Sonia Exelby | She Told Her Family About a Network of Sadistic Men… and Disappeared (Part 1)
Hosted by Derrick Levasseur and Stephanie Harlowe
- 2h 21m
- Transcript
Summary
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
This episode explores the harrowing disappearance of 32-year-old Sonia Exelby, who flew more than 4,000 miles from the UK to Florida in October 2025 and vanished. The host and the guest, Derek Levasseur and Stephanie Harlowe, trace Sonia's descent from a gentle, musical childhood into severe depression and isolated online spaces, including the controversial forum motherless.com, where she communicated with a man named Dwayne Hall about violent self-harm fantasies. Law enforcement investigation reveals that Hall, a roadside assistance business owner in Florida, picked Sonia up from the airport, took her to a rented Airbnb, and filmed a disturbing video before her disappearance. The hosts analyze Hall's chilling, manipulative police interrogation, dissecting his elaborate lies about a mysterious client named Harold, his bizarre conspiracy theories, and his eventual admission to filming a video of a distressed Sonia.
- Monitor your loved ones closely when prolonged isolation and heavy internet usage replace real-life relationships. 14:17
- Be extremely cautious of dark internet forums that encourage or facilitate severe self-harm or violent fantasies. 20:37
- Do not assume that anonymous online personas or encryption will protect vulnerable individuals from predatory actors. 33:43
- Pay close attention to inconsistencies and evasive behavior when individuals are questioned by law enforcement. 53:35
Chapters
- 0:00Introduction to Sonia Exelby Case
Hosts set the stage for the new series, outlining the mystery and upcoming legal developments.
- 0:32Sonia’s Early Life and Family Background
Explains Sonia’s upbringing, family dynamics, and the early signs of her withdrawal.
- 1:09Sonia’s Online Isolation and Dark Corners
Details Sonia’s shift to online communities and her eventual descent into dangerous internet spaces.
- 37:48The Motherless.com Revelation
Hosts uncover the nature of the adult content platform and its role in Sonia’s story.
- 46:12Debunking the Payment Mystery
The hosts dissect the suspicious payment attempts to Sonia Exelby’s card, questioning the legitimacy of the service and the true purpose behind the charges.
- 48:12Sponsor Break: Skims Basics
A brief commercial segment promoting Skims’ comfortable basics, interjected between investigative commentary.
- 51:40Tracing the Payment Trail
Law enforcement follows the chain of payment processing companies, uncovering a $1,200 transaction that defied earlier declines and raising red flags.
- 1:06:00Dwayne Hall’s Interrogation and Background
The hosts review Hall’s interview with law enforcement, his murky past, and the complexities of his relationship with Ginger Stein.
- 1:22:30Harold the Mysterious Client
Hall reveals a secret client named Harold, detailing the NDA, the high-paying job, and the unsettling disappearance of records and communications.
- 1:24:00Concluding Thoughts and Next Episode Teaser
The episode wraps up with reflections on the case’s complexities and a teaser for the next installment, promising deeper dives into the network of men.
- 1:27:42Digital Footprints and Vanishing Records
Hall discusses how his phone logs, texts, and emails mysteriously disappeared during the critical weekend, hinting at surveillance or tampering.
- 1:31:47Witnessing the U‑Turn and Back‑Road Wait
The narrator describes following a suspect, waiting on back roads, and the tension of the encounter.
- 1:32:35Digital Footprint Disappears and Pegasus Allegations
Discussion of missing digital evidence and alleged surveillance technology used to erase records.
- 1:33:14NDA, Surveillance, and Silvery Car Follow‑Up
Hosts explain the NDA, being followed, and details of the suspicious car involved.
- 1:34:33Interview Dynamics and Behavioral Shifts
Observations of the interviewee’s changing demeanor and description of the suspect.
- 1:36:05Dwayne Hall's Work Schedule and NDA Constraints
Explanation of Hall’s work location, phone restrictions, and tool usage during the investigation.
