Sonia Exelby, 32, was reported missing from her property in Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire, on 12 October last year and initial police inquiries established she had already left the country.
Her body was discovered by police in Marion County, Florida, on 17 October.
Dwain Hall, 53, of Ocala, was subsequently arrested on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
He had already been detained on charges of fraudulently using Ms Exelby's credit cards. His trial is expected in November.
A document about the case from the Marion County Sheriff's Office, seen by Sky News, noted that Ms Exelby had long struggled with her mental health.
It went on to say she had previously "planned to travel to the United States with the intention of meeting with online individuals who would be willing to kill her violently".
Paying tribute, Sonia's family said she was "a truly beautiful person, inside and out".
They continued: "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."
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The youngest of six children, the family said she was "deeply loved by all her siblings".
The family added: "She shared an especially close and special bond with her sister Sara, a connection that will never be broken.
"She was softly spoken and always gave the best most intense hugs. She was the baby out of us that kept us bound together.
"We know that life wasn't always easy for you, but your life was so much more than the struggles you faced. This is so important to us that the life you lived is what you are remembered for.
"You were deeply loved, and you will always be deeply loved. We miss you more than words can ever say. We love you so much, always, and forever."
Hampshire Constabulary said it was continuing to support the FDLE investigation, while specially-trained officers were assisting Ms Exelby's family in the UK.
The 83-year-old You're So Vain singer said in a statement that her most recent absence from the spotlight has been due to her ongoing health issues.
Ms Simon said: "So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I've been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease.
"It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly."
She added: "Parkinson's is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I'm so tired I can't get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself."
Ms Simon, who lives on a 25-acre Martha's Vineyard estate in Massachusetts, said her health problems started with arthritis in both knees and one hip.
She said she eventually had all three joints replaced with "delicate bouquets of metal and plastic".
The Grammy-award-winning musician said after three replacement surgeries, she assumed her struggle walking was "simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process".
She said, however, that her mobility continued to worsen.
Ms Simon said: "I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm. Overstuffed furniture became my enemy. Once seated, I could feel as though I had been swallowed by the chair and might remain there permanently, like a guest who had badly overstayed her welcome.
"Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help. My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's."
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition that causes parts of the brain to become progressively damaged over the years.
In the UK, the number of people diagnosed with the disease is around 166,000, according to the Parkinson's UK charity.
The figure is expected to reach 173,000 by 2030, as the population grows and ages.
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The star said she started treatment, including taking medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms.
Describing how it affects her day-to-day life, Ms Simons said that the "apathy is particularly strange".
She said: "You can find yourself lying there like a starfish drying in the sun, arms pointing in all directions, while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all."
Ms Simon has two children, Sally and Ben Taylor, aged 52 and 49, from her relationship with her first husband, fellow singer-songwriter James Taylor, whom she was married to from 1972 until divorcing in 1983.
The artist said she had also received treatment for basal cell carcinoma, a common type of cancer that starts in the top layer of skin, on her face.
She said it was removed but the surgery affected her appearance and made her more self-conscious about being seen in public.
She said: "I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written You're So Vain), and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material."
Ms Simon, who is also a children's author, said that "between my mobility issues, the Parkinson's diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction".
Despite health issues relating to the condition, she said she has not stopped working and began recording a new album, Comes in Waves, in the middle of it all.
She continued: "I do not consider Parkinson's a gift or a blessing. It is neither. It is difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening. I am still learning how to live with it and how to accept it without feeling that I have surrendered something essential.
"I am still writing, singing, imagining, laughing, worrying, remembering, and occasionally getting trapped in an overstuffed chair.
"I am deeply grateful to my children, my family, my friends, my caregivers, and the medical professionals who have helped me through this. Their love and patience have carried me through days when my own reserves were not enough."
Ms Simon rose to fame in the 1960s and achieved international stardom in the 1970s with hit singles including Anticipation and Nobody Does It Better, the theme song to the 1977 film, The Spy Who Loved Me.
Her third album, No Secrets, contained the hit song You're So Vain, a song about a self-absorbed lover, prompting speculation over who she was singing about. Ms Simon once disclosed the song was about three different men, one of whom she named as Hollywood star Warren Beatty.
Comes In Waves, Ms Simon's first album in almost 15 years, is set to be released on 14 August.
Sussex Police said uniformed police, officers in plain clothing and "specialist teams" including armed police would be patrolling the Brighton & Hove Pride event, amid heightened concerns about safety.
The van and stabbing attack in the German capital on Saturday night left one person dead and at least 29 injured.
The suspect - named as Abdul Ballout and said to have links to the so-called Islamic State group - was shot dead by police on Sunday after being on the run for nearly 24 hours.
He is suspected of slamming a van into a crowd gathered for the festival, killing one person, before stabbing others with a machete.
The attack came a week before the UK's biggest Pride festival is due to take place in Brighton and Hove - which attracts an estimated 500,000 people to the city on England's south coast.
A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: "As we look ahead to Brighton and Hove Pride, I want to reassure those attending, as well as residents, businesses and visitors across the city, that their safety remains our top priority.
"We will be working tirelessly this week and throughout the weekend, building on the extensive planning that has taken place over many months with event organisers, Brighton and Hove City Council and other partners, to keep everyone safe and ensure an effective policing operation is in place.
