Missing Worker Found Trapped Behind Store Shelves After 10-Year Search
ArchiveFirst published June 22, 2025. It may not reflect later developments.
Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada vanished in 2009 after leaving his Iowa home barefoot during a blizzard. His parents reported him missing and said he’d been hallucinating and hearing voices due to medication. For a decade, they had no answers.
In 2019, workers clearing out the closed No Frills supermarket where Larry once worked found his remains wedged in an 18-inch gap behind a cooler. Police believe he climbed on top of the coolers for storage and accidentally fell, becoming trapped. The constant noise likely hid his cries for help.
DNA confirmed his identity, and an autopsy found no trauma—his death was ruled accidental. Former staff said it was normal for employees to access storage above the coolers, even when off shift.
Larry’s father, Victor Murillo, said learning the truth brought deep pain: “Our heads are spinning… it makes us feel a lot of pain.” Some shoppers claimed to smell something foul for years, but it was ignored.
His heartbreaking story reminds us how easily some tragedies remain hidden in plain sight.
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