They reportedly found Samantha Josephson's cell phone, towels, cleaning products, and "a large amount" of what was later confirmed to be Samantha Josephson's blood. I dont have an answer to that. 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. 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. [22][26][20], Rowland was charged with kidnapping, murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. The details of the horrifying December assault come days after police in South Carolina announced that 21-year-old Samantha Josephson was found dead after getting into a car she may have thought was an Uber she ordered. The presiding judge, Clifton Newman, was black, and several of the jurors were black. We've seen crime scene and autopsy pictures. In the year 2015, while studying Political Science, she met her boyfriend . Her body as later found with 120 stab wounds in remote woods 65 miles from Columbia. He described parallel marks on the side of her face, noting they were post-mortem because they were yellow and waxy looking. The body was found around 4 p.m., nearly 16 hours after she disappeared,. "She was such a sweet and caring girl," the person wrote. Her father's name is Seymour Josephson and her mother's name is Marci Josephson. 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. A Chevy Impala rolls up, and. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A jury found the 27-year-old guilty of Samantha Josephsons murder on July 27, 2021 - we take a look at his life and what led to the killing. They all go to Five Points together. Before you get in the car, check that license plate, driver photo, and driver name all match what's listed in the app.". But the family was there in Columbia, anyway, and they also attended a vigil at USC later, letting anyone who listened know that they weren't going to let what happened to Samantha happen to anybody else. The act also introduced criminal charges and penalties for people who pose as rideshare drivers. Additionally, Josephsons DNA was collected from Rowlands fingernails. Rowland also stabbed Josephson in her head with enough force that the knife went through her skull to her brain. The images are of black women, but there are suggestions that Mr. Rowland was interested in white women. Her friends, they think she's taken the Uber, so they return home; When they return to the apartment, Samantha is not there. She asked where her visor was, and he replied, In the country., He told her that it had blood on it. [13], Josephson spent the night before her death in the Five Points district in downtown Columbia with friends. He also stabbed her in the carotid, one of two main arteries that carries blood to the head. . The. He was heterosexual, she was attractive, and rape is almost obligatory in cases like this. Josephsons DNA was also collected from Rowlands fingernails. Born in Princeton, Samantha graduated from Robbinsville High School in 2015. Josephson's parents also established the What's My Name foundation, which raises awareness about rideshare safety and encourages providers to enact policies that help riders ensure they are getting into the right car. Cell phone towers tracked both Josephsons and Mr. Rowlands phones, which traveled together for 20 minutes before her phone turned off at 2:33 a.m. Rowlands phone was traced to the Rosewood neighborhood of Columbia, where his sister lives. East in Princeton Junction. She continued: Why do we take swabs and submit them to analysts if were going to stand here and try to convince yall that it doesnt matter what they say? All roads led to you, he told Mr. Rowland. Surveillance video from a nearby Wendys showed Mr. Rowland in his black Impala that night. The officer asked him to get out and he complied, but kept his hands in his pockets. The murder of Samantha Josephson, a student at University of South Carolina, in Columbia, South Carolina, occurred on March 29, 2019. They also wanted to let people know who Samantha was, a "bubbly, loving, kind" woman who was "full of life, a University of South Carolina senior who "had a plan. Police searched the backyard of Mr. Rowlands and Miss Howards apartment and found the murder weapon inside a plastic shopping bag left in a trash can. If were not supposed to pay attention to what the scientists tell us, then why are we sending stuff to science? He was not willing to pay $300, so he gave it back. Inside the vehicle, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. Hours later, hunters found her body", "Family, friends remember Samantha Josephson, murdered after mistaking her killer's car for Uber", "Slain University of South Carolina student died from multiple sharp force injuries, authorities say", "Jury soon will decide whether Nathaniel Rowland kidnapped, killed Samantha Josephson", "Both sides rest in trial of man charged with killing USC student Samantha Josephson", "Expert at SC murder trial: USC student stabbed more than 100 times", "South Carolina man charged with kidnapping, killing N.J. woman bound for Drexel law school", "Suspect in USC student's killing linked to another crime", "New charge filed in kidnapping, killing of USC student Samantha Josephson", "Man convicted of killing woman who mistook his car for Uber", "Fake Uber Driver Accused Of Killing Student Linked To Another Kidnapping", "Suspect in the murder, kidnapping of Samantha Josephson denied bond", "Store owner testifies that Nathaniel Rowland tried to sell him an iPhone after Samantha Josephson's disappearance", "Nathaniel Rowland gets life in prison for murdering USC student Samantha Josephson", "About Foundation | #WHATSMYNAME