Overview
- Sonia Exelby was reported missing from her Southsea home on October 12, 2025, and US investigators found her body in Marion County, Florida, on October 17, 2025.
- Dwain Hall was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and charged with first‑degree murder and kidnapping; he has pleaded not guilty and is due to stand trial in Marion County in November 2026.
- Prosecutors cite a range of evidence in court filings, including video footage and messages in which Exelby expressed suicidal intent, computer files, credit‑card activity, and a deleted recording recovered by investigators.
- Forensic links highlighted by investigators include an autopsy showing four stab wounds, Exelby’s blood on a shovel recovered from Hall’s home, and soil matches between the shovel and the grave site.
- Exelby’s family issued a public tribute through Hampshire Constabulary in late July and UK authorities continue to assist FDLE while the case raises fresh questions about online grooming, fetish platforms and protections for vulnerable people.