Blake Linkous Video

0:00Uh Blake, you’re being charged with murder, man. You killed somebody. What do you think about me?

0:07

7 secondsYeah, your life’s fixing to be a show for a long while.

0:11

11 secondsMeet 18-year-old Blake Linkis. Right now, Blake has just realized that he is going to prison for the murder of his girlfriend, a crime that he tried to erase along with himself.

0:22

22 secondsI didn’t try to kill her. It was just mad because I kind of just wanted to die with her. But with that plan failing catastrophically, detectives are about

0:31

31 secondsto discover that behind Natalie’s death is a three-yearong devastating story.

0:35

35 secondsOne filled with lies, jealousy, and violence. All at the whims of one teenage monster.

0:44

44 secondsYeah, it’s definitely going to be a real big bump in the road for you. My girl, how was this?

0:54

54 secondsOn June 7th, 2023, police in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, received a 911 call that sent them rushing into action.

1:02

1 minute, 2 secondsAnd I’m out in Myrtle Beach right now for our senior trip. And our friend is passed out on the floor right now. And she’s ice cold and she’s very blue. Her

1:11

1 minute, 11 secondslips are blue. And she’s Okay. What’s the address? Where are you at? Where you at?

1:15

1 minute, 15 secondsWhere we at? Mason Drive. That friend who was on the floor not breathing was 18-year-old Natalie Jane Martin, a

1:22

1 minute, 22 secondsrecent high school graduate from Roseville, Ohio, who traveled to the beach to celebrate the milestone with a big group of her lifelong friends.

1:31

1 minute, 31 secondsNatalie worked at a daycare center, loved hunting, gardening, and fishing, and had a beautiful life ahead of her.

1:38

1 minute, 38 secondsBut in the blink of an eye, her bright light was snuffed out and her friends were left to try and save her life,

1:44

1 minute, 44 secondsknowing full well that her killer was among them. You need to do chest compressions. Okay. Okay.

1:52

1 minute, 52 secondsYou’re going to pump the chest hard and fast at least twice per second and 2 in deep.

1:58

1 minute, 58 secondsLet the chest come all the way up between pumps. We’re going to do this 600 times or till help can take over. As paramedics raced to give Natalie CPR,

2:06

2 minutes, 6 secondsher ex-boyfriend, 18-year-old Blake Linkis, was also in need of assistance.

2:12

2 minutes, 12 secondsWhy? He had stabbed himself in the chest. After being taken to the hospital for monitoring and treatment, Blake told police that he had accidentally

2:20

2 minutes, 20 secondsstrangled Natalie the previous night. He was so distraught over her death that he believed there was only one way out, at

2:27

2 minutes, 27 secondsleast in his version of events. After he was deemed healthy enough to be taken into custody, police did so and brought

2:35

2 minutes, 35 secondshim in for questioning. The following footage was kindly provided to us by Ory County Police Department.

2:48

2 minutes, 48 secondsRemember me from yesterday?

2:51

2 minutes, 51 secondsUm going to go back over things from yesterday. We were at the hospital.

2:59

2 minutes, 59 secondsOkay. Anytime we talk to you, I’m going to do one of these things. Okay,

3:12

3 minutes, 12 secondsunderstand that.

3:14

3 minutes, 14 secondsDetectives read Blake, his Miranda writes, for the second time, though.

3:18

3 minutes, 18 secondsIt’s very much like reading them to a blank wall. Talk about a Gen Z stare. Tuesday night.

3:27

3 minutes, 27 secondsAll you guys were planning on going to the House of Blues, right?

3:31

3 minutes, 31 secondsOkay. Just start start from there and walk me back through everything again.

3:38

3 minutes, 38 secondsWe all got Ubers to go there and then I was talking to other friends I knew there and everyone else was in the back

3:46

3 minutes, 46 secondstowards the back of the line and they were saying Dakota was getting kicked out. So I walked over there and wondering what was going on.

3:55

3 minutes, 55 secondsThen you know he was going to get an Uber back and now we didn’t pub she’s going to go back

4:02

4 minutes, 2 secondsto get to come back and that so went with him and then

4:10

4 minutes, 10 secondsgot backing more he and you know got himself together

4:19

4 minutes, 19 secondstook a little bit of a nap just kept hanging out with him then later Um, the whole situation happened,

4:27

4 minutes, 27 secondswhich I didn’t mean to. It just happened. I would never anyway.

4:34

4 minutes, 34 secondsThat was a dream. I didn’t even know it was true. Okay.

4:40

4 minutes, 40 secondsSo, you, Dakota, and Natalie are the ones that went back to the rental unit at

4:48

4 minutes, 48 secondsAll right. Um, do you remember about what time that was? I have an idea.

4:53

4 minutes, 53 secondsMaybe one thing I never like. Was it dark?

5:01

5 minutes, 1 secondAll right. Um, you said the whole thing happened.

5:06

5 minutes, 6 secondsAll right. Tell me what that whole thing was. I mean, let me go back through it.

5:16

5 minutes, 16 secondsAnd you talk very softly, so I’m struggling to hear you. Sorry. Um,

5:23

5 minutes, 23 secondsI’m pretty sure we watched a Tik Tok or something and I got mad over something on her phone.

5:32

5 minutes, 32 secondsIt’s hard for me to exactly remember what it was and I thought I’d choked her for a little

5:40

5 minutes, 40 secondsbit and she fell off the bed and I thought she said something to me like I didn’t think she was just dead. I just

5:48

5 minutes, 48 secondssaw him go to bed. Dakota. It seemed like he didn’t want even go to the club. You know, I should have checked on her.

5:56

5 minutes, 56 secondsI’m going to back you up. You said [clears throat] you got an argument over something over the phone. The phone, what was that?

6:04

6 minutes, 4 secondsI’m sure it was like other dudes or something. I don’t know. Okay.

