A man is accused of planning to feed a British woman to alligators in the US after she traveled there with the intent of being harmed. Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old from Portsmouth, flew to Florida on October 10 and allegedly met Dwain Hall, 53, on a fetish website, who is said to have murdered her. They drove to an Airbnb in Reddick, located about 100 miles northwest of Orlando, where Hall reportedly coerced Sonia into consenting to harm in a video recording.
According to arrest documents obtained by The Mirror, Sonia had left evidence on her computer suggesting she was suicidal and had come to the US to be abused, tortured, and potentially killed. Sonia’s body was discovered in a shallow grave in woodland in Marion County on October 17, following an autopsy that revealed she had been stabbed four times with a knife. Investigators later found a knife with Sonia’s DNA in a package sent to a friend of Hall’s in Ohio.
Hall turned himself in at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on the same day after allegedly trying to use Sonia’s credit card to withdraw $1,200. Initially, Hall denied meeting Sonia and claimed he had received the card number over the phone for services. However, he later admitted to picking up Sonia and dropping her off at the Airbnb where she was killed. Hall allegedly confessed to messaging Sonia about her desire to be killed.
The documents stated that Hall claimed he would have taken Sonia to Alligator Alley where she could encounter wildlife that would harm her. When asked if the Everglades would have been violent enough, Hall suggested he would have ensured that it was. Hall was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, fraudulent credit card use, and unlawful use of transmission devices. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 23 and has pleaded not guilty.
A relative of Sonia mentioned on social media that she was vulnerable and had flown to Florida from the UK. If you need emotional support, you can contact the Samaritans helpline at 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. Remember to visit the Samaritans website for more assistance.