Phil Murphy also signed legislation, which is referred to as "Sami's Law," that requires rideshare drivers to provide and display identification information. A murder trial is currently underway following the tragic death of Samantha Josephson. There was also a spotted sheet in the bag with Josephsons DNA on it. [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. Additionally, Josephson suffered a severed hyoid bone, as well as stab wounds to her face, neck, shoulder, torso, back, lung, leg, and feet. The public defender, Ashley Goode, cross-examined Jazic asking if she documented any scratches on Rowland at the police station. The $35 a college student has in her bank account? [3], Rowland was arrested the next day, and charged with kidnapping and murdering Josephson. She and the boyfriend went to the Bird Dog, where staff let them look at security camera footage that showed Josephson getting into a black Chevrolet Impala, which she appeared to think was her Uber ride. . Autopsy details released after young woman's wrong-car murder Samantha Josephson, 21, was kidnapped and killed "with multiple sharp force objects" after she got into a car she thought was her Uber . 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", "President Biden signs 'Sami's Law,' named after USC student, into effect", "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=1140601113, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 21:20. 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. Click or tap here to report it. Prosecutors allege that Josephson, a University of South Carolina senior from New Jersey, stepped into the defendants black Chevy Impala outside of a bar on March 29, 2019 thinking the vehicle was her Uber. Prosecutors admitted they never identified a motive for the gruesome attack and believe "it was absolutely a random act of violence.". Williams said it looked like Josephson. Former USC student Samantha Josephson thought she was getting into the Uber she booked in March of 2019. . . The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The human body typically has at least a gallon of blood, according to Dr. Thomas Beaver, who examined Josephson's body after death. 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. 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 Dr. Beaver found three wounds he considered lethal: Josephsons bloody underwear is shown to the jury. As the night ended, she ordered an Uber to take her home . you want to continue watching? He took 170 photos and 13 X-rays. The U.S. Sun reports authorities later found a knife, which possibly belonged to Rowland, covered in Samantha Josephson's blood. I was planning my trip to Columbia in 2019 to watch my daughter graduate from college. As reported by WYFF4, Josephson got separated from her friends, and reportedly contacted Uber for a ride back to . Rowland is accused of kidnapping and killing University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson in March of 2019. [48][49] It was signed into law on January 5, 2023. [34] The law would also establish a 15-member advisory council, called SAMI's Council, which would be made of federal agency and public stakeholders. Josephsons autopsy also revealed the extent of her blood lossthe human body normally has several litres of blood, but Josephson's body only contained 20 millilitres (0.70impfloz; 0.68USfloz). Rowland was charged with obtaining goods under false premises. "Her dream was my dream and her death was my death," Samantha's mom Marci Josephson told the judge. A forensic expert testified Samantha Josephson was killed with a multi-tool weapon and stabbed over 100 times. Murder victim Samantha Josephson, 21, was stabbed around 120 times in her horrific March 2019 death, according to Monday testimony from a forensic pathologist. Note the black fist. also brought up the owner of the cell phone store who says Rowland tried to sell him a cell phone the day after Samantha Josephson's . A stab wound that cut her carotid artery and made her bleed out. 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. 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.. Conspiracy of silence': British spy chiefs face calls to release intelligence on Covid origins after FBI Do not sell or share my personal information. A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for the 2019 abduction and murder of a 21-year-old college student who mistook his car for her Uber ride. 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. He was not charged with a hate crime, nor was he charged with rape. . As reported by WYFF4, authorities noted the doors and windows on Rowland's vehicle were outfitted with child safety mechanisms, which likely made it impossible for anyone to exit the vehicle unless they were disengaged by the driver. Claycomb also showed pictures of the pants Josephson was wearing, which had several defects from alleged knife wounds. Salant, Jonathan D. (December 23, 2022). Was Mr. Rowland pretending to be an Uber driver? 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. . But on cross-examination, Beaver told a defense attorney that he Googled hundreds of pictures of knives after the autopsy to figure out what could have caused the unique wounds and sent investigators a photo of a different-looking weapon. 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was out with friends in Columbia's Five Points on March 29, 2019. [17][9][18][19][20] Investigators believe Rowland dragged Josephsons body to the New Zion field where she would later be discovered. Josephson's death was the . 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. Was the Fight for Irish Independence Pointless? Samantha Josephson's body was found in a field in a secluded, wooded area about 90 miles from Columbia about 4 p.m. Friday. He assumed she had left her phone in the Uber car. The presiding judge, Clifton Newman, was black, and several of the jurors were black. I try to move forward each day, but forever will be broken.. She bled profusely, ultimately dying within 1020 minutes, according to the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on her body. [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. Osharmar Williams, owner of Cellular City, also took the stand Thursday. S.S.S. Jazic said there were no scratches at all anywhere on Rowlands body. Drivers must show ID and say the names of passengers before they travel. 