An Arizona man who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer travelled thousands of miles to Alaska to try and kill his ex-wife, before murdering her father and dying a day later.
Matthew Becker, a 61-year-old stand-up comedian and comedy club owner, was facing charges of first-degree murder and third-degree assault in connection with the Saturday attacks on his ex-wife and former father-in-law, Romaine Clark, 87, during a shooting spree in Anchorage.
Becker was Found Dead 'In the Woods' a Day After the Shooting Spree
Becker was found dead a day later "in the woods" of Eagle River, according to a police press release. His cause of death is not yet known but his brother told local news outlets in Alaska that he was recently diagnosed with cancer.
A criminal complaint obtained by local NBC affiliate KTUU details the events leading up to the attempted slaying of Becker's former wife. According to the complaint, the woman called Anchorage Police and reported that Becker "had just tried to shoot her." By the time officers responded to the scene, Becker had already fled.
Becker Shot at His Ex-Wife Outside Her Nail Salon Business, Then Went to Her House and Killed Her Father
The ex-wife told police she arrived at her salon and as she was talking towards the entrance of the building, she saw Becker in a Nissan Altima parked directly next to her vehicle, according to the complaint. She said she was unaware that her ex-husband was in the state as he had moved to Arizona after their divorce.
As she got to the door to her salon, the woman attempted to unlock it "but believed it had been tampered with as her key would not go into the lock," according to the complaint. Becker exited the vehicle and began walking toward the woman and fired his pistol at her multiple times. However, the woman ran from him "in fear of losing her life" and managed to escape before calling the police.
The woman told authorities she was concerned about her father, who lived with her in Airport Heights, being targeted as well. When cops went to check on him, Clark was found dead from multiple gunshot wounds. Police believe Becker went directly to the woman's house after the encounter with her at the salon and shot Clark through a plate-glass window at the rear of the residence.
Becker's brother told KTUU that he had been living in Arizona since the couple divorced in 2020. He owned a comedy club called Chuckleheads in Bisbee and there are videos online showing Becker doing stand-up.
