“Natalie lived her life to the fullest with joy, laughter, and love. She brought true happiness to all that knew her,” Martin’s obituary said.
Donations have poured in for the family of an Ohio teenager who police said was strangled by her ex-boyfriend while on her senior trip in South Carolina.
Natalie Martin, 18, was found dead by police in a hotel near Myrtle Beach on June 7. Her ex-boyfriend, Blake Linkous, 18, allegedly strangled her the day before, officials said.
The pair had previously been in a romantic relationship, authorities said. They broke up several months before the trip, but reportedly had remained friends.
Linkous was arrested on murder charges and is being held in the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, according to jail records.
In the wake of Martin's death, donations have poured in through a GoFundMe campaign created to help the family with funeral expenses. As of Tuesday, the page had raised over $30,000 for the family.
Money was donated by individuals and from local businesses that put on their own fundraisers.
“Money raised from New Image Nutrition. Prayers for the friends and family,” said one donor. “El Palenque Mexican Restaurant in Duncan Falls. Tips received from Everett’s Lemonade Stand. Many prayers,” said another.
The donations that flooded did not come as a surprise to Martin's close friend, Brooklyn Ferrell, who told the Zanesville Times Recorder, "Natalie was loved by anyone she came in contact with."
Many in Zanesville, where Martin called home, were grieving the loss of the young woman remembered as a bright light and friend to many.
“Natalie lived her life to the fullest with joy, laughter, and love. She brought true happiness to all that knew her. She had a free, pure and wild spirit with a contagious laugh, a personality out of this world that could bring anyone out of their darkest of days,” her obituary said. “Natalie’s beauty shined like a ray of sunlight and her smile could brighten a whole room,” her obituary read. “Natalie previously worked at Northstar Pizza and was currently working for the Sundale Kids as a childcare provider. She formed many special bonds with all the precious little ones she cared for.”
Many in the community gathered on Friday for a vigil held at her high school in her honor.
"I feel like it's going to bring me peace," Ferrell, told the Zanesville Times Recorder. "It's a good way to get people together to help with the healing process, and know that there are people out there that will help you and be with you."
