Tragic Tale: Comedy Club Owner’s Final Act of Violence Amid Terminal Cancer Battle

A comedy club owner, diagnosed with terminal cancer, has died following a violent confrontation where he shot his ex-father-in-law and attempted to murder his ex-wife outside her place of business in Alaska.

Mathew Thomas Becker, aged 61, became the subject of an intensive manhunt by Anchorage police after fatally shooting Romaine Clark, his former father-in-law, and trying to kill his ex-wife on March 14, as reported by the Anchorage Daily News.

Authorities labeled Becker as a primary suspect in the incident, charging him with first-degree murder and third-degree assault. The charges stemmed from his attempt to shoot his ex-wife outside her own hair salon on a Saturday morning. Shortly afterward, Becker allegedly shot Clark inside a nearby home, the Anchorage Daily News stated.

According to police, Mathew Thomas Becker was responsible for killing his ex-father-in-law, Romaine Clark, and attempting to murder his ex-wife in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 14, 2026, as reported by the Anchorage Daily News.

In a statement to the police, Becker’s ex-wife recounted that he approached her while she was arriving at her workplace. He then got out of his vehicle and opened fire as she was trying to unlock the salon doors, according to a criminal complaint referenced by the news outlet.

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.