Murillo-Moncada, the Missing Employee Found Dead Behind Cooler After 10 Years

In a startling turn of events, the decade-long mystery of Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada’s disappearance has been solved. The former supermarket employee, missing since 2009, was recently discovered behind a cooler in the very store where he had worked in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Murillo-Moncada, 25 at the time, vanished on November 28, 2009, after abruptly leaving his home in a distressed state. His parents reported that he had been exhibiting unusual behavior, possibly due to medication. Despite extensive searches by law enforcement, no trace of him was found—until now.

In January 2019, while dismantling shelves and coolers from the now-closed No Frills Supermarket, workers made a grim discovery: a body wedged behind one of the coolers. Authorities later confirmed the remains belonged to Murillo-Moncada.

Investigators believe that on the night of his disappearance, Murillo-Moncada sought refuge atop the store’s coolers—a common practice among employees. Tragically, he is thought to have slipped into an 18-inch gap between the cooler and the wall, becoming trapped. The constant noise from the store’s compressors likely muffled any calls for help, sealing his fate.

Identification was confirmed through DNA matching with his parents, and his clothing matched what he was reportedly wearing at the time of his disappearance. Sadly, this revelation aligns with his mother’s long-held belief that her son had never left the supermarket premises.

Authorities have deemed Murillo-Moncada’s death accidental, noting the absence of any signs of trauma. The discovery of his body after a decade brings a tragic closure to a case that had long baffled both his family and the community.