A Washington man, Christopher Charles Reyes, 47, has been accused of beating a drug dealer to death on the very day he was released from jail. Reyes now faces charges of first-degree murder for the death of 56-year-old William Akers, as detailed in court documents.
The tragic story began on November 27 when police responded to a 911 call about “unknown trouble” at a house on South Oakes Street in Tacoma. When officers arrived, they discovered Akers lying on the floor of a garage in a pool of blood. An orange air compressor was resting on his arm, and a friend who found him told police that Akers was cold and stiff to the touch.
First responders confirmed Akers was dead, and investigators quickly realized he had been severely beaten. He had bruises and swelling on his face, and nearby, police found two objects covered in blood, hair, and tissue—a 34-pound air compressor and a chair. The chair was so damaged that one of its legs was nearly broken off, highlighting the violence of the attack.
Akers, who lived on Social Security and reportedly dealt drugs, was wearing two pairs of pants. The outer pair had been pulled down, and one of his pockets appeared to have been emptied. Investigators also found a small amount of cash on the floor near his body.
An autopsy revealed the extent of Akers’ injuries—multiple skull fractures, a broken nose, broken ribs, and punctured lungs. Despite the brutal assault, examiners discovered $1,700 in cash and suspected narcotics on his body.
The investigation took a turn on December 4, when an anonymous tip led detectives to a woman who had been released from the same jail as Reyes. She revealed that she and Reyes had gone to Akers’ home that night. According to her, Akers had given her some drugs, and she and Reyes later smoked them in her car. They drove around for a while before returning to Akers’ house.
At some point, Reyes told her he planned to get more drugs from Akers. She assumed he was going to buy them, but he also mentioned owing his fentanyl dealer, which made his intentions unclear. When Reyes returned to the car, she noticed what looked like a small amount of blood on his arm. He reportedly said something along the lines of, “I think I killed that guy.”
The woman and her sister quickly distanced themselves from Reyes, eventually escaping to a Motel 6. Detectives later tracked Reyes down and arrested him on January 8. During questioning, Reyes admitted to being with the woman and going to Akers’ home. He also called his mother and reportedly told her, “The only reason I got clean was because this happened. Remember when I told you something happened … this is what happened.”
Reyes has a long criminal history dating back to 2001, including a 2018 assault conviction in Snohomish County. He was recently in and out of jail for probation violations, including one on November 14, before being released on the day of Akers’ death.
Reyes is currently being held in the Pierce County Jail with bail set at $2 million. He is scheduled to appear in court on February 5.
