A British woman was allegedly lured to the United States to be killed in a shocking plot involving alligators. Sonia Exelby, 32, from Portsmouth, traveled to Florida on October 10, where she reportedly met 53-year-old Dwain Hall, whom she encountered through a fetish website. The pair went to an Airbnb in Reddick, about 100 miles northwest of Orlando, where Hall allegedly recorded a video pressuring Sonia to consent to harm.
According to arrest documents, Sonia’s computer contained evidence she was suicidal and intended to travel to the U.S. to be abused, tortured, and possibly murdered. Her remains were later discovered in a shallow grave in Marion County on October 17, and an autopsy confirmed she had been stabbed four times. Authorities also found a knife with her DNA in a package sent to a friend of Hall’s in Ohio.
Hall voluntarily turned himself in to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after allegedly attempting to use Sonia’s credit card to withdraw $1,200. While initially denying involvement, documents indicate he admitted to being the last person to see her alive and described a plan to take her to “Alligator Alley” where wildlife could have killed her.
Hall has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, fraudulent use of credit cards, and unlawful use of transmission devices. He has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court on December 23. Friends and family described Sonia as a vulnerable individual who traveled to Florida despite the risks.
