A woman from the UK traveled to the United States with the alleged intention of being killed by a man she met on a fetish website, it has been revealed. Sonia Exelby, 32, from Portsmouth, was discovered in a shallow grave in Marion County, Florida, following her trip. The man she had connected with on an online fetish chatroom, Dwain Hall, was subsequently 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 allegedly killing her at an Airbnb they were staying in. The authorities reported that Sonia and Hall initially met online on a fetish website two years prior to the tragic incident. Ms. Exelby, who was dealing with mental health issues, had expressed a desire for someone to abuse her, a request Hall reportedly fulfilled.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), there were previous instances where Ms. Exelby had attempted to travel to the US to be harmed by an individual she met online. However, these attempts were intercepted, and she had received mental health treatment in the UK. Sonia arrived in Florida on October 10, 2025, and was taken to an Airbnb by Hall, where he is said to have engaged in sexual activities, tortured her, and recorded disturbing videos that were later deleted. One recovered video showed a visibly distressed Sonia with bruises on her face, neck, and breasts. In the recording, Hall questioned Sonia’s intentions, to which she expressed self-loathing and a desire to be harmed.
Sonia Exelby’s body was later found in a shallow grave in Marion County, where a post-mortem examination revealed she had been fatally stabbed four times. Detectives discovered 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 subsequently arrested after attempting to use Exelby’s credit cards and has been charged with kidnapping and first-degree murder. A judge denied him bond at his initial court appearance, citing a significant amount of evidence against him and concerns for community safety.