Former attorney convicted of attempted murder in Toledo restaurant attack on ex-wife
TOLEDO, Ohio — A former attorney has been convicted of attempted murder after authorities said he walked into a downtown Toledo restaurant last year and tried to shoot his ex-wife in what prosecutors described as a planned “public execution.”
Matthew Exton, 43, was also convicted of two counts of felonious assault, with sentencing enhancements attached to all three charges, the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release Friday. He was acquitted of one count of assault. His sentencing is scheduled later this month.
The case stems from April 11, 2025, when prosecutors say Exton targeted his ex-wife at Sabira, a restaurant in downtown Toledo that was marking its opening night.
What authorities say happened
According to the prosecutor’s office, Exton spotted his ex-wife and her family at Sabira as he was leaving another restaurant next door. Before approaching them, prosecutors said, he ordered a drink and had it sent to the table where his ex-wife was sitting with relatives. He spat toward them and left, the office said.
He then returned with a handgun and headed straight for his ex-wife, authorities said. Video released by the prosecutor’s office showed him approaching the table and pulling a gun from his pocket.
His ex-wife told authorities he pointed the weapon at her chest and pulled the trigger multiple times, according to a petition for a protection order she filed two days later. “The gun made rapid ‘click’ noises as he pulled the trigger,” she wrote in a statement included in the filing.
The video showed Exton pointing the Colt as his ex-wife yelled “gun.” Moments later, a waiter tackled him, the prosecutor’s office said.
Prosecutors said Exton tried to fire the weapon, but the safety was still engaged. One round was in the chamber, and seven were in the magazine.
Defendant’s testimony
During a trial that ended last week, Exton testified that he had worked as a prosecutor in Michigan and was licensed to practice law in Ohio. He said he had handled divorce, family and bankruptcy cases but became homeless after he and his wife separated. Court records show the couple divorced in 2024.
Exton testified that he was frustrated by how his ex-wife had handled certain aspects of their divorce when he pulled a Colt Defender on her at the restaurant. He said he pointed the gun to show he was serious about her following a court order and denied trying to shoot her.
“I did not fire,” he said. “I did not hurt her. I did not try to hurt her.”
Prosecutor’s response
Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney Julia Bates said the attack could have been far worse and praised the restaurant staff’s response.
“Nothing in their training and soft openings at the restaurant could have prepared the staff for what walked through that door,” Bates said in a statement. “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.”
What comes next
Exton’s sentencing is expected later this month. The conviction highlights concerns about domestic violence, firearm access and public safety, particularly when family disputes spill into everyday spaces such as restaurants and other businesses. For the workers and diners present that night, the encounter also served as a reminder of how quickly a public setting can become a crime scene.