A comedy club owner who had been battling terminal cancer has died following a violent spree in which he killed his ex-father-in-law and attempted to murder his ex-wife outside her business in Alaska.
The Anchorage police launched an urgent search for 61-year-old Mathew Thomas Becker after he fatally shot his former father-in-law, Romaine Clark, and tried to kill his ex-wife on Saturday, March 14, as reported by the Anchorage Daily News.
Becker was identified as a suspect in these crimes and was facing charges of first-degree murder and third-degree assault after attempting to shoot his ex-wife outside her hair salon. According to the Anchorage Daily News, moments after the attempted shooting, he entered a nearby home and shot Clark.
According to the police, the incident occurred when Becker confronted his ex-wife in her vehicle as she arrived at her workplace. He reportedly exited his car and fired at her while she was trying to enter the salon, based on a criminal complaint shared by the news outlet.
Fortunately, the woman managed to evade Becker and immediately called 911, expressing her fear for Clark’s life. Shortly after her 9:30 a.m. call, officers discovered Clark with a gunshot wound inside his home on Alder Drive.
The woman was reportedly able to hide from Becker and quickly called 911 to tell police she feared for Clark’s safety. Shortly after her 9:30 a.m. phone call, officers located Clark inside his Alder Drive home with an apparent gunshot wound.
“Based on preliminary evidence it appears the suspect went to the rear of the residence, fired a couple of rounds through a plate-glass window, striking and killing the victim and then fleeing the scene,” Anchorage Police Chief Sean Case said, according to KTUU.
Mathew Thomas Becker reportedly owned the comedy club Chuckleheads in Bisbee, Arizona. (Google Maps)
Clark’s body was reportedly discovered by friends minutes before police arrived at the home.
“[Officers] were hailed by friends who were waiting to meet up with the victim and they went inside the residence because he hadn’t come out yet,” Case said. “And they discovered the body, and then they notified us.”
Becker’s ex-wife also added that she did not know he had returned to Alaska after moving to Arizona following the pair’s divorce, the outlet reported.
The body of 61-year-old Mathew Thomas Becker was discovered by authorities in the woods in Eagle River, Alaska, around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 15, 2026, according to KTUU. (iStock)
The shooting sparked a manhunt within the area, with the investigation coming to an abrupt end after Becker was found dead in a wooded area on Sunday – one day after the shootings.
His body was discovered by authorities in the woods in Eagle River around 10:30 a.m., according to KTUU. Officials are still working to determine his cause and manner of death.
His brother reportedly said Becker was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, and was living in Arizona while owning a comedy club called Chuckleheads.
The Anchorage Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