FOUNDATION | Samantha Josephson", "Three words to help avoid the tragedy of mistaking a killer's car for your Uber", "Slain USC student Samantha Josephson is namesake of ride-share law proposed in US Congress", "2019-2020 Bill 4380: Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act", "Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act", "North Carolina ridesharing bill makes it to governor's desk", "NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES PASSENGER PROTECTION ACT", "After rideshare scares, NC lawmakers sign Passenger Protection Act into law", "Senator Anna M. Kaplan Introduces Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act Following Tragedy in South Carolina", "After homicide, NJ's ride-share safety bill closer to becoming national law", "H.R.3262 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Sami's Law", "House passes 'Sami's Law,' ride-share safety bill named for slain USC student Samantha Josephson", "Killing of South Carolina student who mistook car for Uber prompts rideshare-safety campaign", "University of South Carolina awards posthumous degree to Samantha Josephson, who died after getting into wrong car", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Samantha_Josephson&oldid=1132738963, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 09:08. 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. There was a strong smell of marijuana coming from the car. But he will spend the rest of his life behind bars after the jury found him guilty on three counts of murder, kidnapping and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. And it was two days after Samantha got into the wrong car - allegedly Rowland's vehicle - that she mistakenly thought was her Uber ride. As her boyfriend drove her to work, Miss Howard noticed dried blood on the dashboard and the back seat. (Source: Handout/WACH via FOX Edge) Gipson said . Trenton, NJ Samantha L. Josephson ROBBINSVILLE Samantha L. Josephson, 21, passed away Friday March 29, 2019. As Samantha Josephson's hometown of Robbinsville prepares to remember the University of South Carolina senior with a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night, many questions surround the circumstances of her death, including the biggest: Why? The murder led to the passage of Samis Law in New Jersey, which enhances protections for drivers and passengers using ride share services. She was never seen alive again. "Last-minute congressional blitz clears bill named for N.J. woman killed by fake Uber driver". Prosecutors admitted they never identified a motive for the gruesome attack and believe "it was absolutely a random act of violence.". 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. It was largely ignored by national media; the New York Times never mentioned it, though the Washington Post and New York Post wrote about the trials conclusion. For many blacks, a white bunny or a snow bunny is a white woman who is interested in blacks. Police said they found blood and a cell phone in the back seat of Rowland's car, and both turned out to belong to Josephson. NBC 10 reports that 21-year-old Josephson had "numerous wounds evident on multiple parts of her body to . [24] Inside the car, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. The double-bladed multi-tool had both Mr. Rowlands and Samantha Josephsons DNA on it. [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. Phil Murphy also signed legislation, which is referred to as "Sami's Law," that requires rideshare drivers to provide and display identification information. Legislation at the federal level is pending. "I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at [Rowland's} hands 120 times. During the sentencing, her devastated mom Marci Josephson said: Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. Her death has inspired action from state lawmakers, who filed legislation soon after her killing requiring all ride-share vehicles to display an illuminated sign featuring their company's name. Another witness earlier testified that Josephson's DNA was recovered from beneath Rowland's fingernails. Save Thousands And Fall Back In Love With Your Kitchen! Mr. Rowland again said, Mind your business. She also noticed a spotted sheet, covered with blood, tied to the drivers side headrest. I have had to look for motives myself. 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. Mr. Rowlands shirt was also found in the bag. Samantha Josephson had just finished a night celebrating her impending college graduation when she made one fatal mistake. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. She told them everything she had seen. The violence happened after she mistakenly entered a black car early Friday that she thought was her Uber ride. Specifically, the law requires companies to issue two "credential placards" to drivers of ride-share vehicles. Despite this list, Josephsons body was neither taped nor burned. Several cameras caught the car in motion, as Mr. Rowland circled several times around the Bird Dog, making U-turns, like a shark hunting for prey, as an officer later put it. The Clarendon County Coroner on Monday released a cause for Josephson of death as "multiple sharp force injuries" for Samantha Josephson following an autopsy. The judge who sentenced Rowland said: She obviously put up an amazing fight against you and left a sufficient trail for the jury to see what you did.. Rowland maintained his innocence before being sentenced, with his attorneys pointing out that scientists werent certain his DNA was on the knife. 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