6:11

6 minutes, 11 secondsNow, what led up to choking? I mean,

6:14

6 minutes, 14 secondstell me an excruciating detail about that.

6:18

6 minutes, 18 secondsLike, we were beside each other and um how how were y’all on the bed? You said you were beside each other, so I’m guessing y’all were on the bed.

6:28

6 minutes, 28 secondsYeah. How were y’all on the bed?

6:30

6 minutes, 30 secondsJust like I mean, she was on her back and I was on my side like towards her.

6:36

6 minutes, 36 secondsAnd I mean, I’m pretty sure like I was just like saying stuff to her and I just

6:43

6 minutes, 43 secondsreached she was saying stuff back and she I just reached over and she was at the edge of the bed. So I

6:52

6 minutes, 52 secondsjust choked her for a little bit not meaning to just try to kill her whatsoever.

6:57

6 minutes, 57 secondsYeah. How were y’all on the bed? Were yall would like your like say this is the bed just up against the wall here.

7:02

7 minutes, 2 secondsWere y’all face Were y’all like feet this way or feet this way or feet towards the end of the bed?

7:08

7 minutes, 8 secondsFeet towards the end of the bed. Okay.

7:15

7 minutes, 15 secondsAll right. Which side of the bed was she on? Was she on like this side or that side?

7:22

7 minutes, 22 secondsThe side that she was on the whole time. Okay. Like right there.

7:30

7 minutes, 30 secondsOkay. You said you reached over and like choked her. How How did you do that?

7:38

7 minutes, 38 secondsJust I just put my hands around her toe and how just one and then two and she like went sideways and fell over.

7:51

7 minutes, 51 secondsAnd I just said, “All right, I’m just going to go to bed. Like I’m not dealing with this right now.” So, I rolled over

7:59

7 minutes, 59 secondstowards the middle of the bed and I thought she just wanted to stay down there. I thought she was going to leave the room or something.

8:06

8 minutes, 6 secondsFor the entirety of Blake’s time in the spotlight surrounding this case, this is the tone and expression he’s carried,

8:12

8 minutes, 12 secondsannoyed, uninterested, and unashamed.

8:16

8 minutes, 16 secondsRepeatedly, you’ll hear him claim that he barely choked her and that he didn’t realize she was dead. In reality,

8:22

8 minutes, 22 secondsexperts believe that she was choked for nearly 4 minutes until she died. Blake had four minutes to change his mind.

8:29

8 minutes, 29 secondsFour minutes where he could have made the decision to spare her life. Instead,

8:34

8 minutes, 34 secondshe continued to harm her as she begged and fought for her life.

8:38

8 minutes, 38 secondsI mean, did she like try to push you off of her, grab your hands, or try to say anything? I mean, what was what was the content there?

8:48

8 minutes, 48 secondsShe got up like that. I guess she was pushing a little bit, but I mean, that was really it. Well, what was your body

8:56

8 minutes, 56 secondsposition? I mean, how how where were you at?

9:00

9 minutesI mean, first I was laying on the bed and then I when she got up, I got up a little bit. Maybe we were just on our

9:06

9 minutes, 6 secondsknees. I don’t know. Never on our feet at all.

9:13

9 minutes, 13 secondsYou You said she was on her back and you were kind of laying on your side. I’m assuming you were kind of laying like,

9:18

9 minutes, 18 secondsyou know, handed propped up on your head and whatnot. Was it one hand over at first?

9:25

9 minutes, 25 secondsI mean, she maybe pushed a little bit. I don’t know. It just didn’t feel long at all. Like, honestly,

9:33

9 minutes, 33 secondsand she fell back. I didn’t think anything of it. And when she kind of fell back, I mean, you

9:40

9 minutes, 40 secondssaid she kind of fell off the bed a little bit. Yeah. She just went straight back. Okay.

9:44

9 minutes, 44 secondsWas were you still holding on to her when she was off? Was kind of like going around. Okay.

9:52

9 minutes, 52 secondsWhen she fell off the bed, how did she fall? She fall like sideways or backwards or I’m pretty sure it was backwards and like she rolled over. I don’t know.

10:03

10 minutes, 3 secondsI better check up on her. Not really sure.

10:06

10 minutes, 6 secondsWas there Did you hear anything? Any noises or I thought she was saying something. I thought like I heard I don’t know. I

10:14

10 minutes, 14 secondsjust after that I just didn’t want to talk. I should have just left the room or checked on her and called 911.

10:24

10 minutes, 24 secondsI wasn’t in my right mind.

10:29

10 minutes, 29 secondsYou You said you guys were arguing after whatever you found on the phone and she you said you said something or she said something. Do you know what she said to you?

10:37

10 minutes, 37 secondsI don’t remember what we both talked about at all. I just know I said something which I never get mad mad over

10:46

10 minutes, 46 secondsstuff. It’s just she’d get mad and it just I don’t know the alcohol it just escalates. I don’t know

10:54

10 minutes, 54 secondsworse than I would ever be if I was sober. If I was sober I just storm off or something cuz we’ve just never had anything like that happen to us before.

11:08

11 minutes, 8 secondsYou said something that like that never happened to us before. So what happened?

11:14

11 minutes, 14 secondsLike what you are you talking about what happened after the fact or you talking about what happened that night that led up to that?

11:20

11 minutes, 20 secondsLike we’ve never we’ve always just been a good couple. We’ve never done anything like that towards each other.

11:26

11 minutes, 26 secondsNothing ever physical before to each other. And people prove that.

11:31

11 minutes, 31 secondsBut this isn’t true. Natalie and Blake had been dating for around 3 years. And in those 3 years, Blake was possessive,

11:38

11 minutes, 38 secondsjealous, and quick to anger. In one instance, Blake shoved Natalie onto the ground in front of a group of people while they were having an argument. Even

11:47

11 minutes, 47 secondsas people yelled at him, he continued to push her. And if he was doing that in public, what was he doing behind closed doors?

