Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada was reported missing by his parents on November 28, 2009, after leaving his home in an upset state.
At the time, he was 25 years old and was employed at the No Frills supermarket in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
For a long time, Larry’s family had no idea what had happened to him but in 2019, a tragic discovery was made.
Relatives say that at the time of Larry’s disappearance, he had been suffering hallucinations, reports the BBC.
Through a translator, his mother said: “He was hearing voices that said ‘eat sugar.’
“He felt his heart was beating too hard and thought if he ate sugar, his heart would not beat so hard.”
Larry’s parents told local media that he fled the family home barefoot during a blizzard, leaving behind his keys and car.
According to Council Bluffs Police Captain Todd Weddum, per CNN, the then 25-year-old’s parent said he was possibly acting irrationally due to the medication he was taking.
It wouldn’t be until over ten years later that Larry’s family finally had answers.
The store worker’s remains were found at the local supermarket where he had worked. His body was wedged in an 18-inch gap between the cooler and a wall.
Larry was found by a group of workers tasked with removing shelves and coolers – the store had been shut for three years and the premises were finally being cleared.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation identified the store worker using DNA collected from his parents. The clothing also matched what he was said to have been wearing at the time of his disappearance.
An autopsy showed no signs of trauma to Larry and his death was ruled accidental, reports Des Moines Register.
Although Larry hadn’t been scheduled to work at the time he would have entered the grocery store, management said it wasn’t uncommon for employees to enter the store regardless of whether they were on a shift.
Former employees reportedly said it was common for workers to be in the space on top of the coolers, a place used for storage.
Investigators concluded that Larry went into the supermarket after leaving his home and climbed on the top of the store’s coolers.
It’s believed he fell into the gap between the back of the units and devastatingly, became trapped.
Sergeant Brandon Danielson said it would have been a 12-foot fall and the noise of the freezer units would have been ‘so loud’ there was ‘probably no way anyone heard him.’
After learning of his son’s fate, Larry’s father, Victor Murillo, spoke of his ‘pain’ and ‘distress.’
He told KETV: “Our heads are spinning, finding this out after so many years, and it is distressing, it makes us feel a lot of pain.
“They closed the building. The freezers weren’t working anymore. So how can a body just be there?”
Former staff and shoppers reportedly complained they could smell something terrible coming from the freezer area, however, it was always dismissed.