Body of supermarket worker who vanished 10 years ago found at back of freezer in store

Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada's cries for help may have been drowned out by noise of coolers, police say

A body found wedged in an 18-inch gap behind a supermarket freezer has been identified as that of a man who worked at the same store and went missing a decade ago.

Police say DNA analysis shows the remains found at the No Frills Supermarket in Council Bluffs, Iowa, belong to Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada, the Des Moines Register reports.

The 25 year old, who worked at the store, was reported missing in November 2009 after walking out of his parents’ home during a snowstorm following an argument.

According to CNN, his parents said he had been acting irrationally around the time he went missing, which may have been caused by medication he was taking.

In a statement released on Monday, Council Bluffs Police Department said the man fell into a gap about 18 inches wide between the back of a freezer and a wall.

The supermarket had been closed for three years by the time contractors removing shelving and freezer units from the store discovered the remains in January, 6 News reported at the time.

Police then that the remains appeared to have been there for several years.

Sergeant Brandon Danielson, of Council Bluffs Police Department, told the Des Moines Register that there was a snowstorm at the time Mr Murillo-Moncada left his family home.

He added: “He left with no shoes, no socks, no keys, no car.”

According to the paper, police said they were told by former employees that workers were often in the space on top of the coolers which was used for storage.

It is thought Mr Murillo-Moncada’s cries for help may have been drowned out by the noise of the freezers.

The death has reportedly been ruled as accidental after an autopsy showed there were no signs of trauma.