Identified! IA - Council Bluffs, mummified body behind a refrigerator, 24 Jan 2019 - Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada

[razzledazzle]

Can't imagine how this happened...Thinking about it during the night...how....what was the situation with the coolers/refrigerator? What did the coolers looked like? Just trying to comprehend this.....sorry......

Me too. This is so extremely sad.

 

[Earth]

I'm trying not to make this sound too horrible, but I really hope his cause of death was suffocation. At least then it would have been fairly quick.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Many shoppers have also taken to social media to complain about the stench in the store. One shopper said that she had even asked a butcher if the back area had dried blood from cutting meat, which he denied. One shopper also talked about how she felt sick because of the smell.

Body of 25-year-old supermarket employee who went missing 10 years ago found stuck behind store freezer

 

[Indy Anna]

May Larry Rest in Peace.

None of the following is intended to disrespect the victim nor to imply foul play, but as a grocery store stockperson myself, I agree with LurkingSleuther in the post above that some elements of this are unfathomable.

Since the autopsy showed no signs of trauma, that seemingly rules out a mortal injury such as a skull fracture that was caused by falling the 12 feet into the gap between the cooler and the wall. So if LM was not incapacitated by the fall, how did nobody hear any cries for help that he made? It's been said that the cooler's compressor fans were loud, but it's doubtful they were ear-protection-level loud, and AFAIK compressors run on cycles, which would leave periods of (relative) quiet.

Why was LM not able to shimmy up the 12-foot space by bracing his back against one surface and his feet and hands against the other? It's been said the gap was 18 inches wide and at 6 feet tall and 140 pounds, LM had a rather slim build so it's doubtful he could have become stuck in the space due to body size.

If the workers often used the coolers to access the storage area and sneaked back there for breaks, how would nobody up there have heard him? Or why didn't he remove some clothing, ball it up and toss it over the cooler to the other side to signal his presence?

Again, not to be insensitive, but how did nobody question the incredible decomposition odor that must have resulted? Or the insect infestation? The backstock areas of grocery stores sometimes develop an unpleasant odor, such as when the compactor hatch is opened or the grease traps are pumped, but it's not normal for them to smell horrible for days and weeks on end as this one must have.

Has there been ANY case where a body went undiscovered for seven years in a workplace, with probably dozens of workers coming in close proximity to it frequently?

I read about this yesterday and I agree that things don't add up, like why Larry went to his workplace after angrily leaving his parents' house. Was he scheduled to work at that time? If so, didn't anyone notice he was barefoot (most store posts notices on their front doors that customers aren't permitted without shoes). And, how did he get to work without his car? Was the store within walking distance? Did he live within walking distance so that he could go home before work to put on another pair of shoes and socks? But, was his house key on the same key chain than his car key (the Vancouver Sun article states Larry left his parents' house without his "keys")?

If Larry was scheduled to work at the time he fell behind the coolers, his supervisor should have known what he was doing the last he was seen. So, why wasn't there a search for him in the store when he was later reported missing? Didn't Larry's supervisor check to see if he had completed his tasks at the store before leaving? Wasn't there a time clock in the store showing Larry had clocked in that day but not out, assuming he was at the store to work? Even if Larry wasn't scheduled to work but, lets say, went to his workplace to commit suicide, how would he have escaped the notice of his coworkers?

Just too many questions, IMO. I really hope a full investigation was done and that investigators were not in a rush to close the case.

 

[PastTense]

The supermarket closed at either 9 pm or 10 pm (that's when the current branches close). I assumed he went there after closing hours.

 

[PastTense]

"A Council Bluffs family wants answers on how their son died. Larry Murillo-Moncada's father said he's still struggling with the news. He said he wants to know how his son's body stayed inside an abandoned supermarket, potentially for years.

In an exclusive interview, conducted in Spanish, Victor Murillo said he remembers the cold November night in 2009 when his son disappeared. “We went out to find him – my wife and I. Another friend came to help me. We got up early, and couldn’t find anything. It felt like the earth had swallowed him whole,” Murillo said.

Murillo said he called the Council Bluffs Police Department for help and told them what he thinks happened the night before Murillo-Moncada disappeared.

