Pictured, Nathaniel David Rowland and USC student, Samantha Josephson Nathaniel David Rowland arrested in murder & kidnapping of USC student, Samantha Josephson who mistakenly got in car thinking it was her Uber pickup.. A man has been arrested over the murder and kidnap of a University of South Carolina student who mistakenly got into his car thinking it was her Uber after the missing woman . [17][9][18][19][20] Investigators believe Rowland dragged Josephsons body to the New Zion field where she would later be discovered. Did she fight back and send him into an uncontrollable, murderous, How-dare-this-white-bitch-fight-me? frenzy? ", "If there's somebody else in the car, she actually has a chance.". Save Thousands And Fall Back In Love With Your Kitchen! ", Marci then implored the court to keep Rowland in jail, and that he "should never be given the right to walk free again.". The bill will be named the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act. Why did Nathaniel Rowland kill Samantha Josephson? Seymour and his family say they're going to work to let people know about ride-share service safety, saying they don't want anything like what happened to Samantha to happen to anyone else. She attended the University of South Carolina (USC), where she majored in political science.Josephson, who was a senior in college at the time of her death, planned on graduating in 2019, and attending Drexel University School of Law. He noticed that she was going in the wrong direction, and that the app stopped tracking her. The U.S. Sun reports authorities later found a knife, which possibly belonged to Rowland, covered in Samantha Josephson's blood. "Last-minute congressional blitz clears bill named for N.J. woman killed by fake Uber driver". When a reporter asked prosecutor Byron Gipson, he said, It was absolutely a random act of violence. Specifically, the law requires companies to issue two "credential placards" to drivers of ride-share vehicles. Born in Princeton, Samantha graduated from Robbinsville High School in 2015. There was also a spotted sheet in the bag with Josephsons DNA on it. Her body as later found with 120 stab wounds in remote woods 65 miles from Columbia. A comment since removed that was posted to Mr. Rowlands Facebook page after his arrest, says as much. Before you get in the car, check that license plate, driver photo, and driver name all match what's listed in the app.". During the attack, Josephson attempted to shield herself. Steam Replay offers a Wrapped-style recap of your 2022 in gaming Steam Replay is like Spotify Wrapped, but for your PC gaming through Steam, and offers charts and diagrams to illustrate what you played and when. Miss Howard noticed that Mr. Rowland had a rose-gold iPhone, in perfect condition, which she assumed was a womans phone. There was so little blood left in her body that the pathologist performing the autopsy barely had enough for routine testing. Dr. Thomas Beaver, a forensic pathologist, did the autopsy and found that Josephson had 120 stab wounds, mostly on the right side of her body. Uber added new safety features to the rideshare app after the killing. University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was stabbed 120 times, according to chilling testimony provided this week by the pathologist who conducted her autopsy. Police say Josephson, a 21-year-old senior at . She absolutely had no chance. Legislation at the federal level is pending. Her killer got to her first. They all go to Five Points together. . Kathie Foster, superintendent of the Robbinsville School District, released a statement, saying: "Our hearts are heavy with grief and shock as we process the news of the sudden and tragic death of Samantha Josephson.". According to his Facebook page he attended South Carolina State University in 2017, but the schools chief of staff in 2019 confirmed he was not a student there at the time of Samanthas killing. Have a tip or story idea? The Clarendon County, SC coroner determined Monday that Samantha was stabbed to death, saying she had "multiple sharp force injuries" when her body was found on Friday. Four hours later, authorities received a call from hunters, who found a body in a secluded area nearly 65 miles away from where Josephson was last seen. I suspect he was looking for a white woman and that he did plan to rape her. Samantha Josephson was born in Princeton, but grew up in Robbinsville, New Jersey. He also found wounds that were exactly parallel to each other, which came from Mr. Rowlands multi-tool. Emailus. "What we have learned is that you cannot, men or women, you guys have to travel together," Seymour Josephson said at a vigil at USC for his daughter. Rowland had one past felony arrest in South Carolina from October 2018 for obtaining a signature or property under false pretenses, according to the State Law Enforcement Division. "He's taken away a piece of our heart, soul and life. "Samantha was by herself. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. [34] The law also subjects people who misrepresent themselves as authorized transportation network company (TNC) drivers to a maximum $500 fine and those who use TNC ride-sharing application in the furtherance of criminal activity to a maximum $1,000 fine. Mr. Rowland started running but was caught two blocks away. The double-bladed multi-tool had both Mr. Rowlands and Samantha Josephsons DNA on it. He said the woman who vanished from Columbia, S.C., on March 29, 2019, after getting into a car she'd mistaken for her Uber ride lost so much blood in the fatal attack, he had difficulty collecting a blood sample from her body. Rowland was sentenced to life in prison on July 27, 2021. It's a developing story, but she apparently got into the wrong car, mistaking it for her Uber and the killer dumped her in a rural field. The doctor testified that a pattern of close stab wounds showed she had been stabbed very rapidly. Samantha Lee Josephson was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and grew up in Robbinsville, New Jersey. The childs shoes had blood on them when they got home, and Miss Howard texted her mother about that. Surprisingly, Mr. Rowlands Facebook page is still online, and gives us clues about his motive. . Rowland maintained his innocence before being sentenced, with his attorneys pointing out that