoned to the scene, but were unable to identify Murillo-Moncada due to the advanced degree of decomposition, according to a contemporary report by 6 News. It was not until very recently that officials were able to match the remains with DNA samples, and detailed descriptions of what Murillo-Moncada was wearing on the night of his disappearance. 

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Exactly how Murillo-Moncada found himself in such a predicament is not clear. Initially reported missing on 28th November 2009, early investigators were told that he had become “delusional”, running away from his parents’ home “barefoot”.

Sgt. Brandon Danielson from the Council Bluffs police told the Des Moines Register that Murillo-Moncada had left with "no shoes, no socks, no keys, no car," while his parents surmised that his erratic behaviour may have been caused by prescription medication. 

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Murillo-Moncada, who was 25 years old at the time of his disappearance, was not scheduled to be at work on the day that he vanished. However, management at No Frills pointed out that employees often entered and exited the store freely, whether or not they were due on shift. This may explain how a possibly disoriented and confused Murillo-Moncada found himself in the store, which was located barely a mile from his home. 

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As to how the unfortunate man found himself trapped in an 18-inch gap between cooling unit and wall - police believe they may have an answer. Evidence from other ex-No Frills employees suggest that it was not unusual for workers to take unofficial breaks on top of the coolers, implying that Murillo-Moncada may have slipped and become trapped. 

Police also believe that the noise produced by the industrial units would have been enough to obscure his cries for help. As Sgt. Danielsen told The Register, it was "about a 12-foot fall" from the top of the unit, adding that, "The noise of the freezer units also could have made it difficult to hear any cries for help."

Police have now closed the case and ruled the tragedy as an accidental death.

A disturbing simulation has shown what happened to a man's body who was trapped behind a fridge for 10 years.

In 2019, workers tasked with clearing out a closed No Frills supermarket in Council Bluffs, Iowa, uncovered human remains wedged behind one of the store's refrigerators.

DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to 25-year-old Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada, who had been missing since 2009, per BBC News.

The revelation meant that Murillo-Moncada's body had been hidden in the store for seven years while it remained operational, and another three years after its closure in 2016.

The Investigation Into Murillo-Moncada's Death

Investigators found no evidence of foul play. They believe Murillo-Moncada, who had worked at the supermarket, accidentally fell into the 18-inch gap between the refrigerator and the wall, becoming trapped.

The gap was located behind a 12-foot-tall refrigerator unit, making any cries for help impossible to hear over the noise of the cooling system.

It was reported that his body was so badly decomposed that it wasn't until after a post-mortem that they could identify him.

"You don't hear about these types of cases, [like] people found in walls, especially in this area," said Sgt Danielson, who was assigned the original missing persons case back in 2009.

"We have missing persons all the time, but this is just unique," he told KETV in Omaha.

Murillo-Moncada was reported missing the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. His family reported that he left their home barefoot and disoriented during a blizzard. He had left behind his keys and car.

"He was hearing voices that said 'eat sugar,'" his mother recounted through a translator in 2009.

"He felt his heart was beating too hard and thought if he ate sugar, his heart would not beat so hard."

The discovery sparked disbelief among some, questioning how a body could go unnoticed for so long in a functioning supermarket.

However, the store’s layout and the position of the refrigerator likely made it nearly impossible to detect his presence behind the unit.

A disturbing simulation has been shared online of what the shop worker could have experienced while being trapped behind the fridge.

Former employees of No Frills, which closed several years ago, noted it was common for workers to climb atop the freezers to restock shelves.

Sgt. Danielson also revealed on Monday that Murillo-Moncada’s mother had long suspected he might have been trapped in the store.

"The mother, she kind of had an idea that he had never left the No Frills," he said.

Murillo-Moncada's tragic death hopefully means people will ensure that safety standards have improved in stores.

Featured image credit: Council Bluffs Police Department

A disturbing simulation has shown what happened to a man's body who was trapped behind a fridge for 10 years.

In 2019, workers tasked with clearing out a closed No Frills supermarket in Council Bluffs, Iowa, uncovered human remains wedged behind one of the store's refrigerators.

DNA testing confirmed the remains belonged to 25-year-old Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada, who had been missing since 2009, per BBC News.

The revelation meant that Murillo-Moncada's body had been hidden in the store for seven years while it remained operational, and another three years after its closure in 2016.

Investigators found no evidence of foul play. They believe Murillo-Moncada, who had worked at the supermarket, accidentally fell into the 18-inch gap between the refrigerator and the wall, becoming trapped.

The gap was located behind a 12-foot-tall refrigerator unit, making any cries for help impossible to hear over the noise of the cooling system.

It was reported that his body was so badly decomposed that it wasn't until after a post-mortem that they could identify him.

"You don't hear about these types of cases, [like] people found in walls, especially in this area," said Sgt Danielson, who was assigned the original missing persons case back in 2009.

"We have missing persons all the time, but this is just unique," he told KETV in Omaha.

Murillo-Moncada was reported missing the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. His family reported that he left their home barefoot and disoriented during a blizzard. He had left behind his keys and car.

"He was hearing voices that said 'eat sugar,'" his mother recounted through a translator in 2009.

"He felt his heart was beating too hard and thought if he ate sugar, his heart would not beat so hard."

The discovery sparked disbelief among some, questioning how a body could go unnoticed for so long in a functioning supermarket.

However, the store’s layout and the position of the refrigerator likely made it nearly impossible to detect his presence behind the unit.

A disturbing simulation has been shared online of what the shop worker could have experienced while being trapped behind the fridge.

Former employees of No Frills, which closed several years ago, noted it was common for workers to climb atop the freezers to restock shelves.

Sgt. Danielson also revealed on Monday that Murillo-Moncada’s mother had long suspected he might have been trapped in the store.

"The mother, she kind of had an idea that he had never left the No Frills," he said.

Murillo-Moncada's tragic death hopefully means people will ensure that safety standards have improved in stores.

Featured image credit: Council Bluffs Police Department