- 1:39:06The Mysterious Airport Pickup
Narrator recounts picking up a woman from Gainesville airport and the strange encounter.
Highlights
- 28:36
Uncovering Motherless.com and Online Networksinsight
The host and guest discuss motherless.com, a notorious user-generated pornography site that hosted dark sleep content and facilitated dangerous networks of men discussing the drugging and assault of women.
- 37:01
A Secret Flight to Floridadata
Sonia secretly obtained a new laptop, booked a flight to Gainesville, Florida, and turned off her phones, initiating an international missing persons investigation.
- 52:32
Walmart Receipts Connect Dwayne Hallstory
Investigators find receipts for paracord, rope, gun cleaner, and a shovel purchased by Dwayne Hall at Walmart just before Sonia's arrival in Florida.
- 1:13:46
Hall's Absurd Payment Refund Theoryinsight
During his police interview, Dwayne Hall offers an unconvincing theory that Sonia was using roadside assistance transactions to launder money through refunds.
- 1:42:28
Recognizing Sonia in the Photographstory
When shown a photograph of Sonia Exelby by investigators, Dwayne Hall immediately identifies her dress and admits she was in his vehicle.
- 2:07:17
Recovered Video Confirms the Horrordata
Police recover a deleted four-minute video from Dwayne Hall's phone showing a distressed, injured Sonia answering questions about her desire to die.
- 2:16:34
The Mysterious Client Named Haroldstory
Dwayne Hall spins an elaborate tale about a mysterious client named Harold who paid him under an NDA to fix cars for celebrities like John Travolta.
Quotes
“She could talk to strangers about the things she was afraid to tell the people who loved her.”
Stephanie Harlowe · 1:01 “She was going to forums where people also thinking about taking their own lives were existing.”
Stephanie Harlowe · 16:48 “Sonia's Tesco Bank card was successfully charged for $1,200”
Stephanie Harlowe · 51:09 “They also found long brunette hair in the trash”
Stephanie Harlowe · 52:08 “A black Jeep owned by Dwayne Hall”
Stephanie Harlowe · 53:25 “She was diagnosed with this around 2014”
Stephanie Harlowe · 56:56 “I came back, I U-turned and come back because it's like, there's no way.”
Unnamed speaker · 1:31:47 “I was working in Gainesville, shift ended at 6. He called me up and he said, "Hey, I need you to go pick somebody up from Gainesville Airport."”
Unnamed speaker · 1:39:27 “I think it's very clear, this man's been arrested. He goes to trial in November.”
Stephanie Harlowe · 2:15:59 “And I also want to be very clear, even if Sonia willingly and voluntarily went there, what he did is still murder.”
Stephanie Harlowe · 2:19:04
Sponsored segments
- Quince 23:06–28:17
- Skims 48:12–49:53
- IQ Bar 1:22:30–1:25:11
- Wild Grain 1:48:55–1:51:55
About this episode
Consider supporting and donating to The Kaylee Goncalves Foundation/Murder Has a Name here: https://www.murderhasaname.com/ There are some people who disappear all at once - One day, they're there, and the next day, they're gone. But sometimes, a person disappears slowly. So slowly that the people who love them don't realize what's happening until they look back and understand that they had been losing them for years. 32-year-old Sonia Exelby was the youngest of six children, and for much of Sonia's life, there were people who loved her very much. But somewhere along the way, Sonia began slipping away from them. At first, it looked like depression. Then isolation. She stopped going out, stopped answering invitations. Stopped letting people in. Until eventually, much of Sonia's world existed through a screen. Online, she could be whoever she wanted to be. She could talk to strangers about the things she was afraid to tell the people who loved her - but listening and helping are not always the same thing...
Transcript
28,150 words · 8 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
Topics
- Florida
- United States
- Airbnb
- Gainesville
- Reddick
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- Ohio
- Walmart
- Ocala
- Solver Wolf
Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated