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Remains Of Man Missing For A Decade Found Behind Refrigerator At Grocery Store Where He Once Worked
Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada ran out of his parents' home during a snowstorm after a fight and apparently made his way to the supermarket, where he fell into a gap of about 18 inches between the cooler and the wall.
The body of an Iowa man reported missing a decade ago was discovered trapped behind a refrigerator at a grocery store where he once worked.
Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada was reported missing by his parents Nov. 28, 2009 after he fled their home during an argument. The 25-year-old vanished into a snow storm, without any shoes or a car, and was never seen alive again, according to The Des Moines Register.
But earlier this year, investigators finally learned what happened to Murillo-Moncada after his body was discovered trapped behind some freezer units at the former No Frills Supermarket in Council Bluffs, where Murillo-Moncada had once worked.
The body was discovered Jan. 24 as contractors were removing freezer units from the former grocery store, which had been shuttered for three years when the gruesome discovery was made.
DNA analysis later confirmed the body belonged to Murillo-Moncada.
Employees at the store said it was common for workers to climb on top of the coolers, which were often used to store goods, The Omaha World Herald reports.
Investigators believe Murillo-Moncada likely went to the store after the argument with his parents and fell into a gap of about 18 inches between the back of the cooler and the wall.
Sgt. Brandon Danielson of the Council Bluffs Police Department told The Register its likely none of the employees ever realized he had fallen into the small space.
“It’s so loud, there’s probably no way anyone heard him,” he said.
Murillo-Moncada had worked at the supermarket at the time of his disappearance but had not been scheduled to work at the time he disappeared.
Murillo-Moncada’s mother, Ana Moncada, told The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil her son had returned home from a shift shortly before he disappeared and seemed disoriented. She took him to a doctor who prescribed an anti-depressant but she said her son continued to be disoriented and told her he was hearing voices.
“He was hearing voices that said ‘Eat sugar,’” she said through a translator. “He felt his heart was beating too hard and thought if he ate sugar, his heart would not beat so hard.”
Police said there were no signs of trauma on the body and have classified the death as accidental.
