Sonia Exelby, 32, sent a friend the words "My time's up" while her alleged killer showered in a nearby bathroom. Inside a Florida Airbnb, thousands of miles from her home in Portsmouth, she typed the message in fear and pain.
Police documents allege Dwain Hall, 54, told Sonia "there was no way out" unless she shot him. Sonia had arrived in the US on October 10 last year with the apparent intention of being killed, after speaking with Hall on a fetish website for nearly two years.
"I can't kill anyone," Sonia messaged a friend. "I thought he'd do it quick and not give my mind time to stew and realise this is the last thing I'll ever day [sic] to anyone if I don't take his offer of shooting him."
Final hours and discovery
Sonia's body was found in a shallow grave in Marion County, Florida, a week later. Hall was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping. An autopsy determined she died after being stabbed four times in the torso. The Marion County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Police traced Hall's movements: he bought a shovel, paracord, gun cleaner, 50 feet of rope, and Lume Spray at a Gainesville Walmart before meeting Sonia. Court documents say his company, Solver Wolfs Roadside Assistance, later attempted to charge Sonia's debit card, but it was declined.
Family tribute
Sonia's family described her as the "softest most gentle soul." She was the youngest of six, close to her sister Sara, and a devoted partner to Stevie for 15 years. "She had the gentlest soul - so gentle she chose to become vegan, because she couldn't bear the thought of any animal suffering," they said. "That was who she was: kind, compassionate, and full of quiet love."
Behind the camera, Sonia lived with mental health issues. Police documents mention a 2024 incident where she planned to travel to the US to meet people online "who would be willing to kill her violently." That attempt was thwarted, and she received treatment. In a May 2025 Facebook post, she wrote about healthier eating: "I've never been healthier. Who cares about weight, so long as you're eating to become healthier you're doing great."
The suspect
Hall's wife Ginger Stein told the Mirror she first met Hall when she was 16 and he was 26; they started dating as soon as she turned 18. She described him as "over half my financial security" after her double lung transplant in August 2024. Ginger said she was unaware Hall had been speaking with Sonia. "We were allowed to talk to whoever we wanted to. That's the thing that I am mad at him about. He went to meet her without telling me," she said.
During police interrogation, Hall allegedly told officers Sonia paid him about £3,000 to torture and kill her. He initially claimed a murderous cult leader had hired him, then said he had sex with Sonia and saw her taken away in a Cadillac Eldorado. Hall's phone call to Ginger mentioned a package containing an engraved knife and sheath; DNA on the knife matched Sonia's.
Legal proceedings
Hall pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping. His trial is expected to begin with jury selection on November 16.
