College Professor Known For 'Enthusiasm, Warmth And Kindness' Allegedly Murdered By Father-In-Law, Who Then Shot Himself
A well-liked professor at the University of Louisiana Monroe was allegedly shot and killed by his father-in-law, who then took his own life, on Sunday, January 18, according to local news.
Joshua Comer, 39, and Jack Matthews, 68, were discovered dead from gunshot wounds once police were dispatched to a home in the small town of Mer Rouge following reports of gunfire. Matthews was identified as an owner of a local warehouse, as well as being Comer's father-in-law.
An altercation appeared to have taken place between the two before the shootings, Morehouse Parish Sheriff Mike Tubbs reported to local news, but it's not apparent what the pair were fighting about. Officials additionally did not release any further details on their deaths. Both bodies have been sent for autopsies in the meantime.
According to the student publication at the university, The Hawkeye, Comer was the assistant professor of communication and the communication program director at the school and began teaching there in the fall of 2017. He is survived by his wife, Cheyanne, and it's also not known if she had anything to do with the deaths.
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The school tweeted that it would miss Comer's "enthusiasm, warmth and kindness," and also noted: "We extend our heartfelt and deepest sympathies to his family and his many students and colleagues. Dr. Comer had a significant impact on his students and was a campus leader in communication technology."
Mer Rouge Chief of Police Melvin Holmes expressed shock that something of this heinous nature would happen in the tight-knit community Comer and Matthews lived in and said it's been quite a while since something like that had happened in the area.
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"It was hard to believe that something like that would be happening here in Mer Rouge,” he said. “We have a community of about 600 people... everybody knows everybody.”