11:56

11 minutes, 56 secondsAll right. So, after Natalie falls off the bed,

12:03

12 minutes, 3 secondsum, you said you maybe you said you thought she said something or something of that nature. What? What was that? I

12:11

12 minutes, 11 secondsmean, what what what did you hear? I guess is what I’m trying to get at. Seemed like just [clears throat]

12:17

12 minutes, 17 secondsbreathing in a word, like a word come out. I don’t know. It seemed like she was like dying. I’ve never heard anyone die. So,

12:29

12 minutes, 29 secondsall right. So,

12:33

12 minutes, 33 secondsI guess at that point, you went to sleep. Is that what you said? Exactly what I did. Huh? That’s exactly what I did.

12:41

12 minutes, 41 secondsI thought she was going to sleep there or go out of the room. I don’t know.

12:46

12 minutes, 46 secondsDid you text anybody or anything at that point? Texting my parents like I messed up.

12:55

12 minutes, 55 secondsThat was really it and stuff. What was that about?

12:59

12 minutes, 59 secondsJust cuz I mean I’ve never done that to a woman before in my life.

13:07

13 minutes, 7 secondsI even checked to see if she was on the ground still or she had like it was just during that point I put

13:15

13 minutes, 15 secondsmy phone down and I just died and I just I was really tired anyway so I just went

13:21

13 minutes, 21 secondsto bed and I woke up that happened

13:33

13 minutes, 33 secondswhen you woke up when you woke up tell me what happened Yeah,

13:38

13 minutes, 38 secondsI woke up. I first seen her there. I thought she was sleeping. I noticed something was off. She looked and then I

13:48

13 minutes, 48 secondswent to the shower and I got naive and stuff. I thought like that she actually was dead or something cuz she was still

13:56

13 minutes, 56 secondsin the same position and she All right, I’m going back up a little bit cuz you lost me.

14:03

14 minutes, 3 secondsYou got [clears throat] Excuse me. You got up. You saw Natalie still on the floor. Where was Where was she at?

14:10

14 minutes, 10 secondsSame like just on the side of the floor.

14:13

14 minutes, 13 secondsShe didn’t move anywhere else. She didn’t the bed. Like she was just Was she like right beside the bed or kind of under the bed or besided a little bit? I don’t know. I don’t know.

14:24

14 minutes, 24 secondsOkay.

14:27

14 minutes, 27 secondsAll right. So, you got up, you see Natalie. What’s the first thing you think, see, do at that moment? Like I kind of checked on her a little bit.

14:36

14 minutes, 36 secondsLike I just like moved her arm a little bit and she was like cold and blue and I’m just like this is really happening.

14:43

14 minutes, 43 secondsLike this is really happening. And like I walked outside, people were sleeping and I just I wanted cuz I didn’t want to live without her and I just did that.

14:58

14 minutes, 58 secondsI just in the shower for a minute and I just I couldn’t do it to myself, so I just went out. I like we need to get her help now.

15:08

15 minutes, 8 secondsBut again, this isn’t true. Blake didn’t call 911 for Natalie. Instead, after killing her, he remained locked in the

15:15

15 minutes, 15 secondscondo with her for several hours, well into the following morning. When he was discovered by their friends who were also staying at the condo, he didn’t mention Natalie or ask for help.

15:26

15 minutes, 26 secondsInstead, he pointed to his own wounds.

15:29

15 minutes, 29 secondsIn other words, he never had any intention of saving Natalie, just himself.

15:35

15 minutes, 35 secondsI didn’t want to live without her. I didn’t want to know that she was dead.

15:40

15 minutes, 40 secondsAgain, let me rephrase that cuz I’m probably not coming across the right way.

15:46

15 minutes, 46 secondsYou said you just did that. What did you just do?

15:51

15 minutes, 51 secondsGrab the knife. No, you seen Natalie and you said you had the realization I just did that. What was that realization?

15:58

15 minutes, 58 secondsWhat did you do?

15:59

15 minutes, 59 secondsThat whatever I did last night ended up killing her.

16:07

16 minutes, 7 secondsAnd then I’m guessing you assume that was what what exactly did you do that night

16:13

16 minutes, 13 secondsbefore the bed? Okay.

16:29

16 minutes, 29 secondsSo,

16:33

16 minutes, 33 secondsI I guess here’s where I’m having a little bit of a block, I guess, on it.

16:40

16 minutes, 40 secondsI guess the next morning is a stark realization that this is really bad. Um,

16:49

16 minutes, 49 secondsbut that makes me think there there was some thought process the night before.

16:55

16 minutes, 55 secondsYou know what I mean? Like, okay, you get up next morning and here she is that, you know, she’s dead

17:02

17 minutes, 2 secondsand you think I just did that choking her. So, was there some thought process the night before of I have harmed her?

17:14

17 minutes, 14 secondsI mean, not the night before. I just I just done that out of like anger and I didn’t obviously, like I said before,

17:22

17 minutes, 22 secondstry to kill her at all. So, I she hit the ground and I just thought that was it. Neither of the room. I literally

17:31

17 minutes, 31 secondsmy phone was already across the bed, so I just got on the bed, rolled over,

17:36

17 minutes, 36 secondsgrabbed my phone, texted that. So, I knew like she would have complained about it to her friends or leave the

17:42

17 minutes, 42 secondsnext day. I guess the next morning you kind of had this oh crap moment is that when you realize that

17:52

17 minutes, 52 secondsyou know Natalie’s dead and I choked her last night and that’s what caused this or was there some thought

18:01

18 minutes, 1 secondfrom last night to maybe she’s not okay but I don’t care cuz I’m mad at her.

