A woman from the UK who allegedly traveled to the United States with the intention of being murdered by a man she met on a fetish website had previously made arrangements for her own killing, recent revelations have shown. Sonia Exelby, 32, from Portsmouth, was discovered in a shallow grave in Marion County, Florida, following her journey. Dwain Hall, the man she had encountered on an online fetish chatroom, was subsequently apprehended and charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder, with a bail denial issued earlier this week.
Hall, a 53-year-old father of two, is accused of sexually assaulting and torturing Sonia before her tragic demise at a remote Airbnb where they were staying. The timeline leading up to her death indicates that Sonia and Hall had connected on a fetish website two years prior, with Sonia expressing a desire for abuse, which Hall allegedly fulfilled. Hall claimed that Sonia, who was struggling with mental health challenges, had suicidal tendencies and sought his assistance as a mentor.
Records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reveal that in 2024, Sonia had previously planned a trip to the US to be violently killed by an unknown individual she had met online, but the plan was foiled, and she received mental health treatment in the UK. Upon landing in Florida on October 10, 2025, Sonia was picked up by Hall and taken to an Airbnb in Reddick, Marion County, where she was subjected to multiple instances of sexual abuse and torture, captured in videos that Hall later deleted.
Police recovered a distressing video showing Sonia with visible bruises, where she expressed her wish to be stabbed, a desire that Hall allegedly fulfilled. Sonia’s family reported her missing when she failed to return as scheduled. Tragically, Sonia Exelby was found dead in a shallow grave in Marion County, with a post-mortem examination indicating she had been fatally stabbed four times. Subsequent investigations uncovered incriminating evidence in Hall’s possession, including a shovel with Sonia’s DNA and a knife with traces of her blood and DNA.
Following attempts to use Exelby’s credit cards, Hall was arrested and charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder. During his court appearance, a judge denied him bail, citing substantial evidence against him. The judge emphasized the severity of the case, stating that no bond could guarantee Hall’s presence in court or ensure community safety.