Columbia Police Department via AP Josephson's blood and cellphone were found in Rowland's vehicle after her body was discovered in woods off a dirt road in Clarendon County . [33] The act requires ride-share vehicles to display license plate numbers on the front. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. He noticed that she was going in the wrong direction, and that the app stopped tracking her. Mr. Rowland was sitting in his car alone when police found his vehicle at about 2:30 a.m. Tom Davis , Patch Staff Posted Mon, Apr 1, 2019 at 7:05 am ET | Updated Wed, Apr 3, 2019 . The defense, on the other hand, has suggested other people were involved in killing Josephson. In March 2019, Samantha Josephson, a white 21-year-old from New Jersey, was finishing her senior year at the University of South Carolina. He might have known that ride-share services are popular with students who get so drunk they cant drive. He also testified the phone didnt register as lost or stolen, but he was able to see a picture on it because the phone was unlocked. Samantha Josephsons blood and DNA were found all over the car: the rear seat, the rear center console, the drivers side headrest, the gearshift, the seat backs, and the roof. The real driver testified at trial that when he showed up, she wasnt there. Josephson, who was a senior at the time of her death, had planned to graduate in 2019 and go on to study law at Drexel University School of Law. Samantha Josephson was born in Princeton, but grew up in Robbinsville, New Jersey. I just wish the state would have done more in finding out who the actual person was, instead of being satisfied with detaining me and proving my guilt., Mr. Rowlands mother tried to tell Judge Newman that her son was innocent, but he cut her off. Josephson's death turned a national spotlight on ride-hailing safety and led to some changes, including more prominent displays of driver's license plates. "I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at [Rowland's} hands 120 times. She opens the rear, drivers-side door, says something, and gets in. | Privacy He assumed she had left her phone in the Uber car. When Miss Howard saw a news report about Samantha Josephsons disappearance, and saw a video of her boyfriends car, she knew what had happened, but she was afraid to call the police. [6][7][8], The killing attracted national attention and led to discussion about the dangers of ridesharing and the importance of ensuring that a rideshare car is being driven by a registered driver prior to entering. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. Those shoes were also soaked in blood. 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. . 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. [24], On June 9, 2020, Nathaniel Rowland was denied bond. The forensic pathologist who performed Josephson's autopsy testified Monday . Samantha Josephson had just finished a night celebrating her impending college graduation when she made one fatal mistake. There was so much blood on the shirt the investigator said they could not tell its original color. Before Beaver took the stand, they linked Josephson's blood to areas all over Rowland's Chevrolet Impala, a knife with two blades and cleaning supplies in the trash behind his girlfriend's home and on a sock and bandana owned by Rowland. Jazic said there were no scratches at all anywhere on Rowlands body. 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was out with friends in Columbia's Five Points on March 29, 2019. 9/18/19 Graphic Warning: Autopsy report shows victim stabbed twice, if not three times. A man was arrested on murder and kidnapping charges, and an autopsy showed that she died from multiple sharp injuries. Mr. Rowlands trial, which brought to light many details of the murder, began on July 19 and ended on July 27. Miss Howards McDonalds visor was found in the trunk; it also had Josephsons blood on it. "Her dream was my dream and her death was my death," Samantha's mom Marci Josephson told the judge. I dont have an answer to that. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. [28], On July 20, 2021, Rowland's trial began. 