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Prime Crime retraces Natalie Martin's killing and the guilty plea

Law&Crime Network's Jesse Weber follows the Myrtle Beach investigation through interrogation footage, sentencing and her family's reflections on warning signs.

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Law&Crime Network Story of November 3, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? 934,279 views so far, and here is what is inside it.

Prime Crime: Teen Found Dead on Senior Trip to Myrtle Beach

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1:32Martin's parents and best friend recall her work ethic and excitement about the graduation trip.
2:15Officials explain that the autopsy established strangulation as the cause of death.
16:58Linkous admits choking Martin during police questioning but says he did not intend to kill her.
32:17The episode traces changes in Linkous's plea plans before he ultimately pleads guilty.
39:37Linkous addresses the court before the judge sentences him to 45 years in prison.
42:40Family and friends reflect on relationship warning signs, lasting grief and honoring Martin's memory.

The sentence was 45 years. Law&Crime Network's Prime Crime reconstructs how the investigation into Natalie Martin's death reached that outcome, and gives her parents and best friend space to describe the life lost.

Martin, an 18-year-old celebrating her high school graduation, died during a senior trip to Myrtle Beach in June 2023. Friends returned to their vacation rental and found a locked bedroom door. An autopsy established that she had been strangled.

Jesse Weber builds the episode around the contrast between the physical evidence and Blake Linkous's account to detectives. In interrogation footage, Linkous admits choking Martin after becoming angry about messages on her phone, while repeatedly saying he did not intend to kill her. Detectives press him on what happened afterward and have him demonstrate his actions.

The documentary then follows the court proceedings: prosecutors opposed bond, Linkous changed course over a planned guilty plea, and he ultimately pleaded guilty before trial. At the March 2025 sentencing hearing, Martin's loved ones delivered victim impact statements before the judge imposed the prison term. The episode also reports his subsequent appeal and prosecutors' position that there is no legal basis to overturn the outcome.

The upload has drawn about 934,000 views in two days. It includes a paid sponsorship segment, separate from the reporting.

Beyond the courtroom, Martin's family and friend describe an earlier incident of relationship violence. Therapist Shari Botwin contributes to the episode's examination of warning signs, while the closing interviews return to how Martin's loved ones honor her memory.

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