Suicidal British woman who flew to America to be murdered by a man she met in a chatroom was groomed, claim relatives

Published: 08:40 BST, 19 October 2026 | Updated: 08:50 BST, 19 October 2026

A British woman killed in the US was groomed through the fetish website where she met her alleged murderer, her family have said.

Sonia Exelby, 32, was found in a shallow grave in Florida on October 17 last year days after travelling 4,000 miles allegedly to meet Dwain Hall, 54.

The pair first met on a fetish website and early indications from the police investigation into her death suggested Ms Exelby had paid Hall – whose murder trial begins next month – to take her life.

Days before she died Ms Exelby, a music tutor who suffered from depression and body dysmorphia, travelled from Portsmouth to Marion County after police said she 'left evidence on her computer indicating that she was again suicidal'.

However her family have claimed she was groomed and had been concerned about the fetish website.

A medical examiner found Ms Exelby, whose body was found in woodland near a highway, had been stabbed four times and Hall, a father-of-two, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and kidnapping.

He had already been brought into custody on suspicion of fraudulent use of credit cards and unlawful use of a two-way communication device linked to Ms Exelby.

Hall denied the charges and his trial begins on November 16.

Sonia Exelby, 32, boarded a plane from Portsmouth to Marion County in Florida, where she was found dead on October 17 last year

Father-of-two Dwain Hall will stand trial for Ms Exelby's murder next month

Hall stands accused of abusing and murdering Ms Exelby inside this Airbnb cabin before dumping her body in a shallow grave

Ms Exelby's five siblings said some of her 'closest relatives' including their partners and nieces could not afford to travel to Florida.

Gemma Isaj, the eldest of the siblings, has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for their travel, telling The Times: 'We all have to be there to tell Sonia's story. This is about mental health [but also] there are websites and a bigger movement.'

Ms Isaj added an Airbnb in Florida had cancelled the family's booking when they explained the reason for their stay.

Ms Exelby's family said the 'full extent of justice' should be served at Hall's trial after they claimed she was 'known' to the man 'as being vulnerable' and said he groomed her for two years.

Luke Wilton, Ms Exelby's 47-year-old brother, said: 'When Sonia first raised this, she was saying she had to protect others, by gathering evidence and talking with them, taking them down.

'She had a purpose to stop this from happening to others. She told us she lost friends [this way] — she wanted to shine awareness on what was happening to people.'

Ms Exelby allegedly told her siblings she had found a group of American men who were murdering vulnerable women and had planned to travel to reveal the crimes.

After arriving in Florida her family said Ms Exelby sent friends messages to ask for help.

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