18:08

18 minutes, 8 secondsIt’s the first thing you said cuz like I really nothing really didn’t mind like that at all. I just I didn’t think that she was like hurt that bad at all.

18:22

18 minutes, 22 secondsSo in the morning that’s when I was surprised. That’s why I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to do.

18:30

18 minutes, 30 secondsI wanted I should have just went to them, got 911, called just a little bit earlier.

18:37

18 minutes, 37 secondsI should have just checked on her when she did hit the ground.

18:41

18 minutes, 41 secondsOkay, so I guess here’s another thing I’m getting at.

18:46

18 minutes, 46 secondsSo, you get up, you check on Nadley, you realize that she’s she’s deceased.

18:52

18 minutes, 52 secondsUm, at that point, what you’re telling me is you went into the kitchen area,

18:58

18 minutes, 58 secondsgot the knife, and came back into the bedroom, and then went into the shower that’s in your was in your Natalie’s

19:05

19 minutes, 5 secondsbedroom, right? Is that it? Is that correct? All right. Um,

19:13

19 minutes, 13 secondsmy question is is literally this. Why that? Why did you do that at that point versus go ahead and saying, “Hey,

19:22

19 minutes, 22 secondsNatalie’s in bad shape. We need to get some help.”

19:27

19 minutes, 27 secondsBecause I I kind of just wanted Well, is it just stupid, but

19:36

19 minutes, 36 seconds[clears throat]

19:37

19 minutes, 37 secondswas it maybe some stark realization of what had happened and what you had done at that point? I mean,

19:45

19 minutes, 45 secondsa little bit. Yeah. That’s why I just thought that like I knew I did that. I didn’t think it was a dream or anything,

19:51

19 minutes, 51 secondsbut I just didn’t think I would kill her. I didn’t try to kill her. I was just mad.

19:59

19 minutes, 59 secondsWe’ve been together for almost three years and there’s never been anything even the whole trip.

20:06

20 minutes, 6 secondsI didn’t know. I’ve never been in this position before. Never been in trouble.

20:13

20 minutes, 13 secondsI’ve seen her on the ground. I just wanted I didn’t see the way if I try to get help I would have had to live through it.

20:21

20 minutes, 21 secondsSee you guys together for three years.

20:26

20 minutes, 26 secondsSo you guys met when you were both 15 or she is she a year younger or same age? Same age. Same age.

20:33

20 minutes, 33 secondsDid you guys go to the same high school? Is she the only girl you’ve been with?

20:38

20 minutes, 38 secondsAre you the only guy that she she’s been with? Yeah. She’s a boyfriend.

20:49

20 minutes, 49 secondsAnd And you guys been together for 3 years, you said.

20:53

20 minutes, 53 secondsYeah. I mean, you’ve had you’ve been with other people. Have you have did you cheat on her before or was this before you guys even started dating? It was before.

21:01

21 minutes, 1 secondOkay.

21:01

21 minutes, 1 secondTheir three-year relationship was filled with turmoil. The two had broken up a few weeks before Natalie was killed after an incident where he shoved her in

21:09

21 minutes, 9 secondsfront of others. However, the tickets for their trip were already booked and after a long relationship of ups and downs, they decided to push through the vacation and see what happens.

21:19

21 minutes, 19 secondsUnfortunately, the unthinkable did.

21:22

21 minutes, 22 secondsDo you have any doubt what you did caused her death?

21:27

21 minutes, 27 secondsI mean, do you doubt what you did caused her death? Is there any doubt in your mind what you done caused her death? Cause her to die?

21:35

21 minutes, 35 secondsWell, at the time when it first I didn’t know, but now I do know

21:43

21 minutes, 43 secondsand there’s no other way. I mean, it was me and I remembered that happening. I didn’t think it was

21:51

21 minutes, 51 secondsactually true. And when I was I seen that morning, I was just hyper. I didn’t know what to do. I wish I could explain,

21:59

21 minutes, 59 secondsbut I’ve never been in that position before.

22:02

22 minutes, 2 secondsAll right. So, and you you tell me right or wrong if I’m understanding this the way I put it.

22:10

22 minutes, 10 secondsI’m going kind of paraphrase it.

22:15

22 minutes, 15 secondsThe next morning, you kind of had that moment of, “Oh crap, I choked her last night and I’ve killed her.” Is that the thought process the next morning?

22:28

22 minutes, 28 secondsI’m sorry. Yeah.

22:37

22 minutes, 37 secondsYou guys ever had any bad arguments before? I mean, nothing that led to that now.

22:43

22 minutes, 43 secondsWell, obviously nothing like just me touching her.

22:49

22 minutes, 49 secondsI mean, you’ve obviously I mean, for the first two years, I mean, that’s why everyone thought the most of us, cuz people could barely go through much or

22:58

22 minutes, 58 secondsanything, and we just we were so perfect.

23:03

23 minutes, 3 secondsI mean, he loves me. No. Well, here’s another thing I’m going to ask you because I’m going to have to talk to him.

23:11

23 minutes, 11 secondsTalk to Natalie’s parents. I’m sure you’ve been You guys been dating for three years, right?

23:17

23 minutes, 17 secondsMhm. I’m sure you’ve been to their house.

23:21

23 minutes, 21 secondsI’m sure they’ve been quite hospitable to you. I’m sure you probably eaten dinner, lunch, and stuff at that house.

23:33

23 minutes, 33 secondsWhat do you want me to tell them? What would you tell them? I mean,

23:39

23 minutes, 39 secondsI’m pretty about it.

23:47

23 minutes, 47 secondsNo death obviously.

23:56

23 minutes, 56 secondsGreat person. Strong independent woman.

24:02

24 minutes, 2 secondsI mean we’ve done so many favors for each other. I’ve done families favors for their families and her. She’s done way more than not with ours. like me.

