New details have emerged in the case of Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old British piano tutor who was found dead in a shallow grave in Florida in October last year. Exelby allegedly flew from the UK to meet Dwain Hall, 54, after connecting on a fetish website, with prosecutors suggesting she was seeking a "violent death."
Hall, a tow-truck operator from Ocala, Florida, is accused of stabbing Exelby to death. According to police, they uncovered a trove of images on Hall's phone after his arrest. Hall has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Exelby, who had documented mental health issues, arrived in Florida on October 10, 2025, with a return flight booked for three days later. When she failed to board her flight home, her family and boyfriend in England reported her missing. Her body was discovered in a shallow grave in remote woodland near Ocala on October 17, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Hall, a father of two, sexually abused and tortured Exelby before killing her in an Airbnb where they were staying. Hall told detectives he had met Exelby on a fetish website two years prior and that she had expressed suicidal ideations and a desire to be killed.
Hall is scheduled to stand trial for Exelby's murder later this month. He remains married, according to court documents. 
