NEED TO KNOW
- Sonia Exelby was reported missing in October, and her remains were found in Florida
- Authorities from her hometown in England reportedly found evidence that she was “suicidal” and expressed interest in being “tortured”
- Exelby appears to have traveled for an apparent suicide mission and allegedly met Dwain Hall, who is now facing charges in connection with Exelby’s killing
Warning: This story contains graphic details pertaining to sexual abuse, torture and suicide
Authorities in Florida have arrested a man in connection with the killing of a British woman who allegedly traveled to America to be sexually assaulted and possibly murdered.
Investigators received a report on Oct. 13 regarding the woman after she missed a flight back to the U.K., the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement.
She was not named in the statement, but an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE identifies her as Sonia Exelby from Portsmouth, England.
Within days, Exelby’s remains were found in Marion Oaks, Fla., per FDLE’s statement. She died from an apparent homicide, investigators claim.
Dwain Hall, 53, was arrested on Monday, Nov. 17, by officials from FDLE and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Marion County Jail
In writings allegedly left on her computer, Exelby indicated she was “suicidal and traveling to the United States to be sexually abused, tortured, and possibly murdered,” per the arrest affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE. She allegedly connected with various people in the U.S. in furtherance of her apparent mission.
British investigators also found evidence of a suicidal letter she wrote where she anticipated being “mutilated and disabled for the rest of my life” in the event that she “manage to get to him,” the affidavit states.
Authorities identified Hall as a suspect after tracing him to an account that allegedly attempted to transfer money from Exelby’s bank account several times since Oct. 11.
During a voluntary interview with police on Oct. 17, Hall allegedly gave several inconsistent accounts about his interaction with Exelby, initially claiming he did not know her before eventually admitting that he had sex with her several times and discussed her “bondage, suicide, and her desire to have someone kill her,” per the affidavit.
Hall also allegedly said if he had to help her, he would bring Exelby to Alligator Alley where the wildlife “would have taken care of her.” He declined to answer when asked if he killed Exelby, but said “she’s happy now because she got what she wanted.”
He was charged with fraudulent use of a credit card and unlawful use of a two way communication device.
At the time of his arrest this week, Hall was behind bars on those charges, FDLE said in their statement.
Sonia Exelby/Facebook
However, in the arrest affidavit for Hall’s murder charges, authorities claim Exelby appeared to have her doubts last minute and reached out to a friend via Discord, alleging a man, who she did not name, was holding her against her will.
“He made it clear there was no way out unless I shoot him. I was questioning it last night. I can’t kill anyone,” she wrote in part of the message, later adding she was made to “record three disclaimer messages and write a letter to her family because he thought it was ‘funny,'” per the affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
In a cell phone video reviewed by police, Hall is allegedly seen prompting Exelby to answer questions such as how she wants to die. Even though Exelby answers, seemingly expressing her consent, she hesitates before several of her answers, per the alleged video.
On social media, a loved one of Exelby stated in an Oct. 16 post that she is a “vulnerable person and really struggling with her mental health.”
“We believe she has arranged to meet someone [in Tallahassee, Fla.] and has got herself into an extremely vulnerable situation,” read part of the post.
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Hall is currently charged with murder and kidnapping in addition to the previous fraud charges against him, according to online court records.
He has pleaded not guilty to all four charges, records show.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.