24:15

24 minutes, 15 secondsShe’s a great woman and I just I’ve always loved her and cared about her and they they loved me.

24:22

24 minutes, 22 secondsThey’ve always known that they’ve always known my protection I have for her and

24:29

24 minutes, 29 secondsI’ve I’ve fought over people for for good reasons and then this just happens and I didn’t

24:38

24 minutes, 38 secondsI didn’t know what to think because this is actually true. Okay.

24:46

24 minutes, 46 seconds[clears throat]

24:48

24 minutes, 48 secondsWhat do you mean you fought over people for a year ago?

24:54

24 minutes, 54 secondsSo this is when we both moved to Mid East. We went to Pho. She went to Pho

25:01

25 minutes, 1 secondsophomore year or high school. I went to Phoen and went to Mid East. It’s a trade school.

25:08

25 minutes, 8 secondsdone power line and stuff up there all the way until I graduated.

25:11

25 minutes, 11 secondsShe went there her junior year same with me obviously and which it wasn’t even true. There was

25:19

25 minutes, 19 secondsrumors going around saying that like I don’t know this dude was messing around with the stuff and she was denying it

25:26

25 minutes, 26 secondsand whole senior power line group. I was in junior power line talking crap. They wanted to meet up at this car wash and

25:34

25 minutes, 34 secondseveryone was saying this dude could beat me up and stuff and I you know I fought over her for her just over some rumors.

25:44

25 minutes, 44 secondsYeah. But there was a whole I mean a whole situation over group chat just texted me about it and other my power

25:52

25 minutes, 52 secondsline kids. They even like confronted us in power line when I was on this transition pole came down and no one else wanted.

26:05

26 minutes, 5 secondsHas that always been kind of a consonant with you guys? So, that situation getting brought back up or No, but trust issues.

26:14

26 minutes, 14 secondsI mean,

26:15

26 minutes, 15 secondsstuff like that stays in the back of your head, man. We’re We’re all guys, you know.

26:19

26 minutes, 19 secondsYeah. But she just saying like she she really hasn’t done anything. And it’s just like even that’s what I’m saying

26:27

26 minutes, 27 secondswhen I’m sober and I just hear about stuff or like see stuff. I just it is what it is. I’m not controlling. I’m not

26:34

26 minutes, 34 secondsinsecure. I just I’m like all right. I mean sucks. But I mean that’s why I kind of do my own thing too. But

26:42

26 minutes, 42 secondsbut he didn’t do his own thing and he never had. Throughout their relationship, he constantly accused Natalie of cheating and would even

26:49

26 minutes, 49 secondsfollow her to parties to make sure guys weren’t there. When they broke up, the two had agreed to see other people and remain friends in the weeks leading up

26:57

26 minutes, 57 secondsto the trip. Despite him agreeing that they weren’t exclusive or together, this behavior continued well into their trip

27:04

27 minutes, 4 secondsto Myrtle Beach. At one point, Natalie had to beg him through text messages to leave her alone. She explicitly and very

27:11

27 minutes, 11 secondsrespectfully told him that she didn’t want to speak with him and needed space.

27:15

27 minutes, 15 secondsShe asked him not to bombard her friend’s phones or call her mother like he was known to do and to just leave her be. But obviously if their relationship

27:24

27 minutes, 24 secondsand this event is any proof he was incapable of that he was obsessed and he felt ownership over Natalie despite what

27:33

27 minutes, 33 secondshe told her. think it was true that like a dream little nightmare and I wasn’t even I mean I was a little

27:42

27 minutes, 42 secondsbit mad obviously but I wasn’t trying to like completely harm her even though I mean that’s what I mean what what did you get mad about?

27:50

27 minutes, 50 secondsWhatever I seen on her phone it was just like what what did you see on the phone? You you you know what you saw?

27:56

27 minutes, 56 secondsIt wasn’t nothing like dude was like trying to meet up with her. that was there down at you know

28:04

28 minutes, 4 secondsMyrtle Beach and Corner Bay and stuff and she wasn’t even like Oh, she she gave out her number to some dude. No, this through Snapchat. Oh, good. Okay, I got it.

28:13

28 minutes, 13 secondsJust all the Snapchat. Gotcha.

28:16

28 minutes, 16 secondsI don’t know. I just just kind of got mad about it. She saying I don’t know stuff like I don’t know.

28:26

28 minutes, 26 secondsShow me her text and all right.

28:30

28 minutes, 30 secondsWhat happened to you? Why empty your hand right here? This? Yeah.

28:35

28 minutes, 35 secondsPunch table. This was a year and a half ago. Not a party. I mean,

28:41

28 minutes, 41 secondswhat were you drinking then?

28:45

28 minutes, 45 secondsThat’s why everything that I do when I drink, it just leads into something bad.

28:49

28 minutes, 49 secondsWhat I I I do want to know. I want to know what she did say to you, though,

28:54

28 minutes, 54 secondscuz it had like you said, you said you weren’t saying nothing. She was she was going off talking about I mean there there hadn’t been that spark of

29:02

29 minutes, 2 secondsI mean she got mad over what I like she gets mad over that and it’s just I I don’t I just take it so much differently

29:11

29 minutes, 11 secondswhen I’m drinking every time. It’s why I can’t be doing it anymore. My parents have been telling me like if you’re going to do it then enjoy it and we’ve

29:20

29 minutes, 20 secondsbeen having such a good vacation and we’ve been good together.

29:24

29 minutes, 24 secondsIs there other obviously there was some rumors and stuff and all that. Um I guess is there any other issues where

29:32

29 minutes, 32 secondsyou may have felt like she had been paying some other feeling too much attention or whatever because

29:40

29 minutes, 40 secondswe were saying that the other time but like it it really wasn’t like that. Like she like she snaps tons of people and stuff.

