A woman from the UK, Sonia Exelby, was discovered in a shallow grave in Marion County, Florida after allegedly traveling to the US with the intent of being killed by a man she met on a fetish website. The man, Dwain Hall, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder. Hall, a 53-year-old father of two, is accused of sexually abusing and torturing Sonia before killing her at a remote Airbnb they were staying in. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement revealed that Sonia and Hall had met online on a fetish website two years prior to her death.
Sonia, who was dealing with mental health issues, had expressed a desire to be abused, which Hall reportedly fulfilled. Hall claimed that Sonia was suicidal and expressed a wish to be killed, but he portrayed himself as a mentor figure trying to assist her. In a previous incident in 2024, Sonia had made plans to be violently killed by an individual she met online, but the attempt was thwarted, and she received mental health treatment in the UK.
Upon arriving in Florida on October 10, 2025, Sonia was taken to an Airbnb by Hall, where he engaged in sexual acts with her, tortured her, and recorded videos that were later deleted. One recovered video depicted Sonia with visible bruises and expressing a desire to be stabbed by Hall. Sonia’s family reported her missing when she failed to return from her trip, leading to the discovery of her body in a shallow grave with fatal stab wounds.
Further investigations revealed evidence linking Hall to the crime, including a shovel with Sonia’s DNA in his garage and a knife with traces of her blood and DNA. Hall was arrested after attempting to use Exelby’s credit cards and has been charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder, with a judge denying him bond due to substantial evidence against him. The court proceedings emphasized the seriousness of the case in ensuring community safety and Hall’s presence in court.