Blake William Linkous Ohio teen, strangles to death ex girlfriend, Natalie Martin during recent high school graduation trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
An Ohio teen has been accused of strangling his ex-girlfriend after her lifeless body was found in a Myrtle Beach hotel room last week.
Blake William Linkous, 18, was booked on murder charges after Natalie Martin, also 18, was found dead in her hotel room on Maison Drive in Myrtle Beach on June 7, WMBF reported.
Martin, of Roseville, was in the coastal beach town celebrating her high school graduation from Philo H.S last month, the victim’s friend Brooklyn Ferrell told The Sun News.
Recent break up
An arrested warrant obtained by WMBF stated investigators collecting evidence at the scene along with witness statements leading to the arrest of Linkous. Police said the suspect is from Blue Rock, Ohio.
Linkous is accused of manually strangling Martin on Tuesday before abandoning her body.
Linkous was arrested by the Horry County Police Department on Thursday and charged with murder. A bond was not issued.
Martin and Likous were classmates at Philo High and dated for a few years before recently breaking up according to Ferrell.
No known motive
Photos from both teens’ Facebook profiles show selfies and other seemingly happy photos of them together through the years.
In May 2022, Linkous posted a portrait of the pair heading to prom.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Linkous remains in custody without bail.
No murder motive was immediately known.
Martin will be remembered at a vigil on the Phil High School soccer field on June 15, according to social media posts.
At the time of her death, Martin worked as a childcare provider at Sundale Kids, her obituary read.
‘Natalie lived her life to the fullest with joy, laughter, and love,’ the obit stated.
‘She brought true happiness to all that knew her. She had a free, pure and wild spirit with a contagious laugh, a personality out of this world that could bring anyone out of their darkest of days. Her glowing blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes represented that she was truly an angel here on Earth.’
A GoFundMe for the teen’s family at the time of publishing had raised over $32,000.
