Final messages 'murdered' Sonia Exelby sent after travelling to USA to 'meet man from fetish site'
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
As the man accused of murdering Sonia Exelby awaits his trial, the horrifying details of the days before her death have been summarised in her final text messages.
Concern was raised for Exelby when she was reported as a missing person after failing to board her flight home from the United States last year, after meeting Dwain Hall on a 'fetish website' with reports suggesting that she travelled to America in the hope of a 'violent death'.
Just days before her arrival, the Florida man had purchased a number of suspicious items including nylon rope and a gun cleaner, and police were quick to identify him as a potential suspect in her disappearance after he charged her bank card from his business.
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Now, as investigations into the manner of the 32-year-old's death continue, the final messages she sent to a friend on Discord have been revealed, with it made abundantly clear that she was regretting her decision to meet with Hall.
As per the Daily Mail, the often incoherent messages read: "I’m sorry he keeps taking my phone he doesn’t trust me with it. He made it clear there was no way out unless I shoot him. I was questioning it last night. I can’t kill anyone. [I] realise this is the last thing I’ll ever day [say] to anyone if I don’t take his offer of shooting him.
"He showed me about [how] to use it and where to aim it. I’m so so scared I’m so broken and in so much pain all I can do is lay here and doing what gee [he] wants makes him respect me enough not to do the things I really hate. Everything but some are.’
The message ends: "I’m sorry I don’t even know what I’m saying and I’m trying to be quick and My times up."
Sonia had long struggled with her mental health and perhaps the most harrowing thing in regards to this case is that she reportedly paid her attacker to torture and kill her, with police able to recover a video from Hall's phone in which he sought Sonia's consent for the fatal injuries he was about to cause.
The music tutor was stabbed four times and buried in a shallow grave, with police arresting Hall not long after discovering the body, having spoken to him previously regarding the charges from her bank card.
Earlier this week, her family spoke out for the first time in a statement issued via Hampshire Police, who are in charge of the UK side of the investigation: “Sonia was a truly beautiful person, inside and out.
"She had the gentlest soul - so gentle that she chose to become vegan, because she couldn’t bear the thought of any animal suffering just so she could eat.
"That was who she was: kind, compassionate, and full of quiet love. She was incredibly talented. Sonia could play the piano so effortlessly, and when she sang, she had the voice of an angel.
"Being around her felt special—she brought a calmness and warmth that made everything feel a little lighter. Sonia was one of those rare people who made you feel completely safe to be yourself.
"She never judged, never criticised - she simply accepted people as they were and loved them for it. That is something so many of us will carry with us forever."
Hall had been denied bail during an appearance in court last November, being told by the judge: "Under these circumstances, there is no bond that would assure your presence in court, keep the community safe.
"And the facts of this case - there is a large amount of evidence against you."
Hall denies the charges.
Timeline of events leading up to the death of Sonia Exelby
10 October 2025
According to Fox Orlando, citing law enforcement officials, Sonia landed at Gainesville Regional Airport on the evening of 10 October and was collected by Hall at 6.30pm and driven to an Airbnb she'd reserved for her trip.
Prior to her arrival, investigators say Hall purchased paracord (a type of nylon rope), gun cleaner, rope, Lume Spray and a shovel at his local Walmart.
11 October
In the early afternoon, Hall charges Sonia’s bank card $1,200 (£918) from his business.
At 3.30pm, a vehicle which matches the description of Hall's emergency roadside business is spotted outside the Airbnb. It is around this time that Hall allegedly records a video of Sonia showing her with cuts and bruises across her body and asks her to consent to being stabbed.
She later contacts a friend and sends messages over Discord such as: "I’m so, so scared. I’m so broken and in so much pain," and: "I thought he’d do it quick and not give my mind time to stew."
12 October
Hall purchases a piece of tarp. Surveillance footage later shows someone moving in front of his car.
He then drives to the location where Sonia's body was later found.
13 October
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) receives an alert from British authorities regarding a missing and vulnerable person.
Hall is later interviewed by law enforcement before messaging a friend, writing '[there] might be a big storm coming for me'.
14 October
Hall is interviewed once again regarding the charges made to Sonia's card. He also sends a package to a friend in Ohio, which includes a knife containing Sonia's blood and a bracelet containing both of their DNA.
17 October
Hall is arrested on charges of fraud and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. These are later dropped.
Sonia's body is discovered by law enforcement, buried in a shallow grave.
18 October
An autopsy determined that she likely died from injuries caused by a knife.
27 October
Hall contacts his wife and asks her to look out for a package from a friend.
31 October
Facebook messages between Hall and his contact in Ohio are read by authorities, who later search his home, where the alleged murder weapon is recovered.
17 November
Dwain Hall is arrested and charged with the kidnapping and killing of Sonia Exelby. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
18 November
Hall is denied bail and will remain in jail until his trial.
22 April 2026
Hall appears in court to be told he will be tried on charges of kidnapping and murdering Sonia Exelby.
16 November 2026
Jury selection expected to begin for Hall's trial.
Topics: True Crime
James Moorhouse