29:50

29 minutes, 50 secondsI mean yeah I kind of do myself but I mean it’s not really a big deal. I’m just kind of wondering at what point it seemed like a good idea to grab a hold of somebody by the throat.

29:58

29 minutes, 58 secondsWell, it’s just I don’t know this dude.

30:01

30 minutes, 1 secondI mean, actually, that’s what I’m saying. Some my friends didn’t really like him too either. And um like I seen other I’m just like, “All right, what?” That was at the beach.

30:12

30 minutes, 12 secondsThat’s when I was more sober. And then at night, like he’s just still like,

30:16

30 minutes, 16 seconds”Oh, like when he get mad, I’m trying to like was calling him like her bae and stuff.”

30:22

30 minutes, 22 secondsBut she wasn’t like giving her off that same vibe. And then when I would ask her like she just get all mad instead of even though like I know there was not

30:30

30 minutes, 30 secondsnothing going on just cuz I mean I’ve always kind of trust her. Yeah. I don’t know. But

30:38

30 minutes, 38 secondsit just kind of made me switch. That’s kind of how what happened when I just pushed her down that one time. Even though yeah she kind of showed me but

30:46

30 minutes, 46 secondsit was just a little switch and like it’s not like and I just stop. It’s the way I stopped and I don’t know.

30:56

30 minutes, 56 secondsYou do you wear any kind of necklace or anything anytime?

30:59

30 minutes, 59 secondsYeah, my neck my necklace got snapped off. My favorite necklace. When did that happen?

31:06

31 minutes, 6 secondsThat’s when when we both came up and she like kind of just like ripped it off the

31:13

31 minutes, 13 secondsneck and scattered. And I remember just grabbing the pendant around with me.

31:18

31 minutes, 18 secondsLike what kind of pendant? My Jesus Christ. What? My Jesus pendant. Okay.

31:26

31 minutes, 26 secondsIs it like a crucifix or is it like a crucifix with your Christ on it or have the gold Jesus cross?

31:34

31 minutes, 34 secondsOkay. Silver chain.

31:36

31 minutes, 36 secondsSo is that one you had you had the one hand? She started kind of coming up.

31:40

31 minutes, 40 secondsThat’s when it just came So she she snaps that. Use that when you went with both hands to get her back down.

31:45

31 minutes, 45 secondsI mean, yeah. I just had both hands on her and then that’s when she came off the bed and then I’m just like I’m not

31:52

31 minutes, 52 secondsdoing like I I the other son not doing this tonight. I’m going to bed. I rolled over. I text my mom. Obviously I was

32:01

32 minutes, 1 secondeven more mad. I mean he had my chain and just her making me mad and I just texted her and I just texted them. Just

32:09

32 minutes, 9 secondswent straight to sleep basically. I mean,

32:13

32 minutes, 13 secondsI don’t know. I was kind of out of it anyways, especially when we weren’t going to the club or nothing anymore. So, Blake not only wore a

32:21

32 minutes, 21 secondsreligious pendant at all times, but he has a tattoo on his chest that reads John 15:13.

32:27

32 minutes, 27 secondsNow, it’s been a long time since I’ve been in Sunday school, so bear with me.

32:31

32 minutes, 31 secondsBut that verse says, “Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” It seems that Blake

32:40

32 minutes, 40 secondsmisinterpreted that message entirely the the night before. Did was there any doubt in your mind that you had hurt her?

32:51

32 minutes, 51 secondsI mean I’d say a little bit just fact I mean not heard her hurt her but maybe when

32:59

32 minutes, 59 secondsshe fell down or something and I know I should have checked on her but I just I kind of didn’t care yet. I just I don’t I’m just like I’m going to bed.

33:08

33 minutes, 8 secondsLike I don’t care what you do. Like sleep there or walk out or and

33:16

33 minutes, 16 secondsmaybe that should have been a sign for me to check on her. Maybe none of this would have been happening. I don’t know.

33:23

33 minutes, 23 secondsJust I don’t know. I just I was so confused about it all when I seen her there.

33:28

33 minutes, 28 secondsIt just made no sense to me. But that’s why I I just don’t even know what

33:36

33 minutes, 36 secondsto think. Like I don’t want her gone out of my life. I’m going to live the rest of my life that we’ve talked about all the time.

33:44

33 minutes, 44 secondsLet me see if I can summarize this thing up a little bit.

33:52

33 minutes, 52 secondsYou and Natler are laying there in a bed. You guys are fussed about some Snapchat with some guy.

33:59

33 minutes, 59 secondsYou reach over and grab her by the neck. She goes to kind of arch out and sit up.

34:06

34 minutes, 6 secondsYou sit up. You guys end up on both of you on your knees in the bed and you got both hands on her neck. Is that right?

34:13

34 minutes, 13 secondsIs that when she grabbed your chain, your necklace and pulled it off? I’m sure that made you mad.

34:22

34 minutes, 22 secondsI mean, yeah, a little bit, but not that bad.

34:26

34 minutes, 26 secondsHonestly, it was not the first time I changed not by heard.

34:33

34 minutes, 33 secondsI mean, it’s pretty much peaceful.

34:36

34 minutes, 36 secondsSo, what was what was being said at that point? Were you saying anything or she tried to say anything?

34:43

34 minutes, 43 secondsI wasn’t saying nothing at all. And she wasn’t either at all. I thought she was just like I don’t know, like moaning and

34:51

34 minutes, 51 secondsgroaning on the ground and like trying to get a word out. not trying, but was like saying something and I just didn’t care for it at all. I really didn’t.

34:59

34 minutes, 59 secondsHe He means before that all started happening. Yeah. Before she fell off the bed was, you know, that’s said nothing.

35:05

35 minutes, 5 secondsOkay. When she when when she did fall off on the floor, I mean, was it kind of did something loud, honestly.

35:15

35 minutes, 15 secondsDo what?

