LAWSON, Mo. -- The body of a woman found in a rural area of Ray County matches the description of a missing Excelsior Springs woman, police officials confirmed Thursday.

"The clothing descriptions match and the physical description matches," said Lt. Clint Reno, of the Excelsior Springs Police Department. "We don't have any reason to believe it's not Carol Thomas."

Family and friends gathered at a candlelight vigil on Thursday to remember Thomas.

"I'm so sorry to hear this and for the family," said childhood friend Alexis Clay. "It's heart wrenching. It really is."

Four people have been arrested at a house at 206th Street and Downing Road in connection with the found body, two men and two women, Excelsior Springs police said. Police said one of the women is a person of interest and the other three people are suspects in the case.

The landlord at the home where the four people were arrested said he is troubled by Thursday's event.

"This a.m. I woke up and two sheriff cars were in the driveway," landlord Fred Hope said.

Hope said a couple rented an upstairs apartment at his home near Lawson and said recently another couple had been staying with them.

Hope said he took police upstairs, where they found one of the men they wee looking for. A man who drives a red Grand Am

"At that point, they took him into custody and left," Hope said.

Once police left, Hope said he went back upstairs.

"Some of the other people were there when police were there and they didn't find them," Hope said.

Hope said he confronted his renter about what was happening -- about stories on the news talking about a missing woman and a red Grand Am.

"One of the guys took me off to the side and told me they killed that girl," Hope said. "He said he had nothing to do with it"

After talking with his renter, he said he grabbed his cell phone, left his house and called police.

Hope said he hopes Thomas was not brought to the apartment.

"I hope to think the girl wasn't here," Hope said. "I hate to think she was in this house."

Witnesses reported seeing 23-year-old Carol Thomas being hit over the head and shoved in the trunk of a Pontiac Grand Am by three men around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The car was found burned in a field near Lawson around 1:30 a.m.

Officials confirmed that Thomas' body was found in a wooded area about a mile from 230th Street and Knutter Road in rural Ray County. Police said a farmer's tip led them to the body.

The abduction came in the 1100 block of S. Myrtle Road.

Police said they found a stun gun in that same area.

A MySpace page for Carol Thomas makes claims of spending a week getting beat up and makes other complaints about abuse.

Her page also contained this message: "Lookin 4 a new beginning hopin life eases up a bit and wanting to find happyness again"