A vulnerable British woman allegedly travelled to the United States with the specific intention of being murdered by a man she had connected with on a fetish website.
A Fatal Journey to Florida
Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old from Portsmouth, landed at Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida on the 10th of October. She never boarded her return flight, scheduled just three days later. Tragically, her body was discovered one week after her arrival, buried in a shallow grave within woodland in Marion County, located northwest of Orlando.
Concerns for Sonia's welfare were raised publicly by a friend, who described her as a vulnerable person struggling with her mental health. The friend's plea on Instagram stated they believed Sonia had flown to Florida and had 'got herself into an extremely vulnerable situation' by arranging to meet someone there.
The Investigation and Arrest
British authorities, working through INTERPOL, alerted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Investigation reports indicated that Sonia was living with a mental health condition and was suicidal. Detectives came to believe she had travelled to Florida to meet a man who had allegedly agreed to kill her violently.
Their investigation led to the arrest of Dwain Hall, 53, after he was allegedly connected to transactions made using Sonia's credit cards. Officers stated that Hall picked Sonia up from the airport and took her to an Airbnb rental in Reddick.
According to reports, Hall initially gave police several conflicting accounts before admitting he first spoke with Sonia on a fetish website two years prior. He reportedly claimed that Sonia was suicidal and wanted to be killed, but he portrayed himself as a mentor who would help her, not kill her.
Disturbing Evidence and a Change of Heart
Hall also allegedly admitted to having violent tendencies. He told police they had sex multiple times and that he recorded videos of her, which he later deleted. One video obtained by police reportedly showed Sonia with bruises on her body, with Hall questioning her about why she was there. Detectives noted that Hall pressed Sonia to consent to being harmed, and her demeanour in the video was hesitant, visibly upset, as she nodded.
A critical piece of evidence came from messages Sonia sent to a friend on October 11 via the online platform Discord. These messages reportedly showed that Sonia believed she had made a mistake. Investigators said the communications revealed 'that Hall was controlling her, that she was afraid, and had made a mistake.'
Expressing apparent regret while at the Airbnb, Sonia reportedly messaged: 'He made it clear there was no way out unless I shoot him. I was questioning it last night...I thought he’d do it quick and not give my mind time to stew.'
The body found in the Marion County woods was later identified as Sonia's through fingerprint matching. A shovel discovered in Hall's garage was found to have her DNA on it. The autopsy concluded she died from being stabbed four times with a knife.
Further strengthening the case, investigators learned Hall had sent a package to a friend in Ohio after Sonia's death. Authorities in Ohio located a knife with blood on it, suspected to be a match for Sonia's DNA.
Dwain Hall now faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, credit card fraud, and unlawful use of a communication device.
