Episode Overview

Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness
Date: August 25, 2025
Main Theme:
The episode dives into the chilling true story of a teenage boy who went missing in 2008 and was discovered dead years later—wedged behind a commercial refrigerator in a grocery store that continued to operate for seven years after his disappearance. The crew discusses the bizarre circumstances around his death, the odds of remaining undiscovered for so long, and how easy it is to overlook even dramatic mystery when it happens right under everyone's noses. The hosts also detour into quirky fridge horror stories and wrap up with commentary on recent entertainment news, specifically the casting of Nicolas Cage as John Madden.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Lost Kid—Found Years Later Behind a Store Refrigerator

• Story Recap ([02:12]):

  • The crew revisits the disturbing case of a boy who went missing in 2008. Years later, during a grocery store remodel, his body was found wedged behind a twelve-foot-tall commercial freezer.
  • The store remained open for seven years while his body was hidden, and then stayed closed and untouched for three more before the body was found—ten years in total.
  • DNA testing was necessary to identify the remains due to the advanced decomposition and time elapsed.

• Incredulity Over How the Body Went Undetected ([02:55], [03:40], [04:20]):

  • Staff and shoppers never realized there was a body, despite being behind frequently accessed store equipment.
  • The hosts speculate that the constant refrigeration masked the odor. One mentions grocery back rooms “are full of horrible smells all the time” (Unnamed Male Host, [04:20]).
  • Vermin, like rats, were common in stores; their presence not being unusual likely diverted suspicion from anything sinister.

• Possible Explanations—Accident or Foul Play? ([05:40]):

  • No conclusive evidence of murder; the police remain uncertain. The crew debates whether the boy was trapped accidentally, perhaps while cleaning or retrieving something, or if he was intentionally put there.
  • “The way he was positioned, could have gotten stuck, could have gotten stuffed. But they’re like, we really don’t see any reason to believe this is murder. But we also have no reason to believe this guy should have been standing back there... it’s a crazy story.” (Unnamed Male Host, [05:40])

• Workplace Anecdotes—Commercial Fridge Hazards ([05:46]):

  • The conversation shifts to personal stories of getting locked in freezers or finding oddities behind fridges at work.
  • John shares, “We go into the freezer and it would occasionally latch shut and you couldn’t get out unless somebody on the other side popped it open... At Tony Roma’s, we go in there and see if you could get… if any of that moisture she was creating would turn. Froze, what would happen if you finished. Does that turn. Froze in the air? Because that stuff was like, it was zero degrees in there.” (John Holmberg, [05:46])

• Dark Humor & Social Commentary on Missing Kids ([08:47]):

  • The hosts joke that people should "check behind the fridge" for missing persons, reflecting on how society often overlooks the most obvious places.
  • “You pull that fridge out, you might find a body. If you’ve got a missing kid, check behind the fridge. That’s all I’m saying.” (Unnamed Male Host, [08:47])
  • John critiques the typical search efforts for missing children: “My rule is no one ever really looks for a living kid. Ever. Every parent that does the press conference… The parents know… They know what’s going on. But look behind your fridge.” (Unnamed Male Host, [08:47])

• The Mundane Hidden Horrors of Fridges ([07:31], [07:48]):

  • Personal stories about moving fridges and discovering food, pest evidence, and even joking about finding a body or corpse.
  • “I had a bar fridge… rolled that out one time, and I couldn’t believe what was down there... Like there were Cheerios. I haven’t had Cheerios in the house since I lived there… that’s where Cheerios come from, is under your fridge.” (Unnamed Male Host, [07:48])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Invisibility of Tragedy:
  “For seven years he was behind an open grocery store. People shopped in; he was behind one of the fridges... No one ever went right. So he was trapped back there, dies. And then for seven years the store’s open. This body’s been back there the whole time.”
  —Unnamed Male Host, [02:25]

• On Masked Smells in Grocery Stores:
  “As a grocery store worker, I can definitely say stores and grocery back rooms are full of horrible smells all the time too… If there’s a dead body in one of the stores, you wouldn’t even think twice about smelling it if you went back to the back rooms.”
  —Unnamed Male Host, [04:20]

• On Fridge Cleaning Neglect:
  “No one does that. That’s a lot of work and, B, that just seems like you’re gonna. You’re gonna think you live in a rat’s nest, realize what a pig you actually are.”
  —Unnamed Male Host, [07:48]

• On Search Efforts for the Missing:
  “Is he okay? No, he’s not okay… Stuck behind the fridge at work. We never even thought to look at work. I’m glad you’re taking this so well, but yeah, look in the places. You don’t imagine that, you know, he was at work. Last seen at work and then they scoured the workplace. I’m like, there’s no evidence of him. He was in there. Isn’t that weird? Like, if I die, look around here. Start where you last saw me and, like, be thorough.”
  —Unnamed Male Host, [09:59]

Entertaining Sidebar: Nicolas Cage as John Madden

• Casting News & Outrage ([13:20] – [20:17]):
  • The hosts react in disbelief to the news that Nicolas Cage is cast as John Madden in a biopic, instead of well-known impressionist Frank Caliendo.
  • “If you’ve got this script and you’re the guy in charge of this movie, who do you put in that role?” (Unnamed Male Host, [14:45])
  • Discusses the oddity of Hollywood casting choices, especially since “Frank’s email for a while was that Madden guy... How in the world is he not up for that?” (Unnamed Male Host, [16:12])
  • John offers his own John Madden impression: “Boom. Whack. Here’s a guy. No, it’s not working out. Need me to do my American accent?” ([17:14])
  • “The impression gets unlocked by the impressionist. He’s going to watch Frank and he’s going to steal it from the guy. This is garbage. Garbage.” ([19:06])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:12 – Detailed recap of the missing kid behind the grocery store freezer
• 03:40 – Theories on how the body went unnoticed; store environments masking evidence
• 05:40 – Speculation: accident vs. foul play, investigation details
• 07:48 – Anecdotes on fridges, messy discoveries, and the neglect of thorough cleaning
• 08:47 – Social commentary on search efforts for missing people
• 13:20 – Discussion shifts to cinema: Nicolas Cage cast as John Madden
• 16:12 – Outrage and dark humor on casting decisions, role of agents and impressionists
• 17:14 – John Holmberg attempts his own Madden impression
• 19:06 – Gripes about Hollywood stealing from comedians

Summary

This episode fuses a haunting true crime story with irreverent humor and workplace anecdotes, shining a light on both the tragic and absurd aspects of everyday life. The hosts marvel at how easily the extraordinary can hide in plain sight—whether it’s a missing person wedged behind a commercial appliance or Hollywood’s inability to recognize the obvious right talent for a role. As always, Holmberg's Morning Sickness delivers a mix of dark comedy, local flavor, and cultural commentary that will leave listeners entertained, disturbed, and maybe checking behind their own fridge—just in case.