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.
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