May 01--The search for a missing Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson airman has taken a somber turn with homicide and missing persons detectives now taking control of the investigation.
Senior Airman Clinton Reeves, 22, disappeared more than a week ago, military officials say. The "unusual circumstances" surrounding his unexplained absence prompted police to consider the search a possible criminal matter, said Lt. David Parker, a police spokesman.
Reeves was last seen leaving work April 19, according to JBER. The last time someone heard from him was three days later and Reeves failed to report for duty last Monday.
Meantime, police found his rented Dodge Avenger Friday on the 300 block of McCarrey Street, said Lt. Dave Parker, a police spokesman.
A nearby resident called to complain about the seemingly abandoned car, Parker said. When police arrived, they found the engine cool to the touch but Reeves' Air Force uniforms and groceries in the red, four-door sedan.
"If he's absent without leave, then that's a military matter," Parker said. "Since they found the car and the car had keys in it and his personal effects in it, that is strange. We say, 'Oh, no, this is possibly a criminal matter.' "
As he reviewed police reports, Parker later said it was unclear if the keys were in the car when the Avenger was discovered.
Reeves has lived on the military post since late 2010, according to public records.
"We are highly concerned about the well-being of Airman Reeves," Col. Robert Evans, JBER and 673d Air Base Wing commander, said in a prepared statement Saturday.
Police and military officials are asking anyone with information about the senior airman's disappearance to call the Anchorage Police Department at 786-8900 or JBER security forces at 552-8550.
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Copyright 2012 - Anchorage Daily News, Alaska
