The corpse of a Grocery Worker Found after More than Ten Years behind a Store’s Coolers
(Photo : Reuters)

Larry Elly Murillo-Moncada, 25, was last seen by his parents last November 28, 2009. He was last seen running from their house towards the snowstorm in Council Bluffs, Iowa while barefooted. 

He was never seen again by families and friends after that day. His parents had filed a missing person report. His families and friends were also called by his parents but no one knew where he was. Fliers of a missing person circulated through the city. There was no significant information that had surfaced about Larry's whereabouts.

After more than ten long years, Murillo-Moncada's families and friends can finally receive the answers to their 10-year-long questions about the disappearance of the grocery worker.

The Police Department of Council Bluff had released an announcement on Monday that Larry's body had been kept in not more than a mile from his house. His body was found in a supermarket where he had worked. His remains were found behind the coolers of the store.

According to Sergeant Brandon Danielson, Larry's case was a unique one for the city.

One day before the disappearance of Larry, his mother named Ana, shared with the Daily nonpareil that Larry went home after his shift during the Thanksgiving Day celebrations at the supermarket where he worked. She described him as being disoriented during that time. After that, she brought the grocery worker to the doctor. The doctor had given him anti-depressant medication but it did not do him any good. 

Larry still experienced hallucinations and confusion despite taking the medications, said his mother.

According to Maria Stockton, a friend of Larry, he said that he was scared and that someone was following him.

At 6:15 in the evening, Larry hurriedly left the house without any footwear while wearing a hoodie and pants. He had left his keys and car.

Regardless of the exhaustive efforts of family, friends, and the police, his case got cold. The case's condition turned around when the staff went to the No Frills Supermarket store last January.

It was the grocery store where Larry worked before he disappeared. It was ordered by the police for the removal of the store's shelves and coolers. 

Eighteen inches between the coolers and the wall, a corpse was discovered.

According to Danielson, it was the first time in his career to have witnessed a corpse in that state. He was assigned to the case of Larry back in 2009.

The corpse's condition was impossible for him to identify the identity of the corpse but Danielson guessed that it was Larry's.

The clothes worn by the corpse had matched the description of what Larry wore when he was last seen by his family. It was confirmed by authorities that the corpse's DNA matched with the DNA of Larry's parents.

According to investigators, it is now clear how the corpse of the grocery worker ended up in between the walls and the coolers of the store.

According to the statement given by the previous employees of the store, they regularly climbed up the coolers. 

Larry may have fallen twelve feet from the ground. The noise of the coolers may have prevented others from hearing his plea for help.

After an autopsy, there were no signs of trauma identified. The case was closed and identified the cause of Larry's death as an accidental one.