WARNING GRAPHIC DETAILS: Sonia Exelby, 32, described as a vulnerable person, reportedly met with Dwain Hall, 53, in Florida with the intention of being killed by him
A murdered British woman allegedly travelled to the US with the intent of being killed by a man she met on a fetish website.
Sonia Exelby, 32, from Portsmouth, touched down at Florida’s Gainesville Regional Airport on October 10 and never arrived back for her return flight three days later. Her body was found in a shallow grave in woods in Marion County, northwest of Orlando, one week after she arrived in Florida.
Sonia’s friend shared a public plea for her to come home amid fears she had gotten “into an extremely vulnerable situation”. The plea, shared on Instagram said: “Sonia is such a vulnerable person and really struggling with her mental health. We believe she got on a plane on Friday and made her way to Florida Tallahassee from the UK.
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“We believe she has arranged to meet someone there and has got herself into an extremely vulnerable situation. That’s all I can really say on that.”
British authorities contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement via INTERPOL, a worldwide police cooperation organisation. They believe she was living with a mental health condition and was suicidal, according to investigation reports.
They believed she travelled to Florida in order to meet with a man who would allegedly violently kill her. Investigators arrested Dwain Hall, 53, after allegedly connecting him to transactions that were allegedly made using Sonia’s credit cards.
Officers claimed Hall picked Sonia up from the airport before taking her to an Airbnb in Reddick. Reports claimed Hall initially told police several different stories before admitting to have first spoken to Sonia on a fetish website two years ago.
Hall reportedly claimed she was suicidal and wanted to be killed. He went on to describe himself as a mentor who would help her and not kill her, an arrest report obtained by TV20 said.
The suspect allegedly also admitted to having violent tendencies. Hall went on to claim they had sex multiple times and that he took videos of her which he later deleted.
Video obtained by police reportedly shows Sonia appearing with bruises over her body with Hall allegedly asking her why she was there. Hall pressed Sonia further in a bid to get her to consent to being harmed.
Detectives said Sonia’s demeanour in the video appeared to be hesitant and that she looked visibly and upset as she nodded. Investigators found a message reportedly sent by Sonia to a friend via online messaging platform Discord on October 11.
Further messages from Sonia to a friend reportedly showed she believed a mistake had been made. Investigators said the messages “showed that Hall was controlling her, that she was afraid, and had made a mistake.”
Appearing to express regret during her time at the Airbnb, she reportedly said: “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.”
A body was later found in Marion County woods with fingerprints matching Sonia’s. A shovel found in Hall’s garage allegedly had Sonia’s DNA on it.
An autopsy later determined Sonia died after being stabbed four times with a knife. Investigators learned Hall had sent a package to a friend in Ohio following Sonia’s death.
Authorities in the state found a knife that allegedly had blood on it and was suspected of being Sonia’s DNA. Hall has been arrested on first-degree murder, kidnapping, credit card fraud and unlawful use of a communication device charges.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
