CASE BACKGROUND | Trial of man accused in UofSC student's kidnapping, death set to begin [26][18], On July 27, 2021, Rowland was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Josephson and of possessing a weapon during a violent crime after the jury deliberated for a little over an hour. During re-direct, he said she might have hit items in the car such as the door or window. Surprisingly, Mr. Rowlands Facebook page is still online, and gives us clues about his motive. In June 2019, New Jersey Gov. The Clarendon County Coroner on Monday released a cause for Josephson of death as "multiple sharp force injuries" for Samantha Josephson following an autopsy. 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. "Thats one of those questions Mr. Rowland would have to answer at some point in time.". When she learned she had been accepted to Drexel Law School on a full scholarship, she decided to celebrate at the Bird Dog, a pub in the Five Points night-club area of Columbia. Despite this list, Josephsons body was neither taped nor burned. He said, Mind your business.. The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) released the cause of death and autopsy results for Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student allegedly killed by 24-year-old Nathaniel Rowland, after getting into his car early Friday morning. In a virtual hearing, family members for both Josephson and Rowland delivered statements in front of Judge DeAndrea Benjamin. Rose said in a message on his Twitter account he is introducing legislation requiring rideshare vehicles to be identified by illuminated signage. Investigators also found cleaning supplies and a two-bladed knife with Josephsons blood on them after searching the trash can behind Rowlands girlfriend's residence. All roads led to you, he told Mr. Rowland. The page had sexual images and references to sex. Dr. Thomas Beaver detailed the many injuries the victim sustained, allegedly at the hands of Nathaniel David Rowland, 27. The images are of black women, but there are suggestions that Mr. Rowland was interested in white women. Samantha was found dead in Clarendon County - about 65 miles southeast of Columbia - about 16 hours after she disappeared. Miss Josephsons iPhone was in the car and child safety locks were turned on. Read more: The Wrong Car: Shocking Details Of Samantha Josephson's Alleged Murder. Rowland is accused of kidnapping and killing University of South Carolina. The case is expected to be turned over to the jury within the next day. Additionally, Josephsons DNA was collected from Rowlands fingernails. During the trial, the Cellular City employee identified Mr. Rowland as the man who tried to sell him the phone. "It sickens us to think that his face was the last thing that my baby girl saw on this Earth. Born in Princeton, Samantha graduated from Robbinsville High School in 2015. [41] The act, which is currently in the Transportation Committee,[42] requires ride-share drivers to display visible, consistent, and distinctive signage clearly identifying the rideshare service provider at all times when the driver is active on the service platform or providing rideshare service. These signs must be readable from a distance of 50 feet during daylight hours and should be illuminated at night so that the logo is patently visible. @LawCrimeNetwork #SamanthaJosephson #NathanielRowland pic.twitter.com/vZQ9eXqQuI, Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 23, 2021. If the races had been reversed, this case would have been a huge media sensation and there would have been immediate accusations of racism. The media would have rooted mercilessly through the killers background, looking for evidence. Phil Murphy also signed legislation, which is referred to as "Sami's Law," that requires rideshare drivers to provide and display identification information. [10] She attended the University of South Carolina (USC), where she majored in political science. She was found dead in a field", "Benson, DeAngelo and Vainieri Huttle Bill "Sami's Law" Requiring Rideshare Driver, Car Identification Passes Assembly", "Nathaniel Rowland Trial: His DNA not found on Samantha Josephson, but someone else's was, defense saysn", "Nathaniel Rowland found guilty of the murder of Samantha Josephson", "Nathaniel Rowland sentenced to life in prison", "Life in prison for man in killing of South Carolina student who mistook his car for an Uber", "Pathologist speaks for the dead, tells jury in Rowland trial how USC student died", "Missing college student confirmed dead in South Carolina", "Grieving dad eulogizes daughter Samantha Josephson during tear-filled ceremony", "Slain USC student Samantha Josephson was 'sweet as can be,' planned to study law", "A South Carolina student thought she had gotten into her Uber, police say. COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Several key investigators took the stand Thursday in day three of the trial of Nathaniel Rowland. [39] The law was signed by Governor Roy Cooper in August 2019. Note the emojis in this photo: a snowflake, a white bunny, and a target. Josephsons roommates called him the next morning, saying she had not come home, so he drove two hours to Columbia to look for her. 