A 43-year-old Ohio attorney attempted to take his ex-wife’s life inside a crowded Toledo restaurant before customers and a waiter tackled him, prosecutors said.
Matthew Exton, 43, maintained law offices in Sylvania, Ohio, and Traverse City, Michigan, according to records.
The confrontation occurred on April 11, 2025, at Sabira restaurant in Toledo, according to Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney Julia R. Bates.
Exton had reportedly been at a neighboring restaurant when he spotted his ex-wife dining at Sabira with members of her family, prosecutors said.
Exton entered Sabira and initially sent a drink over to his ex-wife’s table, according to prosecutors.
As he left the restaurant, Exton allegedly spat toward the table, according to prosecutors.
Exton was not finished with the confrontation. According to prosecutors, the attorney returned to the restaurant with a gun and headed directly toward his ex-wife’s table.
Exton then attempted to fire the weapon directly at his ex-wife, according to prosecutors.
The firearm did not fire, prosecutors said.
The reason the weapon failed to discharge was remarkably simple, prosecutors said. The safety on the gun was still on.
Before Exton could make another attempt, a waiter and restaurant patrons rushed him and tackled him, prosecutors said.
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The intervention prevented the encounter from escalating further inside the crowded establishment, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said the attack was interrupted by that single mechanical detail and the quick actions of employees and customers.
Prosecutor Bates credited the restaurant employees and customers who intervened with stopping the attack.
Exton’s case also carried significant professional consequences for the practicing lawyer, records show.
On May 6, 2025, less than a month after the restaurant incident, the Ohio Supreme Court suspended his license to practice law, court records show.
Exton later went on trial in Lucas County on felony charges stemming from the restaurant confrontation, according to court records.
After hearing the evidence, a Lucas County jury found Exton guilty on September 4 of attempted murder, court records show.
Jurors also convicted Exton of two counts of felonious assault and associated firearm specifications, according to court records.
Jurors did not convict the defendant on every count. The panel acquitted Exton of a third count of felonious assault, court records show.
Because the jury returned its verdict, the findings are no longer merely allegations regarding Exton’s criminal responsibility for the attempted attack. Exton now stands convicted of attempted murder.
Exton is scheduled to be sentenced September 21, according to court records.
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