Man just released from jail beat Tacoma man to death with air compressor, charges say
A 47-year-old man is accused of beating another man to death at a Tacoma home two months ago.
Pierce County prosecutors charged Christopher Charles Reyes with two counts of first-degree murder in the Nov. 27, 2024 homicide. Reyes allegedly killed 56-year-old William Akers of Tacoma with an air compressor and chair, according to charging documents.
A plea of not guilty was entered on Reyes’ behalf during his arraignment on Wednesday. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore Brian Tollefson set Reyes’ bail at $2 million, court records show.
Prosecutors said Reyes had just been released from jail the day Akers was killed.
Charging details
Officers were dispatched at about 9:30 p.m. to the 7400 block of South Oakes Street for reports of an “unknown trouble” 911 call. The caller said he found his friend in the detached garages and was unsure if he was still alive, according to charging documents.
The friend attempted CPR until Tacoma firefighters took over. The victim, later identified as Akers, was declared dead at the scene, prosecutors wrote. The friend told police that Akers was living in a detached shed on the property, which belonged to his father.
Officers found a heavy air compressor with blood on the bottom. Prosecutors say the air compressor, as well as a chair, might have been used to beat Akers. Akers also had several skull fractures and other major injuries. The air compressor itself weighed about 34 pounds, prosecutors wrote.
Akers’ friend told police he last saw the victim at 8 p.m. the day before. At midnight, he saw the doors to the shed were open, which was unusual, and called out to him. Akers did not respond, prosecutors wrote. He did not see Akers during the day on Nov. 27 before the victim’s body was discovered.
The friend discovered Akers was dead when he heard a cell phone pinging or movie playing in the garage. He went to check on Akers and found him lying on his back, prosecutors wrote. The friend said there was “blood everywhere.”
Detectives learned Akers was a narcotics dealer and user. During the autopsy preparation, suspected narcotics and $1,700 was found on him, documents show.
An anonymous tip on Dec. 4 alleged that the sister of friend of Akers set up a robbery of an “old man” who lived on the South Oakes property. The sister allegedly told her daughter that “things had gotten out of hand” and that her boyfriend killed Akers with an air compressor. Prosecutors wrote the information about the air compressor being the murder weapon had not been made public the time the tip was received.
Detectives learned the sister of Akers’ friend was released from the Nisqually Jail on Nov. 26, along with Reyes. Detectives spoke to the woman for an interview. She said that she met Reyes on the transport van from the jail, prosecutors wrote. The woman and Reyes were later dropped off at the South Oakes home.
The woman said she got some narcotics from Akers and proceeded to smoke them with Reyes inside her car. She spent the rest of the day with Reyes and her sister, prosecutors wrote. They eventually went back to the home where Akers lived.
She said that Reyes went to buy more narcotics from Akers. The woman and her sister waited at her car outside the home. Reyes came back and allegedly said, “I think I killed that guy,” documents show. The woman said there was a small amount of blood on Reyes’ arm.
The woman said she and her sister got away from Reyes as soon as they could after going to a motel in Tacoma. She denied going to the garage/shed during or after the incident. She also denied setting up a robbery, prosecutors wrote.
Reyes was detained on Jan. 6 where he asked to speak to a detective. Reyes allegedly admitted to going to the South Oakes Street house where Akers lived, prosecutors wrote. When the detective asked who set up the robbery, Reyes allegedly stated it was obvious who set it up. When the detective continued to ask who set up the alleged robbery gone wrong, Reyes refused to provide the information.
Detectives also spoke to the woman’s sister, who was allegedly with her and Reyes the day of the murder, prosecutors wrote. She said after Reyes went inside the house, he came out and said, “I think I killed him.” She also alleged that she saw blood on his wrists.
Detectives noted that both women are in their 40s. One of them has difficulty walking, and the other is 5-foot-4, which made it unlikely that either of them had the “physical capability” of overtaking Akers and using the heavy air compressor to beat him, prosecutors wrote.
Reyes’ criminal history includes a conviction of fourth-degree assault in 2018 in Snohomish County. He also served prison time from May 2023 to July 2024. He was jailed on a probation violation on Sept. 18, 2024, and released a few days alter. He was jailed again for probation violation on Nov. 14, 2024 and released on Nov. 26, 2024, documents show.
