MYRTLE BEACH, SC – A young man from Ohio has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of his former girlfriend during a senior trip not formally sanctioned by their school to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Blake William Linkous, now 19, admitted to strangling 18-year-old Natalie Jane Martin in June 2023. His guilty plea to a murder charge was part of an agreement with Horry County prosecutors.
The tragic end to Martin’s life, and effectively Linkous’s, left families and community members grappling with the unthinkable. During sentencing, Judge Deadra L. Jefferson emphasized the deliberate effort required for such an act. “Manual strangulation takes an inordinate amount of force,” she stated, highlighting the brutality inherent in the act.
Jesse Martin, the father of the victim, addressed the court with palpable grief and anger, recounting the callous nature of the crime. He condemned Linkous’s actions, which left an indelible mark on their family.
Despite the severity of the crime, factors such as Linkous being on the autism spectrum were considered during sentencing. These factors, combined with his young age and the influence of alcohol, were noted but did not mitigate the severity of the sentence. Judge Jefferson suggested that a lesser sentence of 30 years was not appropriate for the gravity of the crime.
The Myrtle Beach Police Department responded to the incident on June 7, 2023, after discovering the crime had taken place the previous day. As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that Martin and Linkous had maintained a complex relationship.
According to Brooklyn Ferrell, a friend of Martin’s, the couple had dated for several years but broke up at the beginning of the year. Despite this, they chose to remain friends. Both were recent graduates of Philo High School in Duncan Falls, Ohio and had traveled together on a graduation trip to Myrtle Beach. Ferrell, who attended another senior trip to Florida, described the lingering heartache the event caused within their community.
Educators from the Franklin Local School District expressed their condolences and clarified the trip was not school-sanctioned. Principal Troy Dawson noted that it is common for groups of seniors to visit Myrtle Beach.
The case has drawn attention to the dynamics of youthful relationships and the potential for violence, underscoring the devastating consequences when conflicts escalate without intervention.