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 . Samantha Josephson was separated at some point during the night from her friends in a heavily trafficked area of town. The defendants black Chevy Impala drives by, makes a U-turn and drives by again. No outright motive for the killing was suggested by prosecutors during the course of Rowland's trial but Judge Newman said the killer was "totally heartless". He knew the route from the Bird Dog to her home; he had taken it many times himself. She would have graduated in June and planned to attend Drexel University School of Law. The states theory of the case is that Rowland took Josephson from outside of The Bird Dog bar in Columbia, S.C. (Richland County) and discarded her body two miles from his family home in his hometown of New Zion after killing her. The bag also contained blue surgical gloves, a shirt, and a pair of pants that had DNA from both people, and paper towels that tested positive for Josephsons blood. Samantha, 21, got into Rowlands car after a night out in Columbias Five Points entertainment districtthinking it was an Uber ride that would take her back to her apartment, prosecutors said. Detectives said she had just ordered a lift on the popular hail-a-ride app - but the real Uber driver later cancelled the journey after she failed to show up. During the attack, Josephson attempted to shield herself. But the victims DNA was allegedly found under Rowlands fingernails. The Wrong Car: Shocking Details Of Samantha Josephson's Alleged Murder. [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. During the trial, his girlfriend said he described the area where he picked up Josephson as lit, meaning that it was active and exciting. Samantha Josephson, the missing University of South Carolina student, has been found dead her father, Seymour Johnson, said in a Facebook post amid rumors that she may have gotten into the. I suspect he was looking for a white woman and that he did plan to rape her. Although there will not be an entire show dedicated to the murder of Samantha Josephson there will be an entire episode feature about the case. She asked him where he got it, and he said he had found it. Fourteen hours later, her body was found by hunters in a wooded area in Clarendon County. My guess and its only a guess is that Mr. Rowland wanted to humiliate, rape, and kill a white woman. Josephsons hyoid bone was also broken, he said. . She absolutely had no chance. [18], Josephson's roommates became concerned and reported her missing the day after she accidentally entered the vehicle. The Clarendon County Coroner Bucky Mock stated that SLED is releasing the cause of death for Samantha L. Josephson, 21, of Robbinsville, New Jersey. But he also used it as an opportunity to warn students about ride-share services and to use them properly. All of the evidence, each speck of the evidence not simply beyond a reasonable doubt, but as the highest standard the law requires all points to your guilt. Samantha Josephson had just finished a night celebrating her impending college graduation when she made one fatal mistake. The act creates a new criminal penalty for impersonating a ride-share driver and makes assaulting a ride-share driver a misdemeanor. 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. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Forensic pathologist Thomas Beaver testified in the trial of Nathaniel Rowland, the man charged with murder in the death of University of South Carolina stud. A stab wound that damaged the hyoid bone in her neck. "Samantha was by herself. The alleged victim was carjacked by two men while at a traffic light in October 2018. The bill would also regulate the sale of official ride-share signage, require a Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on incidents of assault and abuse of passengers and drivers, and require the GAO to examine the nature and specifics of background checks that are conducted by companies and the state standards of background checks. Her story was corroborated by phone records; at 5:31 a.m., she sent him a text, Wya, meaning, Where you at?, Mr. Rowland eventually showed up in his black Impala. Strangulation will break it, but Beaver suggested a stab wound damaged Josephsons hyoid bone. "I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at [Rowland's} hands 120 times. She asked why he was washing the car with wipes. [16], When investigators searched the trash behind Rowlands girlfriends residence, they uncovered cleaning supplies and a two-bladed knife, both of which had Josephsons blood on them. Their daughter was at Miss Howards mothers house, and