In a case that spans continents, a Florida businessman stands accused of a chilling crime after investigators say he preyed on a vulnerable woman from the United Kingdom. Dwain C. Hall, age 53, was arrested in Ocala by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping following the discovery of human remains in Marion County.
The victim, identified as Sonia Exelby of Portsmouth, England, vanished after traveling to the United States. On October 13, UK authorities alerted U.S. law enforcement that Exelby was missing and endangered.What followed reads like a nightmare: on October 11, Hall’s company, Solver Wolfs Roadside Assistance, attempted multiple transactions on Exelby’s credit cards — all declined — before charging approximately £905.11 (about USD $1,190) on one of her accounts.
Hall’s business and his home address in Ocala share the same registration address, tying him directly to the payment trail. He was booked on October 17 after volunteering for an interview and then charged.
According to investigators, Hall claimed he met Exelby at the Gainesville Airport and transported her to a short-term rental. He later gave conflicting accounts, at one point admitting to staying with her and having sexual relations, then saying he was never there at the same time. He also told detectives that Exelby was suicidal and wanted someone to kill her.
On October 17, remains were found in a shallow grave in the Marion Oaks area. The remains matched Exelby’s physical description and included clothing consistent with what she was last seen wearing. Cell-site data placed Hall in the vicinity of the grave on October 12 for about an hour.
The case is now being treated as a homicide by the FDLE. Hall is already behind bars on the fraud-related charges; the murder and kidnapping charges were added once evidence of Exelby’s death surfaced.
As the investigation proceeds, authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the FDLE Gainesville Field Offic