5. Please include the articles headline. Miss Howard drove while Mr. Rowland sat in the passenger seat, cleaning a multi-tool that had two knife blades. womanspace.org. Samantha Josephsons DNA was found on his bandana, shoes, and socks, and under his fingernails. "[8][31] Newman also characterized Rowland as being "heartless" and said the case was the "most severe" murder he had seen in court before. At the time of the incident, she was just weeks away from graduation. "It gets to a point where it really doesn't add much to the report," said Beaver, a pathologist at the Medical University of South Carolina. Jamison testified it was highly probable that Rowland wrote the list. For many blacks, a white bunny or a snow bunny is a white woman who is interested in blacks. 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. He's been indicted for murdering Samantha Josephson,' Gipson said, according to NBC. Fourteen hours later, her body was found by hunters in a wooded area in Clarendon County. Howard was Rowlands girlfriend at the time of the Josephsons murder. The foundation works to educate people about ride-share safety, along with supporting charitable foundations and awarding college scholarships. The murder of Samantha Josephson, a student at University of South Carolina, in Columbia, South Carolina, occurred on March 29, 2019. [10] She attended the University of South Carolina (USC), where she majored in political science. . That changed on March 29, 2019, when Samantha Josephson mistook Rowland's black 2017 Chevy Impala for her Uber ride. Born in Princeton, Samantha was a student at The University of South Carolina majoring in political science. 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. An Uber customer gets a photo of his driver, but Josephsons driver that night was a black man of the same build as the killer. Josephson was out with her friends in Columbia's Five Points entertainment district onMarch 29, 2019, when she allegedly entered Rowland's car thinking he was an Uber driver. Prosecutors said during opening statements that Rowland kept Josephson in his car for hours as he drove more than 65 miles, before killing her and dumping her body in the woods near his family's home. Similar laws were passed in New York and North Carolina, and federal legislation to protect rideshare passengers has also been proposed. 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. 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 . 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. Rowland, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained his innocence. After opening statements from the prosecution and defense, witnesses began testimony in front of jurors Tuesday afternoon. [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. Those shoes were also soaked in blood. 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. The real driver testified at trial that when he showed up, she wasnt there. I have had to look for motives myself. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. This bone sits at the back of the tongue. (There were scratches on his jacket that showed Josephson had been clawing at him as she tried to fight him off.) Cameras also caught a sheet tied to the drivers side headrest. Despite this list, Josephsons body was neither taped nor burned. [47] On December 28, 2022, federal legislation authorizing a study of ride-sharing safety practices, with passage by the US House and Senate, was sent to President Biden's desk. Murder victim Samantha Josephson, 21, was stabbed around 120 times in her horrific March 2019 death, according to Monday testimony from a forensic pathologist.Dr. Anastasia Katz, American Renaissance, August 6, 2021. When a reporter asked prosecutor Byron Gipson, he said, It was absolutely a random act of violence. 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. The officer asked him to get out and he complied, but kept his hands in his pockets. In the dark, she probably couldnt tell them apart. Their questioning has also shown that while Josephson appeared to fight her attackershe had several stab wounds that went all the way through her handsnone of Rowland's DNA was found on her or under her fingernails and no visible marks were found on Rowland after his arrest. Samantha also got a scholarship to study law at Drexel . [33] The act requires ride-share vehicles to display license plate numbers on the front. "I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at [Rowland's} hands 120 times. [35][36], Also in June 2019, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Sami's Law, which requires more identification on ride-share vehicles. 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? She had stab wounds from head to toe. None of Rowlands DNA was found on Josephsons defensive wounds, said attorney Alicia Goode. For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below. [2] Josephson, 21, had ordered an Uber and mistakenly entered a car that she thought was her ride. Hes a phone expert who showed where Josephsons phone pinged the night she disappeared. Josephson got into the car, and it was the last time she was seen alive, the prosecutor said. 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. #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. He detailed Josephsons horrifying wounds, noting those that those would have been delivered when she was alive. 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. Do 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. Instead, I went to Colombia to gather her belongings. TIMELINE: The death of UofSC student Samantha Josephson. The 21-year-old's body was found with over 100 violent stab wounds in a remote field, after she mistakenly got into a man's car thinking it was an Uber she had ordered. Samantha Josephson, 21, made the fatal mistake of not checking the Uber car she was boarding. [22][26][20], Rowland was charged with kidnapping, murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found Nathaniel Rowland guilty of all three charges. [22], Nathaniel Rowland was seen by police driving a car that matched the description of the one Josephson was seen entering in the surveillance video. Police stopped . February 8, 2022 by Juliane Cunha. 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