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. Retracing Alex Murdaugh's Steps in Alleged Phone Toss, Preview: Jury to Visit Murdaugh Crime Scene. The defendants black Chevy Impala drives by, makes a U-turn and drives by again. No one mentioned his motive during the trial. My heart goes out to you and your family. The victims family in the courtroom froze when one investigator with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) held up clothing worn by Josephson on the night she was brutally murdered. Missing University of South Carolina Samantha Josephson's death confirmed by university Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student who was reported missing, has died, the . Miss Howard noticed that the car smelled of chlorine, and she saw a bottle of bleach in the car. At approximately 3 a.m. on March 30, WYFF4 reported authorities pulled over a man driving a black Impala for a routine traffic stop. Probably, we are not supposed to know. Josephsons father tearfully said that the loss of his daughter was so terrible he considered suicide several times. After all these years, why it is that we even bother with DNA testing? she asked. "Her dream was my dream and her death was my death," Samantha's mom Marci Josephson told the judge . A forensic pathologist goes over the autopsy report of Amy Mullis. She would have graduated in June and planned to attend Drexel University School of Law. The Tragic Murder Of Samantha Josephson Explained. Man Convicted of Murdering College Student Samantha Josephson in Mistaken Uber Case. The crossed-arms image in this post is the Wakanda Forever salute. The murder led to the passage of Samis Law in New Jersey, which enhances protections for drivers and passengers using ride share services. Do 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. [27] According to Richland County deputies, hours after the alleged kidnapping Rowland sold some of the items stolen from the woman, including the Playstation 4, at a pawn shop. Court adjourned for the night around 5:45 p.m. Testimony continues at 9:30 a.m. Friday. She asked him where he got it, and he said he had found it. Rowland is accused of kidnapping and killing University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson in March of 2019. He also found wounds that were exactly parallel to each other, which came from Mr. Rowlands multi-tool. The images are of black women, but there are suggestions that Mr. Rowland was interested in white women. This post, about the need for blacks to support black businesses shows that Mr. Rowland was race conscious. The final moments, her bare feet kicking and fighting for her life. Additionally, it provides $500,000 in grants for colleges to educate students about ride-share safety and creates a study commission to examine ways to improve ride-share safety. 2023 Court TV Media LLC, part of The E.W. The childs shoes had blood on them when they got home, and Miss Howard texted her mother about that. He was caught[23] and was arrested at 3:00 am on March 30. In the 24 hours after Samantha Josephson was abducted from in front of a Five Points bar in Columbia, and later found murdered, friends and investigators pieced together her whereabouts Samantha's father, Seymour Josephson, shared his feelings about the anniversary of his daughter's death in a Facebook post. #FakeUberMurderTrial The defendants DNA was not found under the victims fingernails HOWEVER we just learned that the victims DNA was found under the defendants fingernails. 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 . Her blood was also found on Mr. Rowlands daughters shoes. February 8, 2022 by Juliane Cunha. During the attack, Josephson attempted to shield herself. A stab wound that cut her carotid artery and made her bleed out. Drivers must show ID and say the names of passengers before they travel. But the killing of Samantha Josephson, a 21-year-old college student in South Carolina who was stabbed to death after getting into a car she mistook for her Uber last weekend, has brought national . Why, to put it bluntly, didnt he rape Josephson? Then why do we do it? Claycomb also held up the wedge sandals Josephson was wearing that night, saying the shoes werent on her feet, only held on by the ankle strap. Investigator Dawn Claycomb stood up from the stand and pulled Josephsons clothing out of a brown paper bag. [2], Josephson, a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, studied abroad in Barcelona and visited Madrid and Paris during her time at USC. Jazic held up a white sheet with blood on it that she collected from Howards garbage can behind her condo. #FakeUberMurderTrial The jury has been watching the CCTV footage from that night. Josephsons roommate testified in court that she began to worry about her friend when she learned Josephson had not showed up at work that day. The foundation works to educate people about ride-share safety, along with supporting charitable foundations and awarding college scholarships. At the time of the incident, she was just weeks away from graduation. Miss Josephsons iPhone was in the car and child safety locks were turned on. After opening statements from the prosecution and defense, witnesses began testimony in front of jurors Tuesday afternoon. The man was almost immediately captured and identified as 24-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland. 