Case of Ohio teen strangled to death in a Myrtle Beach area hotel gets national attention

The alleged killer of an Ohio teen who was found strangled to death in a hotel room earlier this month was in court on Thursday.

Natalie Jane Martin, 18, of Roseville, was found dead by Horry County police officers on June 6. Tributes to the 18-year-old and news coverage of her death have flooded social media.

National outlets such as People magazine, Fox News, Daily Mail, Oxygen True Crime and NY Post have all written about the alleged killer — Blake William Linkous, 18, of Blue Rock, Ohio. He was arrested on June 8 by officers and is facing one murder charge.

An Horry County judge granted Linkous a $150,000 surety bond with the condition that he signs a waiver of extradition, remain with his parents on house arrest and have no contact with the victim’s family according to Horry County Solicitor’s Office.

Linkous also will have to undergo a mental evaluation before being released on bond.

They were a couple for years

Martin graduated from Philo High School in May. She and Linkous had been a couple for several years until recently, according to a friend.

She was strangled to death at her hotel room on Maison Drive during a senior trip with Linkous.

Jesse Martin and Megan Dingy are listed as Martin’s parents on an online obituary. Efforts to contact them were unsuccessful.

“Natalie lived her life to the fullest with joy, laughter, and love,” her obituary says. “She brought true happiness to all that knew her.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2023 at 1:40 PM.