An Ohio man faced conviction for attempting to murder his ex-wife in a chilling incident captured on surveillance video. Matthew Exton, aged 43 and a former attorney, attempted to shoot his ex-wife, Kada Malone, while she was dining with her family at a Toledo restaurant on April 11, 2025.
Incident Details
Reports from the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office state that Exton, while consuming a drink at the nearby Souk restaurant, noticed Malone dining with her parents at Sabira, an Italian restaurant. He proceeded to enter Sabira, order a drink for Malone’s table, spat in their direction, and left.
Surveillance footage displayed Exton returning with a handgun. He approached Malone and aimed the gun at her head at point-blank range before attempting to fire. Fortunately, the gun malfunctioned as the safety was engaged. A quick-thinking waiter subdued Exton from behind, preventing another shooting attempt. Authorities confirmed a round was in the chamber and the magazine held seven additional bullets.
Legal Proceedings
Prosecuting Attorney Julia R. Bates emphasized that Exton intended a violent act instead of a meal. She praised intervening patrons and employees as heroes. Exton’s conviction included attempted murder, two felonious assault charges, and firearm specifications related to these counts.
His assault charges also extended to Malone’s parents, Jeannie and Charles Malone. Despite being asked by the judge to disregard Exton’s conduct during the trial, jurors witnessed an outburst from him following their guilty verdict on September 4.
“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,” stated Prosecutor Bates.
Threatening Behavior
In closing arguments, the prosecution referenced a voicemail from Exton to Malone with lyrics from Johnny Cash’s “Sooner or later God will cut you down.” This message demonstrated Exton’s threatening demeanor and intention prior to the attempted shooting.
Exton expressed anger about the interpretation of this voicemail, yelling the lyrics in court as he was escorted out. He further directed a gun-like gesture with his fingers towards Assistant Prosecutor Rose Mock.
Next Steps
The judge instructed the jury to ignore Exton’s courtroom behavior. Sentencing is scheduled for September 21, 2026. This incident attracted considerable media attention due to its public and dangerous nature.