ANCHORAGE, AK (KCTV/AP) -
Anchorage police have confirmed that a body found north of downtown Anchorage earlier this week was that of an airman missing for three weeks.
Lt. Dave Parker said the body found was that of Senior Airman Clinton Reeves of Raytown, MO.
Parker spoke during a Thursday morning news conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Anchorage police have arrested a fellow airman in connection to the disappearance of Reeves.
Police arrested James Thomas, 24, and he has been charged with six counts of physical evidence tampering. Anchorage police said Thomas previously had been identified as a person of interest in Reeves' disappearance.
Reeves, who was a 2007 Raytown High School alum, was last seen leaving his duty station April 19 and last heard from April 22. Police said they believe foul play was involved in the airman's disappearance.
According to court documents, Thomas told Anchorage police and Air Force base investigators different stories about what happened to Reeves.
Court documents said that Thomas told police he received a text message from Reeves saying that Reeves was sick and getting medical treatment. Then he told officials he saw Reeves at his home April 19 with an unknown man.
He said Reeves had a towel around his head, the unknown man had a gun and they left together.
Investigators also found evidence of a violent incident inside Thomas' apartment. Thomas admitted to cleaning up blood and driving Reeves' car to the apartment complex where it was found last month.
The rental car he was last seen in, a 2012 red Dodge Avenger that was found abandoned the day he was supposed to return to base, became a main focus of Anchorage police. The car was found with no sign of tampering and groceries loaded inside.
Detectives analyzed Reeves' cell phone and were able to determine that the phone had been in the area near Thomas' home the night of April 19, which didn't match up with Thomas' initial statement.
Thomas' bail was set at $25,000. He continues to deny any involvement in Reeves' disappearance.
Reeves' family in Paola, KS, said they're just waiting for any update on the case.
"It's pretty much a heavy duty whirlwind because of all the stuff that has been going out there on Facebook and throughout everywhere. It's a whirlwind. We don't know which way to go, which way to turn, what to say," said Cindy Reeves, Clinton Reeves' aunt.
Family and friends are holding a benefit garage sale Thursday in support of the family.
The benefit starts at 7 a.m. at Shady Lane and Parker Drive in Osawatomie, KS. Two donation jars will also be set up at the Casey's on Main and on First Street.
There also has been an account set up for the Senior Airman Reeves Foundation at the Landmark Bank locations in Paola and Osawatomie.
Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
