Warning: This article contains discussions of suicide and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Authorities have released details of a checklist compiled by a man before the alleged murder of a British woman.
Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old from Portsmouth, UK, reportedly went to the United States with the intention of being sexually assaulted and killed, according to investigators.
Exelby was allegedly experiencing suicidal thoughts and sought a violent death.
Following her death, Dwain Hall was apprehended in connection to the crime. An affidavit obtained by PEOPLE outlined that Exelby was ‘suicidal and traveling to the United States to be sexually abused, tortured, and possibly murdered’.
British authorities also uncovered a suicide note in which she expressed anticipation of being ‘mutilated and disabled for the rest of my life’.
It is believed that Exelby and Hall, a resident of Ocala, Florida, began communicating online two years ago after meeting on a fetish website.
Exelby traveled to the U.S. in October, and concerns were raised when she did not return on her scheduled flight to the UK on October 13.
Her body was discovered a few days later in Marion Oaks, Florida, with four stab wounds.
On the day of her arrival in America, authorities claim Hall bought several items including paracord, gun cleaner, rope, and deodorant at a supermarket. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him returning to the store shortly after to purchase a shovel, according to the Mirror.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced Hall’s arrest on November 17. In a statement, they stated: “The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Dwain Hall, 53, of Ocala, on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the homicide of a missing woman from the United Kingdom.
“The arrest follows a swift and intensive investigation that led to the discovery of her remains in Marion County less than one week after she was reported missing.”
The murder charge was added after Hall had previously been charged with fraudulent use of credit cards and unlawful use of a two-way communication device related to Exelby’s disappearance.
Hall allegedly made numerous attempts to use Exelby’s credit cards, successfully withdrawing $1,200 in cash.
The 53-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the four he currently faces.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.