'It's those intentional deliberate, heinous, cruel and malicious acts that Nathaniel David Rowland has been indicted for kidnapping Samantha Josephson. [5] On July 27, the jury found Rowland guilty of Josephson's kidnapping and murder and the judge sentenced him to life in prison. He was heterosexual, she was attractive, and rape is almost obligatory in cases like this. She suffered more than 120 stab wounds and bled to death. . Evidence includes surveillance camera footage of Josephson entering Rowland's car. Prosecutors admitted they never identified a motive for the gruesome attack and believe "it was absolutely a random act of violence.". . The trial of Nathaniel David Rowland, 24, (left) who was charged in the 2019 murder and kidnapping of University of South Carolina senior Samantha Josephson, 21, (right), started on Tuesday, Defense attorney Alicia Goode delivers opening arguments during the trial of Nathaniel Rowland on July 20, Fifth Circuit solicitor Byron Gipson delivers an opening statement during the trial of Nathaniel Rowland in Richland County Court on July 20. you want to continue watching? Samantha L. Josephson, 21, passed away Friday March 29, 2019. 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Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Josephsons blood was also found on a sock and a bandana, both owned by Rowland. [3], Rowland was arrested the next day, and charged with kidnapping and murdering Josephson. The U.S. Sun reports authorities later found a knife, which possibly belonged to Rowland, covered in Samantha Josephson's blood. During the trial, his girlfriend said he described the area where he picked up Josephson as lit, meaning that it was active and exciting. . Hes a phone expert who showed where Josephsons phone pinged the night she disappeared. On that list, Jamison said, was, Duck tape, tape her whole body, gloves, all black, flip phone, gasoline, matches -- crossed out line of matches.. Legislation of the same name at the federal level was signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 5, 2023. The contents of this website are copyright 1990-2023 New Samantha L. Josephson ROBBINSVILLE Samantha L. Josephson, 21, passed away Friday March 29, 2019. There was no sign of a struggle at that location where she was found. CASE BACKGROUND | Trial of man accused in UofSC student's kidnapping, death set to begin. [5] During the trial, prosecutors called 31 witnesses, including the turkey hunter who found Josephsons body, a cell phone store owner who testified that Rowland unsuccessfully attempted to sell him Josephson's phone the day after she went missing,[29] Rowlands former girlfriend, and numerous State Law Enforcement Division investigators and other experts. Former USC student Samantha Josephson thought she was getting into the Uber she booked in March of 2019. . She tried to sow doubt by saying that Mr. Rowland had run from the police because the officer shouted, Are you crazy? and not because he was guilty. Samantha Josephson - South Carolina student, 21, 'stabbed 100 times by killer after getting in car she thought was Uber' . Mr. Rowland told her he did not want to put their daughter in the back seat because of the blood, but it was the only place the booster seat would go, so they strapped her in. He was not willing to pay $300, so he gave it back. [43] The bill, which is also titled "Sami's Law," was introduced on June 13, 2019. [24] Inside the car, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. In March 2019, Samantha Josephson, a white 21-year-old from New Jersey, was finishing her senior year at the University of South Carolina. The evidence includes surveillance camera footage of Josephson entering Rowland's car, as well as a witness who the prosecutors say watched Rowland clean the blade he allegedly used to repeatedly stab Josephson. The 21-year-old college senior was trapped by the vehicle's child safety locks. The officer asked him to get out and he complied, but kept his hands in his pockets. Nathaniel Rowland (center) leaves a Richland County courtroom during his murder trial in the death of USC senior Samantha Josephson on July 21, 2021. The doctor testified that a pattern of close stab wounds showed she had been stabbed very rapidly. He sentenced Nathaniel Rowland to life in prison. Murder victim Samantha Josephson, 21, was stabbed around 120 times in her horrific March 2019 death, according to Monday testimony from a forensic pathologist. The officer said, Get your hands out of your pockets. Mr. Rowland started running but was caught two blocks away. [25] In addition to Josephsons murder, Rowland is alleged to have sold items that were stolen from a woman during a kidnapping in Columbia. When examining the victim's back, she observed six puncture marks and explains why she feels the victim was stabbed at least twice, if not three times. [51] Her diploma and college possessions were given to her mother. Thomas Beaver testifies about Samantha Josephsons death. 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