A former Ohio attorney has been convicted of attempting to murder his ex-wife after pointing a loaded handgun at her during a family meal at a Toledo restaurant.
Matthew Exton, 43, was found guilty on Friday of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault over the incident at Sabira in downtown Toledo on April 11, 2025. The jury also found him guilty of associated firearm specifications but acquitted him on a third count of felonious assault.
Exton had been drinking at the neighbouring Souk restaurant when he saw Kayda Valone dining at Sabira with her parents, Charles and Jeanne Valone. Prosecutors said he ordered a drink to be sent to their table before leaving and later returned carrying a handgun.
Surveillance footage showed Exton approaching his former wife and raising the weapon. The gun failed to fire because its safety was engaged.
Guests shouted warnings as Ms Valone threw herself to the floor. A waiter then tackled Exton from behind, while other diners helped restrain him and take the gun away.
The weapon contained one round in the chamber and seven more in its magazine, according to prosecutors.
Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates said the restaurant had been holding its opening night after staff had completed several soft openings.
“Nothing in their training and soft openings at the restaurant could have prepared the staff for what walked through the door,” she told the court.
Ms Bates said Exton had not gone to Sabira to eat, but had arrived “with anger in him and with the intention to commit a public execution of his ex-wife”. She praised the waiter and diners who intervened, describing them as heroes.
Former attorney admitted pointing gun
Exton admitted in court that he had taken his Colt Defender back into the restaurant and pointed it at Ms Valone.
He told jurors he wanted to pressure her to comply with a court order concerning proceeds from the sale of their former home, rather than kill her. He maintained that he had not removed the safety or pulled the trigger, and denied aiming the weapon at her parents.
“I wanted her to know that I was serious about her following the court order to give the house proceeds to me as soon as possible,” he said.
Exton and Ms Valone had married in March 2017 and divorced in January 2025. He described the end of the relationship as “terrible” and “painful”.
During closing arguments, Exton repeatedly interrupted prosecutors and shouted “Gun!” He also pointed his fingers in the shape of a gun at one of the prosecutors and asked for the waiter to be charged with attempted murder, according to reports from the proceedings.
The jury was excused before Exton was removed from the courtroom and taken to another room, where he watched the remainder of the proceedings through video and audio feeds.
Exton, who had worked as an attorney in Ohio and Michigan and had also served as a prosecutor in northern Michigan, is due to be sentenced on September 21.
