The woman Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old woman from the UK, had been struggling with severe mental health issues for some time. About two years ago, she connected with Dwain Hall, a 53-year-old man from Ocala, Florida, on a niche website dedicated to violent role-play fantasies.
In October 2025, Sonia flew to Florida to meet Hall. While investigators acknowledge that Sonia had initially expressed a desire to die as part of a fantasy, the situation appears to have turned into a non-consensual crime. Tragically, shortly before her death, Sonia messaged a friend on Discord saying she was trapped and there was "no way out," indicating that when she tried to back out, Hall refused to let her leave.
Police found Sonia deceased from sharp force trauma in a wooded area. Because the evidence suggests she was held against her will and brutally killed rather than assisted in a suicide, Hall is not facing lesser charges. He has been arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Kidnapping.
