DES MOINES, IA. – A missing person report that was classified as a cold case has been solved following the identification of the human remains found in an Iowa Supermarket in January.
Contractors working at the former Council Bluffs supermarket, which closed around 3 years ago, accidentally discovered the remains while taking down the freezer units, according to police. The mostly decomposed body that police said appeared to be there for years, was located on January 24, 2019.
Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada, 25, of Council Bluffs, was reported missing by his parents in November 2009. At the time, he was working at the supermarket and his parents reported that they were involved in an argument with him. They said that he stormed off into the freezing cold weather walking without shoes and socks.
DNA taken from his parents determined that the body was Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada. According to the autopsy, which results were only shared with the public as of Monday, July 22, 2019, the death was ruled accidental. While open, the space on top of the coolers was used for storage. It is believed that Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada may have went to the top of the cooler and fell between the freezer and the wall. It is unclear if he died as a result of the approximate 12 foot fall, or from other injuries while stuck in the small space.
