An Ohio teenager allegedly strangled his ex-girlfriend while they were in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on a senior graduation trip.
The accused, 18-year-old Blake Linkous, allegedly took the life of Natalie Martin on June 6 in a vacation rental where the two, along with several friends, were commemorating their high school graduation. The scene was discovered when Linkous came out from a locked room with a self-inflicted wound on his chest, sparking panic among the others.
Disturbed by Martin’s unexplained absence, two friends entered the locked room to find her lifeless. Despite desperate attempts at CPR, Martin was already deceased. Martin’s best friend, Brooklyn Ferrell, has been chatting with the victim’s mother and those present during the unfortunate incident.
The incident followed a disagreement between Martin and Linkous over a text message she had sent to another male friend. Despite seemingly settling the dispute, the atmosphere remained tense. Feeling sick, Martin had left a club earlier than others, accompanied by Linkous.
Linkous has since been arrested and is being held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center without bail. According to Martin’s friend Brooklyn Ferrell, Linkous had a bad temper and in February Martin had broken up with Linkous after he threw her across a room.
In a show of community solidarity, a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $32,000 to aid Martin’s family during this distressing time.
