TOLEDO, Ohio: The Matthew Exton conviction has put the former attorney on course for sentencing after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder and other charges.
A Lucas County jury convicted the 43-year-old on September 4. The charges stemmed from an April 11, 2025, confrontation at Sabira restaurant in downtown Toledo.
Prosecutors said Exton approached his ex-wife, Kanda Malone, while she was dining with her parents. Surveillance footage showed him pointing a handgun at her head and pulling the trigger.
The weapon did not fire because its safety remained engaged, prosecutors said. A waiter then tackled Exton before he could try again, and other patrons helped restrain him.
Prosecutors described the attack as an attempted “public execution” and argued that Exton intended to kill Malone in front of her family and other diners.
Read: South Los Angeles Looting Hits Superior Grocers
The jury also found Exton guilty of two felonious assault counts and firearm specifications, according to the supplied case summary.
Read: Erin Patterson Appeal Seeks Life Rerm Without Parole
During the trial, prosecutors cited a threatening voicemail Exton had left before the incident as evidence of his state of mind. Exton had denied intending to kill or harm his ex-wife, according to the supplied material.
Exton also caused a disturbance after the verdict and had to be removed from the courtroom. He faces up to 25 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for September 21, 2026, in Lucas County.