35:15

35 minutes, 15 secondsYeah, it kind of was loud. Well, did she try to catch herself in any way or

35:23

35 minutes, 23 secondsfeel like like the back of her like hands went back sideways?

35:29

35 minutes, 29 secondsCan’t do it with these, but that’s what it seemed like.

35:41

35 minutes, 41 secondsDid when you let go of her, was it because she like forced herself away from you or was it like It was kind of like that’s what it felt

35:49

35 minutes, 49 secondslike that like like her like her arm was in my side and I just kind of like pushed her or whatever. Not too hard. I

35:57

35 minutes, 57 secondsjust like I don’t know how that whole action was, but like I just felt her arm maybe because the chain got ripped off

36:04

36 minutes, 4 secondseither through my shoulder or somewhere on this side and still had it on her neck a little bit and I just like kind of just pushed her down while she’s like

36:12

36 minutes, 12 secondskind of pushing off me. That’s why like she went down I kind of seen her arms go out. I just thought she was going to lay there and leave the room or know she wasn’t going to come back in bed.

36:24

36 minutes, 24 secondsI don’t know.

36:26

36 minutes, 26 secondsSo thought the code would get up or something here and her hit the ground and I just wasn’t I just told her like she got off the ground. I don’t care.

36:35

36 minutes, 35 secondsWas there a little bit of tussling around the bed when all that was taking place?

36:40

36 minutes, 40 secondsWell, I mean like obviously you know you you got two people getting up on the knees in the bed just kind of beating around some. I mean a little bit. It was

36:49

36 minutes, 49 secondsalso a big bed. So it was just that kind of like that section of the bed. It wasn’t the whole bed at all.

36:58

36 minutes, 58 secondsDo you remember your hand placement on her neck?

37:02

37 minutes, 2 secondsNo, I just one two and stuff. I mean, I don’t know exact placement.

37:08

37 minutes, 8 secondsJust to get a reference here. Can you kind of just kind of show me with Detective Skelelet here what you’re

37:16

37 minutes, 16 secondstalking about as far as your hand placement? How that was? My hand placement?

37:20

37 minutes, 20 secondsYeah. On on Natalie like like he’s Natalie.

37:25

37 minutes, 25 secondsWell, saying like you’re talking about laying on your side and whatnot. So, I’m assuming would she be on that side of you over there or on this side?

37:36

37 minutes, 36 secondsThis side. So, she’d be on this side.

37:38

37 minutes, 38 secondsYeah, my side. Okay. Because I was like this and she was like propped up and then I looked at that and we were just

37:46

37 minutes, 46 secondslike I was going at it. I kind of leaned up a little bit and she like kind of like scooted up a little bit more. I grabbed her with this arm. Grabbed her with which arm?

37:54

37 minutes, 54 secondsThis one. Your right one.

37:56

37 minutes, 56 secondsNo, no, that’s your left one. Okay. Yeah.

37:58

37 minutes, 58 secondsGrabbed her and then she kind of like got up a little bit and this one I switched. I mean the necklace came off at some point and just a little bit and

38:06

38 minutes, 6 secondsthen I just we basically just pushed each other off or whatever. But like maybe it was more me. I don’t know. Like

38:13

38 minutes, 13 secondsI wasn’t completely aware of what happened. I just had that’s a good the best way to put it cuz I mean I wasn’t in my right mind.

38:23

38 minutes, 23 secondsI’m not sure if Blake is capable of being in his right mind. His excuses that he didn’t mean to kill Natalie and that he was out of sorts aren’t the

38:32

38 minutes, 32 secondsmagic eraser that he seems to think they are. To this day, he continues to make the same claims. He didn’t mean to kill

38:39

38 minutes, 39 secondsher. Therefore, he isn’t guilty of murder. But thankfully, that’s not how this works. Natalie had a whole life

38:46

38 minutes, 46 secondsahead of her. And it was ruined because she was exchanging texts with a local boy who she met on Snapchat. She was 18.

38:54

38 minutes, 54 secondsShe was single. She had a life of adventure and joy ahead of her. And that was all snatched away. Can I ask you a question?

39:02

39 minutes, 2 secondsSure. I mean,

39:04

39 minutes, 4 secondswhen you like already have talked, have you talked to her mom or just your dad? I spoke to her dad briefly yesterday.

39:11

39 minutes, 11 secondsObviously, I’m going to have to talk with them a lot more over time.

39:15

39 minutes, 15 secondsWell, if you don’t mind, if you’re allowed to, what did you say? Pardon? What on did you say to him?

39:22

39 minutes, 22 secondsI just told him that his daughter was deceased and that it was some suspicious

39:30

39 minutes, 30 secondscircumstances and that was under investigation right now. What do you say?

39:39

39 minutes, 39 secondsWell, he was quite devastated. That’s his daughter, was his baby girl.

39:47

39 minutes, 47 secondsHe was a little angry, want to know what happened and everything else. I said,

39:50

39 minutes, 50 seconds”Well, in times to come, we’ll be able to tell you more.

39:57

39 minutes, 57 secondsI’m pretty sure you’re probably not going to be their favorite person in the world for a long long long long long time.

40:12

40 minutes, 12 secondsI would I would argue that when the you know when everything kind of settles down though if you know if you talking

40:20

40 minutes, 20 secondswith us and telling us everything to give them you know everything that we know to the best of our knowledge though that’s at least the best thing that you

40:27

40 minutes, 27 secondscan do just to you know at least giving that to them.

40:32

40 minutes, 32 secondsYeah. And that’s and that’s why we’re asking these things. I understand lie over

40:40

40 minutes, 40 secondswhat I’ve loved more than anyone my whole life. That’s their own daughter.

40:44

40 minutes, 44 secondsThey’re best. They’re the best parents in the world.

40:47

40 minutes, 47 secondsI just want them to know that I didn’t mean to do that.

