UK Woman Flew to Florida Expecting “Quick Death,” Instead Endured Torture and Murder in Isolated Airbnb, Deputies Say
MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA — A 32-year-old woman from the United Kingdom was brutally tortured and murdered after flying to Florida to meet a man she believed would kill her quickly, authorities said. Instead, investigators say she was coerced, trapped, beaten, and ultimately stabbed to death inside a remote Airbnb — a killing that prosecutors describe as one of the most disturbing they’ve encountered.
Victim Sought “Quick Death” but Was Met With Sadism and Violence
Investigators identified the victim as Sonia Exelby, a Portsmouth, England woman with documented mental health struggles, including past attempts to seek violent death through strangers online. Authorities learned that Exelby had communicated for two years with 53-year-old Dwain C. Hall, who used the fetish username “alphasadist.”
Exelby traveled to Florida on Oct. 10, believing Hall would kill her quickly. Digital evidence shows she boarded the flight expecting to die — but she could not have anticipated what investigators now say happened instead.
Just an hour before her plane landed, Hall was seen on surveillance video buying a shovel, rope, paracord, and gun cleaner at Walmart. He picked her up from the Gainesville Regional Airport and drove her to the Airbnb she had rented in Reddick, Florida.
Authorities say Hall’s actions were premeditated, violent, and far outside anything consensual.
Disturbing Messages Reveal Victim Was Terrified and Trapped
On Oct. 11, Exelby managed to send a desperate message to a friend on Discord indicating she was being held against her will:
“He made it clear there was no way out unless I shoot him… I can’t kill anyone.”
She added:
“I thought he’d do it quick… I’m so so scared. I’m so broken and in so much pain.”
Exelby also wrote she had no phone signal, was “locked in,” and was forced to film three ‘disclaimer videos’ and write a goodbye letter to her family because Hall “thought it was funny.”
Minutes later, she told her friend:
“My time’s up.”
Video Shows Hall Berating, Injuring, and Controlling the Victim
Investigators recovered a deleted video from Hall’s phone showing Exelby bruised, terrified, and barely able to speak. Hall films himself interrogating her about whether she is being forced — while she sits injured, shaking her head no.
Then he forces her to repeat degrading phrases:
“You wanted to be beaten and made to suffer because you’re such a piece of s—.”
Detectives say Exelby looked “subdued and terrified” in the footage, undermining Hall’s claims that the violence was consensual BDSM.
Financial Exploitation Added Another Layer of Control
Records show Hall attempted to run seven charges through the victim’s debit card using his roadside assistance business. Several were declined — but one transfer of $1,200 succeeded.
Investigators say the financial transactions reveal another layer of exploitation, contradicting Hall’s claim that he was simply a “mentor” helping her.
Evidence Points to Planned Murder — and a Hidden Weapon
Authorities later found that Hall had mailed a package to an acquaintance in Ohio, instructing him to “hold onto it and tell no one.” Police recovered the package during a search and discovered a knife covered in blood.
DNA testing confirmed:
“The blood belonged to Exelby.”
Hall Makes Chilling Comments to Detectives
Hall was already in custody on an unrelated fraud charge when investigators tied him to Exelby’s disappearance.
When questioned about ending her life, he allegedly replied:
“If you end a person’s life, isn’t that murder?”
When asked what he would tell her family, he responded:
“She was happy because she was going to get what she wanted.”
Authorities say this statement was especially chilling given the evidence showing days of coercion, terror, and torture rather than a quick or consensual death.
Hall Held Without Bond as Case Expands Across Two Countries
Hall now faces charges including:
- First-degree murder
- Kidnapping
- Credit card fraud
- Additional felony counts related to evidence tampering
He is being held without bond. Investigators are working with UK authorities, FDLE, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office as the international case continues to unfold.
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