Warning: Graphic Content
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
A Florida man is jailed and awaiting trial after investigators say a young woman from the United Kingdom traveled to the United States to carry out an arrangement in which she would be sexually abused, tortured and killed. Court records identify the victim as Sonia Exelby of Portsmouth, England, and the accused as 54-year-old Dwain Hall of Ocala, Florida.
How Authorities Connect the Case
Exelby was reported missing by her family in October 2025 after she failed to return from a short trip to Florida. Investigators allege that she and Hall met in 2023 on a fetish website and exchanged messages about bondage, suicide and her expressed wish for someone to kill her. Court filings describe Hall as a self-proclaimed 'sadist' who began 'mentoring' Exelby during months of online contact.
According to charging documents, the pair discussed a financial arrangement. Investigators say Exelby agreed to pay Hall cash to help settle an alleged tax debt in return for his assistance in enabling her desire to die. British authorities previously intervened in 2024 to block an earlier attempt by Exelby to travel to meet people she believed would kill her, and court records note she had known mental health diagnoses.
Trip, Purchases, And The Airbnb
Exelby flew into Gainesville Regional Airport the evening of October 10, 2025, with a return flight scheduled for October 13. Investigators say Hall picked her up and drove about 40 minutes south to an Airbnb in Reddick that Exelby had reserved in her name. Surveillance footage and receipts reviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement indicate Hall purchased items at a local Walmart before the pickup, including gun cleaner, 50 feet of rope, nylon parachute cord and, after returning to the store, a shovel.
Alarming Messages, Financial Trails And A Deleted Video
On October 11, Exelby sent lengthy, sometimes disjointed messages to a friend via Discord expressing regret, fear and saying she had been locked in and had her phone taken. She wrote that she might try to stop what was happening and feared the worst. That same day, Exelby's debit card was charged multiple times to an account linked to Hall's roadside assistance business; investigators say the card was charged seven times within about 10 minutes, yielding roughly $1,200 after declines.
Authorities recovered a deleted 4-minute, 16-second recording from Hall's device showing a bruised and distressed Exelby in the Airbnb. In the footage, Hall can be heard prompting and directing her answers as she appears upset and hesitant. Investigators say Hall initially denied knowing Exelby but later acknowledged recording her and deleting the file three seconds after creating it; forensic recovery restored the video.
Discovery, Evidence And Arrest
Law enforcement located Exelby's body in a shallow grave in a wooded area of Marion County on October 17. She had four stab wounds to the side of her body, and the label from the shovel Hall purchased was found in the top layers of dirt. Deputies stopped Hall later that day near Ocala and took him into custody.
Investigators recovered a package Hall had shipped through an associate that contained a bracelet and a black seven-inch steel knife described as designed for piercing and stabbing. The blade bore a mocking engraving; DNA from blood on the knife matched Exelby's, according to court papers. Hall is being held on six felony counts, including premeditated first-degree murder and kidnapping, and faces a possible death sentence if convicted. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 5 in Marion County.
Case Context And Next Steps
Prosecutors say the case involves a complex blend of online fetish conversations, a proposed financial arrangement, and evolving evidence including receipts, surveillance footage, a deleted video, financial transaction records and DNA. Court proceedings are pending; Hall's legal representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Note: This report summarizes allegations from court records and investigative statements. Charges are accusations; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
