Dead body found inside freezer at Food Lion store

A body has been discovered in a freezer located in a Food Lion grocery store in North Carolina.

On Tuesday (September 10), police were called to a branch of Food Lion located on the 4500 block of Capital Boulevard in Raleigh, North Carolina after several employees discovered a man's body in one the store's supply freezer.

The man is reported as having been an employee of the store, CBS 17 reports.

The death is being investigated by the Raleigh Police Department, OSHA and other labor and safety authorities.

Officials said they do not suspect foul play to be involved, instead, they believe on Monday the man experienced a heart attack and then ended up inside the freezer where he 'died of natural causes'.

A Food Lion spokesperson told UNILAD: "Food Lion is deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of our associate. We express our deepest condolences to the associate’s family and friends.

"Food Lion is cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this unfortunate incident. As always, the safety and well-being of customers and associates are daily priorities for Food Lion, and we are committed to ensuring a safe place to work and shop. We are providing resources to support our associates during this difficult time."

UNILAD has contacted the Raleigh Police Department for comment.

While this seems strange, it's not the first time a person has passed away in a strange location within a grocery store.

A body was found in the freezer of a Food Lion store in North Carolina (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In 2009, a 25-year-old named Larry Ely Murillo-Moncada was reported missing by his parents a day after Thanksgiving.

Ten years later in January 2019, workers were clearing out a No Frills supermarket in Council Bluffs, Iowa - which had closed in 2016 - when they found human remains wedged in a gap behind one of the store's fridges.

DNA testing confirmed the body to be that of Murillo-Moncada - who actually used to work at the store.

Former employees revealed workers would sometimes climb on top of the fridge units while stocking them.

It was subsequently resolved by officials no foul play had been involved and that the young man must've climbed on top of the fridge and then fallen into the 18-inch gap between the unit and the wall where he became trapped.

The noise of the fridge's compressors may've resulted in Murillo-Moncada being unable to be heard if he yelled for help and his death was ruled as an accident.

Council Bluffs Police Department, Sergeant Brandon Danielson, said to KETV at the time: “You don’t hear about these types of cases, people found in walls. Especially in this area, so that would be the odd part of about. We have missing person cases all the time, but this is just unique.”

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.