40:52

40 minutes, 52 secondsMy intentions were not to do that at all.

40:56

40 minutes, 56 secondsNow everyone’s going to hate me and I didn’t even mean to do that.

41:01

41 minutes, 1 secondI mean, I do got anger issues, but never towards her. I mean, it’s got to get it from my dad. He’s got to take medicine for it, which she’s been

41:10

41 minutes, 10 secondsdoing better. But Natalie’s father was and is utterly devastated by what happened to his daughter. At trial, he delivered a heartbreaking statement

41:19

41 minutes, 19 secondsabout his baby girl, expressing his devastation that he will never get to see her again and his anger that she was taken from him by, in his exact and incredibly accurate words, Blake Linkas’

41:31

41 minutes, 31 secondsgreasy, cowardly hands. You one more time.

41:42

41 minutes, 42 secondsJust one more time, please. Please,

41:50

41 minutes, 50 secondsplease. I just want to see you. I just want to see you.

41:57

41 minutes, 57 secondsI just want to see you. I want to talk to you. I hear you love you.

42:06

42 minutes, 6 secondsI just want to see you.

42:24

42 minutes, 24 seconds[clears throat]

42:26

42 minutes, 26 seconds[snorts]

42:31

42 minutes, 31 seconds[clears throat]

42:33

42 minutes, 33 secondsIt’s my girl.

42:42

42 minutes, 42 secondsHow was this happen?

42:53

42 minutes, 53 secondsDetectives return interrupting Blake’s pity party.

42:57

42 minutes, 57 secondsSo, uh Blake, you’re being charged with murder.

43:08

43 minutes, 8 secondsHomicide is simply simply defined as a killing of one human being by another.

43:16

43 minutes, 16 secondsSouth Carolina statute says murder is the killing of one human being by another with malice of forethought either expressed or implied.

43:25

43 minutes, 25 secondsGrabbing somebody by the neck but that’s you that’s you’re expressing that you

43:32

43 minutes, 32 secondsintend to do them harm. You grab me by the neck, it’s going to get real bad real fast for anybody else in this line of work or medical field or anything

43:40

43 minutes, 40 secondselse because they know what that entails

43:47

43 minutes, 47 secondsor any anybody in the public in general for that matter.

43:55

43 minutes, 55 secondsWould you wrestle in high school? I meant to ask you that.

44:02

44 minutes, 2 secondsYeah. My life ruined.

44:11

44 minutes, 11 secondsSpotlight ruined.

44:22

44 minutes, 22 secondsThese are going to be your copies of the arrest warrant. And uh that’s the search warrant for your DNA,

44:30

44 minutes, 30 secondswhich is what we just done. Um,

44:38

44 minutes, 38 secondswhat’s going to happen from here? Make a copy of this for you. Yeah. From here, [snorts]

44:45

44 minutes, 45 secondsyou will go to uh the detention center.

44:50

44 minutes, 50 secondsUh, you get booked in, processed in there,

44:54

44 minutes, 54 secondsand you’ll be at detention center until you have a bond hearing. Do you think my lab will be released?

45:03

45 minutes, 3 seconds[clears throat]

45:03

45 minutes, 3 secondsBlake, I don’t know how else to tell you this, buddy, but your actions killed somebody.

45:10

45 minutes, 10 secondsWhat you did caused the death of somebody. Okay,

45:20

45 minutes, 20 secondslet me break it down to you for this like this. Think the world of your mom and dad, right?

45:29

45 minutes, 29 secondsWhat if somebody off the street grabbed a hold of your mom by the neck and choked her until she died? How would you feel about that person?

45:42

45 minutes, 42 secondsWant to do it to them? Yeah.

45:51

45 minutes, 51 secondsSo yeah, your life’s fixing to be a [ __ ]

45:55

45 minutes, 55 secondsshow for a little while, for lack of a better way to put it. I don’t have a more

46:06

46 minutes, 6 secondsI I just don’t know a better way to explain that to you.

46:19

46 minutes, 19 secondsI said, “Is it going to ruin your life?”

46:23

46 minutes, 23 secondsYeah, it’s definitely going to be a real big bump in the road for you because dude, you killed somebody.

46:44

46 minutes, 44 secondsSo, that’s where we’re at.

46:49

46 minutes, 49 secondsUltimately, Blake was charged with the murder of Natalie Martin. However, his trial left even more damage in its wake.

46:56

46 minutes, 56 secondsHe was released on a $150,000 bond,

46:59

46 minutes, 59 secondsallowing him to stay at home with an ankle monitor while he awaited his trial rather than forcing him to wait in jail.

47:05

47 minutes, 5 secondsNatalie’s loved ones were devastated by this, with her father stating, “Imagine your daughter’s killer gets to go home for 635 days and do whatever he wants

47:15

47 minutes, 15 secondsto.” The reason he was granted bond was because he wasn’t violent. My daughter would beg to differ.

47:23

47 minutes, 23 secondsUltimately, after those 635 days, Blake was forced to face the music. He pleaded guilty to Natalie’s murder and was

47:30

47 minutes, 30 secondssentenced to 45 years in prison without the possibility of parole. As of the publishing of this video, however, he is

47:38

47 minutes, 38 secondschallenging his conviction. He stated that he feels his sentence is too long because his actions were unintentional,

47:46

47 minutes, 46 secondswhich again is not how things work. Our thoughts are with Natalie’s family and friends. Everything our team has read about her has showed what a bright,

47:55

47 minutes, 55 secondswonderful spirit she had, [music] and it is a reminder of what kind of effect you can have when you live your life to the fullest.

48:03

48 minutes, 3 secondsThank you for watching today’s video.

48:05

48 minutes, 5 secondsWhether you’re new here or have been with us for a while, check out one of the craziest cases I’ve ever covered right here, or one of my newest uploads right here.