The family of a British woman believed to have travelled to the US to be killed say she may have been groomed. Sonia Exelby, 32, a music tutor from Portsmouth, was reported missing on October 12 last year and her body was found in a shallow grave in Florida's Marion County on October 17.
Dwain Hall, 54, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping after the pair allegedly connected on a fetish online forum. He has denied all charges and was also arrested over alleged fraudulent use of Ms Exelby's credit cards. Early findings by detectives suggest Ms Exelby paid Hall to kill her.
Family alleges grooming on fetish website
Ms Exelby's family have alleged she was groomed on the fetish website and had been concerned about the forum. They claimed Hall knew her "as being vulnerable," and that the alleged grooming went on for two years, according to the Daily Mail.
Before her death, Ms Exelby struggled with depression and body dysmorphia. Her family previously described her as a "truly beautiful person, inside and out," noting her gentle soul and decision to become vegan because she could not bear the thought of any animal suffering.
Fundraiser for trial travel
One of Ms Exelby's sisters has set up a fundraiser to help family members travel to Hall's trial in Florida, scheduled to start on November 16. The sister wrote: "We have been very reluctant to set up a GoFundMe. It is honestly the last thing we ever wanted to do, and asking others for financial help is not something that comes easily to us. But we have reached a point where we have to be realistic."
She added: "The trial is in November, and without some additional help, some of Sonia's closest family members simply may not be able to make the journey." The family said previously: "We will never get over losing her, which has left an emptiness in our lives that can never be filled."