"Uniformed policing, plain-clothed officers and specialist teams including armed officers will be deployed across the city, which all form part of our comprehensive plans for policing this event."
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The leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, Bella Sankey, said in a post on the council's Facebook page: "We are deeply saddened by the attacks at Berlin Pride and our thoughts with all those affected.
"We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community and, as we look forward to Brighton & Hove Pride this weekend, we want to reassure all those attending that we are working closely with Brighton & Hove Pride, Sussex Police and our other partners to keep everyone safe.
"We look forward to Pride being a celebration of the diversity, joy and, above all, the unity of our community."
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting condemned the attack as "absolutely horrific" and added that the Berlin incident showed why Pride events were still necessary.
He added that such events in the UK are "always well policed" and struck the right balance between public safety and allowing people to celebrate.
Daniel Day, 30, was handed a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, by Southwark Crown Court on Monday.
He was accused of causing "serious disruption" by scaling the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster on 8 March last year.
His actions triggered a major response from emergency services and caused road closures around Westminster.
Day cost the taxpayer at least £92,000 as he refused to come down and livestreamed his protest on Instagram while chanting "Free Palestine", the court heard.
He was found guilty in June of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance. He also admitted trespassing on a protected site.
Day shared videos on Instagram during his 16-and-a-half-hour sit-in on the tower's ledge, suggesting in one clip that he planned to stay there for three-and-a-half days.
Judge Tony Baumgartner said: "This was well-planned offending and you knew precisely what you were doing.
"Foolishly you climbed a far way up the tower, far enough to cause very serious harm to you and possibly others if you fell."
The judge told Day he had "little insight into your offending or any real remorse", but noted that he had not offended since the Big Ben incident and had strong personal mitigation, including failing eyesight.
Day must attend up to 20 rehabilitation days and will be electronically monitored for four months as part of the suspended sentence.
"It's good to see people having strong principles, but it doesn't give a licence to break the law," the judge said.
The court heard Day, who is unemployed, climbed over railings and began his ascent of the tower at 7.20am, having carried out prior research on restoration of the building.
He wore thermals for the climb and brought a camera for livestreaming.
Prosecutor Jack Guise said Day unfurled a Palestinian flag after he reached a ledge midway up the tower and stayed there until about midnight.
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During the climb, the protester took his shoes off and his feet started to bleed on to the stonework.
Metropolitan Police officers had no option but to wait for him to agree to come down.
As news of the demonstration spread, pro-Palestine supporters started to gather in Parliament Square.
Mr Guise said police assessed that Day was "being encouraged by having a gallery to play to".
In footage played during the trial, Day said: "We're being violently attacked by police for peaceful protest.
"That's why I'm taking action at the so-called hub of democracy today."
He also shouted: "Listen, no police are to come anywhere near me. If you come too close, I'm going higher.
"I'm here peacefully, I'm here to harm nobody."
As part of the safety measures - and to take away Day's audience - officers shut Bridge Street and Westminster Bridge, cut off pedestrian access to Parliament Square, and set out cordons on Whitehall and Victoria Embankment.
Mattresses had to be placed at the base of the tower as a precaution, the court heard.
Transport for London (TfL) lost an estimated £25,000 in bus fares as diversions were put in place and Mr Guise said dozens of officers from across London had to be redeployed to the incident.
The cancellation of more than 2,500 tours of Parliament cost another £67,000.
Day of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, received a conditional discharge in June 2024 for failing to remove a facial disguise, and was ordered to pay £200 in fines in November 2024 for blocking a road during a protest.
He hugged supporters in the well of the court after being released from the dock with a suspended prison sentence.
The swimmer came third in the men's 50m breaststroke final on Monday, representing England.
He also picked up a bronze medal in Saturday's Commonwealth Games 100m final - a finish which left him in tears and made him pledge to make a comeback in today's contest.
But the 31-year-old made a poor start and failed to make up enough ground in the last half of the contest, finishing in a time of 26.94 seconds.
He was beaten once again by Australia's Sam Williamson, with South Africa's Michael Houlie taking silver.
Ramsay-Peaty is one of the UK's most decorated swimmers, being the world record holder at 50m and 100m and having previously won three Olympic golds, eight World Championship golds, 17 European Championship golds and four Commonwealth Games golds, as well as 18 other medals at top international competitions.
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But he told TNT Sports: "Sometimes in that event, the harder you try, the slower you go. It's got to be in perspective, right? The last two years have been pretty tough, but I think I will learn a lot from this experience as a whole.
"I'm not too fussed about the medals."
In a statement on Instagram earlier on Monday, the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion described his 100m bronze medal at the weekend as a "bittersweet moment".
But he added that he needed to "put it into the perspective that it's my first championship since [the] Paris [Olympics in 2024]".
He added: "But with that, I know in my soul that I am capable of much more, as all athletes, I push myself to the extremity in training for better results.
"The race just didn't come together unfortunately and I am building my race skills back together.... However I'll keep fighting, learning, adapting and striving for excellence until I can no longer give anymore."
Ramsay-Peaty married Holly Ramsay, the daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, in December. In June, the pair announced they were expecting their first child together, his second.
He has also talked about his struggles with mental health issues and, with Holly's sister Tilly, took part in the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.