Additional Coverage:
- Former lawyer who pulled gun on ex-wife in Ohio restaurant is convicted of attempted murder (nbcnews.com)
An Ohio man and former attorney has been found guilty of attempted murder for his efforts to carry out a “public execution” of his ex-wife at a Toledo restaurant last year, officials announced Friday.
Matthew Exton, 43, tried to shoot his ex-wife during the incident, but the gun’s safety was engaged, preventing the weapon from firing. A quick-acting waiter subdued him before he could attempt again, according to the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office.
Exton was convicted not only of attempted murder but also of two counts of felonious assault, with sentencing enhancements applying to all three charges. He was acquitted of one assault count and is set to be sentenced later this month.
The confrontation took place on April 11, 2025, at Sabira restaurant in downtown Toledo, coinciding with the restaurant’s opening night. Exton had left a neighboring restaurant when he spotted his ex-wife and her family inside.
During the trial, Exton testified that he had previously worked as a prosecutor in Michigan and was licensed to practice law in Ohio, primarily handling divorce, family, and bankruptcy cases. He revealed that he became homeless following his divorce in 2024 and expressed frustration over how his ex-wife managed aspects of their separation.
Exton claimed he only pointed the gun to emphasize his seriousness about her complying with a court order and denied any attempt to shoot her. “I did not fire,” he stated.
“I did not hurt her. I did not try to hurt her.”
Prosecutors described a chilling sequence: Exton initially ordered a drink and had it delivered to the table where his ex-wife was seated with family, then spat toward them before leaving. He soon returned armed with a Colt Defender handgun and approached the table directly.
Surveillance footage released by the prosecutor’s office captured Exton pulling the handgun from his pocket. His ex-wife reported that he pointed the gun at her chest and pulled the trigger multiple times, hearing only rapid clicking sounds due to the safety being on. The video also shows her shouting “gun” before a waiter intervened and tackled Exton.
The weapon contained one round in the chamber and seven in the magazine, but no shots were fired.
Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney Julia Bates expressed shock over the incident, saying, “Nothing in their training and soft openings at the restaurant could have prepared the staff for what walked through that door. The defendant did not come with the intention of having a meal. He came with anger in him and with the intention to commit a public execution of his ex-wife at the restaurant that day.”