Florida man arrested in death of British woman who may have traveled to U.S. to be killed, police say

LONDON — A Florida man has been arrested after police discovered the body of a British woman who allegedly traveled to the U.S with the intention being killed, authorities said Monday.

Dwain Hall, 53, from Ocala, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping after the victim’s remains were found in Marion County, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said in a statement.

The victim was not named in the statement, but an affidavit viewed by NBC News identified her as 32-year-old Sonia Exelby from Portsmouth in England.

The affidavit said Exelby had long struggled with mental health problems, was suicidal and “planned to travel to the United States with the intention of meeting with online individuals who would be willing to kill her violently.”

The alarm was raised by British authorities through INTERPOL on Oct. 13 regarding a woman they said was missing and endangered. Exelby was due to fly back to the U.K. the same day but missed her flight.

Her body was discovered on Friday, Oct. 17 by officers from FDLE and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. “The remains were determined to be those of the missing woman from England and further examination revealed that her death was ruled a homicide,” FDLE said.

The affidavit said Exelby communicated with multiple people on the Telegram messaging app in the hope of traveling to the U.S. and being killed in 2024 — but this attempt was stopped and she received treatment.

But the document said that evidence allegedly left on her computer showed she was again suicidal this year and planning to travel “to be possibly sexually abused, tortured, and murdered by unknown individuals living in the United States.”

Hall and Exelby met at an Airbnb property on the weekend of Oct. 10 and had sex multiple times, police said. Hall allegedly made a video featuring Exelby, which was deleted but later retrieved by police, in which she was covered in bruises and is made to answer disclaimer questions about her wish to be beaten and killed, according to the affidavit.

“Throughout the conversation Exelby is subdued, rarely looks up towards the camera where Hall would be positioned, becomes visibly upset with tears in her eyes, exhales deeply, swallows hard, and very hesitant to answer Hall’s questions,” the affidavit says.

The police affidavit said this message showed “Hall was controlling her, that she was afraid, and had made a mistake.”

Hall was identified 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.

Jail records from Marion County show that Hall — who is behind bars without bond — was also arrested on charges of fraudulently using credit cards and the unlawful use of a two-way device. A payment for $1,200 was successfully charged to a British debit card belonging to Exelby by Solver Wolf’s Roadside Assistance, of which Hall is the only employee, according to the affidavit.

Police called Hall on Oct. 13 and 14 to ask about the card transactions and police said he claimed that an unknown woman asked for roadside assistance, but her cards were declined. He said he didn’t know Exelby.

During an interview with police on Oct. 17, Hall allegedly gave inconsistent accounts about his interaction with Exelby before admitting that he had sex with her several times and discussed her desire to have someone kill her, according to the affidavit.

“Hall knew Exelby suffered from severe mental illness and was suicidal. He claimed that he wanted to help Exelby and did not want her to die but his actions show differently,” the police affidavit said.

“This type of violent crime and disregard for human life will not be tolerated in our state — those who commit such heinous crimes will be held fully accountable,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said in a statement.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary in the U.K. told NBC News in a statement: “Our officers are liaising with U.S. authorities to assist their ongoing investigation, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement where she is believed to have travelled to, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) to provide support for Sonia’s family in the U.K.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.