Sgt. Brandon Danielson said Murillo-Moncada was reported missing during a snowstorm. "(The parents) believe that he was maybe off his prescription medication -- he wasn't in the right frame of mind," Danielson said."
Father of missing Council Bluffs man wants answers 10 years after son's disappearance

 

[Laughing]

I wonder if possibly Mr. Murilla-Moncada was a dependent adult? Any sort of limited problem-solving could account for his death while entrapped?

JMHO YMMV

 

[Indy Anna]

I wonder if possibly Mr. Murilla-Moncada was a dependent adult? Any sort of limited problem-solving could account for his death while entrapped?

JMHO YMMV

And for going to his workplace (in the cold in his bare feet) after closing. Still, how would he enter the store if it was already closed?

 

[Lexiintoronto]

I read about this yesterday and I agree that things don't add up, like why Larry went to his workplace after angrily leaving his parents' house. Was he scheduled to work at that time? If so, didn't anyone notice he was barefoot (most store posts notices on their front doors that customers aren't permitted without shoes). And, how did he get to work without his car? Was the store within walking distance? Did he live within walking distance so that he could go home before work to put on another pair of shoes and socks? But, was his house key on the same key chain than his car key (the Vancouver Sun article states Larry left his parents' house without his "keys")?

If Larry was scheduled to work at the time he fell behind the coolers, his supervisor should have known what he was doing the last he was seen. So, why wasn't there a search for him in the store when he was later reported missing? Didn't Larry's supervisor check to see if he had completed his tasks at the store before leaving? Wasn't there a time clock in the store showing Larry had clocked in that day but not out, assuming he was at the store to work? Even if Larry wasn't scheduled to work but, lets say, went to his workplace to commit suicide, how would he have escaped the notice of his coworkers?

Just too many questions, IMO. I really hope a full investigation was done and that investigators were not in a rush to close the case.

I also hope they revisit the investigation into his disappearance and search efforts within the No Frills. His mother always believed he was in the store, according to LE quoted below.

It sounds as if he may have been a night worker- stocking shelves or cleaning, IMO.

Moncada’s mother, Ana Moncada, said he went to work on Thanksgiving night; and, when he returned home on the morning of Nov. 27, he seemed disoriented. She took him to see a doctor, who prescribed an anti-depressant. He continued to feel disoriented and began to hear voices, she said.

Bluffs man reported missing

If he was not familiar with the daytime/evening staff, he may have walked right by them unnoticed while the store was open when he went missing.

In this excellent Washington Post article, it says his boss at the time said he was not scheduled to work, (and his mother’s belief of his being in the store.)

Danielson told KPTM that authorities did visit the store early in the investigation, but Murillo-Moncada’s boss said he didn’t know where his employee had gone and hadn’t seen him that day. The boss noted that Murillo-Moncada also wasn’t scheduled to work then.

But the police sergeant told KETV there was at least one person who suspected Murillo-Moncada had been in the store the whole time.

“The mother, she kind of had an idea that he had never left the No Frills,” Danielson said. “I don’t know how she came up with that idea.”

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/beta.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/07/23/larry-ely-murillo-moncada-council-bluffs-disappearance-cooler-no-frills-supermarket/?outputType=amp

He seemed to be a missing/endangered person with a psychological illness which can be unpredictable when it comes to where they may seek shelter.

The store was about one mile from his home. My guess is he walked to the store, despite the snowstorm and being in bare feet.

The link below is to a booklet which is a resource for search and rescue personnel. Larry seems to fit the category below, based on what his mother said about his mental state prior to disappearing.

Page 14, Missing Person Behaviour:

Missing Person Behaviour
Psychological Illness (Psychotics)
Characteristics
(Koester):
-May be evasive and run away and/or hide
-Most do not respond to name
-Rarely travel purposefully to an identifiable target
-Associated medication and/or lack of it may be a problem
-May be frightened of authority and of being found
-Can be aggressive – be aware of safety of searchers – seek advice
-Rarely ‘lost’ in the traditional sense of the word
-Behaviour may be difficult to predict

Where?
(Koester):
Tend not to penetrate woods and/or thick undergrowth
Often found in woods (edges) – 20%; buildings – 23%; along roads – 23%
Detailed checks of buildings in search area should be done by Police
Drainages, streams, trails
21% walked out

https://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/files.php?file=SearchManagement/Missing+Person+Behaviour+Handbook+June+2003.pdf

ETA: grammar

 

[YaYa_521]

Never in my wildest dreams...just wow.