scientists werent certain his DNA was on the knife. As reported by WYFF4, Josephson got separated from her friends, and reportedly contacted Uber for a ride back to her apartment. The defendants black Chevy Impala drives by, makes a U-turn and drives by again. The foundation works to educate people about ride-share safety, along with supporting charitable foundations and awarding college scholarships. Surveillance video from a nearby Wendys showed Mr. Rowland in his black Impala that night. Her boyfriend Greg Corbishly was not with her that night, but she kept in touch by calling and texting. Rowland's defense lawyers noted the fact that police could find no visible marks or injuries on Rowland after arresting him, despite defensive wounds on Josephson indicating she had put up a struggle. The image of Samantha fighting for her life has haunted her parents for the past 28 months. The ride-share industry has also implemented changes, like clearer displays of driver license plates, following Josephson's death. Samantha Josephson, 21, made the fatal mistake of not checking the Uber car she was boarding. In this case, there was none of this, not even a psychiatric evaluation of the killer. She would have graduated in June and planned to attend Drexel University School of Law. The alleged victim was carjacked by two men while at a traffic light in October 2018. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. [6][30][26] Immediately after Rowland's conviction, State Circuit Judge Clifton Newman sentenced him to life in prison. The South Carolina student mistakenly . . He assumed she had left her phone in the Uber car. [44] It requires ride-share vehicles to have front license plates and illuminated windshield signs along with scannable or quick-response codes on the sides. After all these years, why it is that we even bother with DNA testing? she asked. [2] Josephson, 21, had ordered an Uber and mistakenly entered a car that she thought was her ride. The crossed-arms image in this post is the Wakanda Forever salute. The defense did not put one up. . "She was such a sweet and caring girl," the person wrote. His Impala jumps a curb to pull into an empty handicapped space next to Josephson. As reported by Insurance Journal, the act requires rideshare service drivers, including Lyft and Uber, to clearly display their license plate numbers on the front of their vehicle so riders can confirm they are getting into the correct vehicle. In a virtual hearing, family members for both Josephson and Rowland delivered statements in front of Judge DeAndrea Benjamin. But the victims DNA was allegedly found under Rowlands fingernails. The man was almost immediately captured and identified as 24-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland. After she came home from work, Miss Howard saw Mr. Rowland wearing blue surgical gloves and cleaning his car with wipes. Every speck of evidence led to you. The judge added that this was the most severe murder he had seen, and that leniency was not part of his DNA. Samantha Josephson, from Robinsville, New Jersey, was a student at the University of South Carolina where she majored in political science. Josephson had spent the night before her death in the Five Points district in downtown Columbia with friends. She had stab wounds from head to toe. WLTX 7/26/2021. She would have graduated in June and planned to attend Drexel University School of Law. She was never seen alive again. Prosecutors, for reasons they did not disclose, did not seek the death penalty. [17] The car also contained Josephson's phone[25] as well as a large amount[16] of her blood, which was in the passenger seat and in the trunk. The final moments, her bare feet kicking and fighting for her life. Tags: power Samantha Josephson was born in 1998 (age 21 years; as in 2019 at the time of death) in Nevada, United States. On the evening of March 28, 2019, 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was out with her friends in the Five Points village in Columbia, South Carolina. They haven't saidwhy he allegedlyreturned to the Five Points area? He sentenced Nathaniel Rowland to life in prison. It was almost as if the team had decided the case was hopeless, so the black woman might as well get some experience. Additionally, companies must give ride-share drivers two barcodes that passengers can scan to confirm the driver's identity. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. After the burial, the Josephson family will sit Shiva, then visiting hours will be on Thursday after 3 p.m. and Sunday starting at 12 p.m. at the family's house. Read more: The Wrong Car: Shocking Details Of Samantha Josephson's Alleged Murder. We're continuing to follow that trial on the death of Samantha Josephson, who prosecutors say mistook Rowland's car for her Uber ride in Five Points. The case is expected to be turned over to the jury within the next day. He faces up to life in prison if he is convicted of kidnapping and murder in the March 2019 killing of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson. New Jersey native Samantha Josephson, 21, was killed by Nathaniel Rowland after she mistakenly got into his car after a night of drinking in Columbia in 2019, prosecutors told the jury, according . Her father's name is Seymour Josephson and her mother's name is Marci Josephson. [45][46] The federal Sami's Law was referred to several subcommittees[44] and in July 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved it. Rowland was ultimately charged with murder, kidnapping, and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/vpa5YKqC1J, Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 26, 2021. Mr. Rowland said, I know Im innocent, but I guess what I know, what I think really doesnt matter. 9/18/19 Graphic Warning: Autopsy report shows victim stabbed twice, if not three times. Beaver's testimony went to the. They called the police. [17] Additionally, the child locks were activated, which police believe prevented Josephson from escaping. He testified that the average human has over a gallon of blood in his body, but Josephson had only two tablespoons, making it hard to get a large enough sample even for toxicology tests. Rowland is accused of kidnapping and killing University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson in March of 2019.