they went to pick her up. Many posts include a white bunny, such as this selfie taken in his car. Instead, I went to Colombia to gather her belongings. Samantha had been stabbed to death. [37], Josephsons murder prompted lawmakers in North Carolina to propose the Passenger Protection Act. Her body was then found in a field[17] in the town of New Zion in Clarendon County by turkey hunters[21] fourteen hours after the kidnapping. He was caught[23] and was arrested at 3:00 am on March 30. His Impala jumps a curb to pull into an empty handicapped space next to Josephson. Ewing Township, NJ SAMANTHA JOSEPHSON OBITUARY Samantha L. Josephson ROBBINSVILLE Samantha L. Josephson, 21, passed away Friday March 29, 2019. Mr. Rowlands trial, which brought to light many details of the murder, began on July 19 and ended on July 27. The carjackers allegedly physically assaulted the victim and then forced her to drive to an ATM where they robbed her of money,[24] before forcing her to drive to her home where they again robbed her of items including a Playstation 4. Former USC student Samantha Josephson thought she was getting into the Uber she booked in March of 2019. She was stabbed with both the double and single blades. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. In the videos, Josephson is standing by herself on the sidewalk in front of the busy restaurant, talking on her phone, as Mr. Rowlands car drives past her and pulls into a parking space to turn around. "The door was locked. [24] Inside the car, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. Josephson, a New Jersey native, hopped into Rowland's car after a night out in Columbia's Five Points entertainment district, assuming he would take her back to her apartment, prosecutors said.. They haven't saidwhy he allegedlyreturned to the Five Points area? "Unlike him, Samantha valued human life and could never harm another soul," Marci said in the WIS audio tape. On the GoFundMe page, fellow Robbinsville classmates and friends expressed their shock. Rowland was charged with obtaining goods under false premises. There was an envelope in the trash, with Josephsons blood on it, and these words, in Mr. Rowlands handwriting: Duck tape tape whole body/gloves/All black/Flip phone/Gasoline/Matches.. Many of the wounds, especially those in her right neck and right shoulder, were close together, most likely resulting from being rapidly inflicted stab wounds. [32] Josephson's parents have worked with lawmakers to advocate for policies that enhance safety for ride-share passengers Several laws have been enacted since Josephson's death. [Image of Samantha Josephson via Columbia Police Department], Have a tip we should know? 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. A child safety seat was also found in the back seat and the child safety door locks were locked. [8], After their daughter's death, Josephson's parents established the What's My Name Foundation. The State newspaper reported that Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook told reporters after a Saturday night press conference that a woman was in the car at the time of Rowland's arrest, and she was cooperating with police. Cameras also caught a sheet tied to the drivers side headrest. . Nathaniel Rowland was charged with murder and kidnapping in the death of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson. Rowland, who was 24 at the time of the killing, is a resident of New Zion in Clarendon County, Columbus. Police in Columbia, S.C. released a video of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson getting into a car she mistook for her Uber ride before her 2019 death. They go to The Bird Dog. Century Foundation. At approximately 3 a.m. on March 30, WYFF4 reported authorities pulled over a man driving a black Impala for a routine traffic stop. Additionally, companies must give ride-share drivers two barcodes that passengers can scan to confirm the driver's identity. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. States that do not comply would be penalized by losing 1% of federal highway funding. Many stab wounds to her ear, lower back, side, arms, elbows, and leg, including a 7cm deep wound on her thigh, which was the deepest. During her time at USC, she had studied abroad in Barcelona and visited Madrid and Paris. Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old University of South Carolina from Robbinsville, New Jersey who was set to graduate and go to law school, was found dead in March of 2019 in South Carolina +10. She left a bar at 2am and had ordered an Uber home, and mistakenly got into Rowlands car thinking it was her ride. After their daughter was at miss Howards mothers house, and they went pick! Twitter account he is introducing legislation requiring rideshare vehicles to be identified by illuminated signage accidentally entered the vehicle and... 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