Dwain Hall Faces Nov. 5 Murder Trial in $4,000 Florida Torture-for-Hire Killing

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 2

54-year-old Dwain Hall is jailed in Marion County on first-degree murder and kidnapping charges after prosecutors said he killed Sonia Exelby, a UK woman whose body was found in a shallow grave in Ocala.
Court records say Exelby flew to Florida in October 2025 after agreeing to pay Hall $4,000, but messages to a friend show she regretted the plan, said Hall had locked her in, and wrote that she was "so scared."
Investigators tied Hall to the killing through Walmart purchases of rope, cord and a shovel, seven debit-card charges to Exelby’s account, and a deleted 4-minute video showing a bruised Exelby being directed by Hall.
A knife Hall allegedly sent to a friend before his arrest carried Exelby’s blood, and Hall later told investigators he was angry because she did not bring cash and he got only $1,200 from her card.
Exelby had previously discussed suicide and violent death online and had a thwarted 2024 UK travel attempt, but prosecutors allege Hall turned that vulnerability into a paid torture-and-murder scheme that could bring the death penalty.