Investigators say Sonia Exelby, 32, flew from England to Central Florida in October and was later found dead in Marion County.
OCALA, Fla. — A 53-year-old Ocala man has been charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping after a British woman who traveled to Florida last month was found dead in a wooded area, state and county authorities said Monday.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents and Marion County deputies say the arrest caps a monthlong inquiry that began when U.K. police reported Sonia Exelby missing on Oct. 13. Investigators in both countries traced her movements from England to Gainesville, identified the man she met in Central Florida, and collected financial, video and forensic evidence. The suspect, identified as Dwain C. Hall, had been jailed earlier on fraud-related counts tied to her bank cards. He now faces homicide and kidnapping charges as authorities outline a timeline they say connects him to her final days.
Exelby landed at Gainesville Regional Airport on Oct. 10 and communicated online with Hall in the days leading up to her trip, investigators said. Detectives believe the two met at a short-term rental in Marion County. In interviews recorded by police, Hall acknowledged sexual encounters and conversations about bondage and death, according to investigative records. Days later, Exelby missed her Oct. 13 return flight to the U.K. British authorities notified Florida officials the same day, prompting a welfare check. Her remains were recovered in a wooded area near the Marion Oaks community soon after. “This was one of the most unusual and disturbing cases our detectives have seen,” Marion County Sheriff’s Office officials said.
Authorities say evidence includes attempts to withdraw and transfer money from Exelby’s accounts, surveillance that places Hall and Exelby together, messages she sent to a friend expressing fear she was being held, and a knife recovered after a search that was consistent with statements in an affidavit. Investigators also examined digital messages and a video in which Hall can be heard asking Exelby to state that she consented to being killed; in the footage, she hesitates repeatedly, according to records. Forensic testing linked items from a rental property and a vehicle to the case, and detectives noted bruising visible in images taken during the trip. Officials said parts of the correspondence referenced Telegram and Discord communications, though they did not detail all participants.
FDLE said it opened its case after INTERPOL and police in England requested assistance on Oct. 13, launching a joint effort with Marion County. Hall was arrested on Oct. 18 on credit card fraud and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. On Monday, Nov. 17, state agents obtained warrants charging him with first-degree murder and kidnapping. A Marion County judge denied bond at Hall’s first appearance on the new counts this week. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek the death penalty. Officials declined to describe the precise cause of death, citing pending lab work and autopsy details that remain sealed.
Records indicate Exelby struggled with mental health and expressed suicidal thoughts online before traveling. In writings found on a computer, she described plans to be tortured and possibly killed, investigators said. Even so, a message she sent to a friend shortly before she disappeared suggested she had changed her mind and felt trapped, according to the case file. Community members in Marion Oaks left small bouquets along a wooded trail after news of her identification, while neighbors said heavy police activity swept the area in mid-October. “We saw deputies out there for two days,” said Sandra Willis, who lives a few blocks from the search site.
Authorities said the investigation is active and international notifications are ongoing with British consular officials and next of kin. Court records show Hall is scheduled for an arraignment in the coming weeks. Detectives are still reviewing digital evidence and financial transactions from Oct. 10–13 and are awaiting additional forensic reports. As of Wednesday, Hall remained at the Marion County Jail. No additional suspects have been named, and officials said they anticipate releasing a redacted report once lab results are returned.
Author note: Last updated Nov. 20, 2025.