A man is accused of a scheme involving alligators to harm a British woman who traveled to the US with the intention of being hurt. Sonia Exelby, 32, from Portsmouth, visited Florida on October 10 and allegedly met Dwain Hall, 53, who is suspected of killing her after connecting on a fetish platform. The two headed to an Airbnb in Reddick, approximately 100 miles northwest of Orlando, where Hall purportedly recorded a video coercing Sonia to agree to being harmed.
According to arrest records reviewed by The Mirror, Sonia had left indications on her computer suggesting suicidal tendencies and a trip to the US to endure abuse, torture, and potential murder. Sonia’s body was discovered in a shallow grave in nearby Marion County on October 17. An autopsy revealed she had been stabbed four times with a knife. A knife with Sonia’s DNA was later found in a package sent to a friend of Hall’s in Ohio.
Following an alleged attempt to withdraw $1,200 (£905.11) using Sonia’s credit card, Hall voluntarily presented himself at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Initially denying meeting Sonia, Hall later admitted communicating with her about her alleged desire to be killed. He mentioned a scenario where he could have taken her to encounter wildlife in Alligator Alley to end her life.
Hall, facing charges including first-degree murder, kidnapping, fraudulent credit card use, and unlawful device utilization, has pleaded not guilty. Scheduled for his next court appearance on December 23, he did not provide further details on Sonia’s fate when questioned about her alleged murder. A social media post by one of Sonia’s loved ones described her as a vulnerable individual who flew from the UK to Florida seeking emotional support.