It sickens and angers me to read the disturbing details about Larry's death. It appears the ball was dropped often and by so many who could and should have done more to find him. There's a little voice in me that whispers "foul play". Something isn't sitting right with me on this case.

May Larry finally rest in peace. My condolences to his loved ones.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Murillo-Moncada worked at the No Frills store for five years before he vanished in 2009. His mother remembered she never could check behind every door inside the building. James Martin Davis, the family’s attorney, said her mother’s intuition proved her right.

“Mom is the one that suspected at the time that maybe he was in the store,” Davis said.

On Sunday, Aug. 18, Davis and both parents issued a call to the community. They said they want to know exactly where contractors finally discovered Murillo-Moncada’s body, and the cause of his death.

“Did he starve to death? Was he asphyxiated? (Were) there gas fumes from the cooler?” Davis said.

Murillo said his family is ready to receive any call, text, or message, because they want someone to shed light on this case. Moncada said she can’t fathom how, back in 2009, no one inside the store noticed his son’s cries for help from behind a cooler, or when his body began to decompose.

“To think he was stuck behind there, crying out for someone to help him, and they never did, it’s hard. It’s difficult,” Moncada said in Spanish.

“There’s a hundred unanswered questions here that they want to get to the bottom of,” Davis said.
‘He was stuck there:’ Parents plead for answers after son’s body found behind grocery store cooler

 

[katydid23]

Many shoppers have also taken to social media to complain about the stench in the store. One shopper said that she had even asked a butcher if the back area had dried blood from cutting meat, which he denied. One shopper also talked about how she felt sick because of the smell.

Body of 25-year-old supermarket employee who went missing 10 years ago found stuck behind store freezer

I was just going to ask about this^^^. How could a body lay there for so long, without smelling?

And in a store? ugh...no wonder it went out of business. I could never shop in a place with a horrible stench.

 

[TGIRecovered]

I wish that someone would ask people who worked there in the months after he went missing about the smell.
Any place that sells food is regularly inspected by the department of health. Wonder what they have to say about the smell of human decomposition.

 

[BACKYARDSLEUTHS]

Hi all,

My friend and I are starting a podcast as we are calling in regards to the body found in No Frills supermarket.

Feel free to share this post, to help us investigate his disappearance and persuade the police to reopen the case.
______________________________________________
On January 24, 2019 remains were found at No Frills Supermarket in Council bluffs, IA.
These remains were positively identify as Larry Ely Murillo-Mocada on July 22, 2019.

Murillo went missing on November 28, 2009.

It is said that Murillo had fallen into an 18 inch gap between the back of the cooler and a wall, where he became trapped. Noise from the coolers' compressors may have concealed any attempts to call for help.


We are gathering information on this case, because we think there is more to the story than what is being shared and we want answers.

If you have any information in regards to the victim, no frills supermarket, or events that took place that night please contact us.

We're looking to speak to former coworkers, friends, family, or anyone that has associated with Mr. Murillo in the past.

It's crazy what can happen in your own backyard - and we want justice!

 

[Laughing]

We've passed the anniversary of the discovery of this gentleman's remains.

Any local news regarding resolution?

 

[PezCandy]

Was his accident considered “accidental asphyxiation”? I wonder if since so much time had passed before this gentleman was found if they were able to do a legit autopsy??
this reminds me of the kendrick Johnson case where he was found in a rolled up gym mat and they ruled his death as accidental positional asphyxiation.

 

[PezCandy]

This case has always bothered me, I find negligent behavior from the employees/ers that a full search of the building wasn’t done, and don’t you have to clean behind freezers every so often? Usually if there is a yucky stench they would try to find out what’s causing it?

 

[Savemecastiel]

Still thinking of this case.