Her boyfriend later stated he spoke to her on the night she disappeared and tracked her to ensure she got home. 'Honeytrap' killer Samantha Joseph from Brockley, south-east London, was jailed for life . In July 2021, Nathaniel was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Samantha in addition to possession of a weapon during a violent crime. A phone was pressed to her ear, and one arm tucked across her chest during the unseasonably chilly evening on March 29, 2019. Read moreSC House GOP approves asking voters to remove ban on taxes directly aiding private schools, A group of hard-line conservatives in the South Carolina House is challenging state laws that ban them from raising money to support their candidates and influence elections Read moreGOP infighting escalates as SC Freedom Caucus sues in federal court for fundraising power, The Post and Courier Columbia She was never seen alive again. Josephson was celebrating the end of her time in college with a number of friends, while her alleged killer waited to attack, Gipson alleged. Corbishley drove to Columbia the morning after Josephson disappeared. Her death has inspired action from state lawmakers in South Carolina, who passed legislation soon after her killing requiring all ride-share vehicles to display an illuminated sign featuring their company's name. It was an emotional day in court as the man convicted of killing a college student who mistook his car for her Uber was sentenced to life in prison. Its not on her ankles.. He attended to his brother's dog that morning while his brother was out of town and later in the day watched the NCAA basketball tournament games. 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. Instead, police say, it was driven by her killer. He had his eyes on Ms. Josephson as she walked outside the Bird Dog Lounge in Five Points alone, as she walked outside, as she had ordered an Uber ride, alone.. During the sentencing, her devastated mom Marci Josephson said: Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. And it was two days after Samantha got into the wrong car allegedly Rowland's vehicle that she mistakenly thought was her Uber ride. She lost so much blood, that there was hardly any left in her body. I just wish the state would have done more finding out who the actual person was instead of detaining me and proving my guilt. It seems that Rowland is currently serving his sentence at a correctional facility in South Carolina. 2101 Gervais Street "I am completely devastated and am praying for her family.". She bled out to the extent that she barely had any blood left in her body. Chance of rain 50%. They had their eyes firmly fixed on their futures and their eyes firmly fixed on their love for one another, Gibson said of Josephson and her friends, according to the network. But it ended up being her murderer. Corbishley watched on an app used to share locations wanting to ensure Josephson returned home safely from the bar. The evidence is so substantial in this case pointing to your guilt, and I emphasize it and reemphasize it because of the horrific and most brutal nature this crime. Winds light and variable. Cell towers showed Rowland's phone traveling east away from Columbia during the next couple of hours to the other side of Sumter after 4 a.m. and in the vicinity where Josephson's mutilated body was found in the woods in Clarendon County, some 65 miles east of Columbia, later in the day by turkey hunters. Beaver also noted Josephson lost a lot of blood in the fatal attack, making it hard for medical examiners to collect a sample from her body. The store owner offered closer to $150, and Rowland left without the cash. Samantha Josephson, from Robinsville, New Jersey, was a student at the University of South Carolina where she majored in political science. There were a thousand trails. Thats the amount of DNA on Samantha Josephsons body that matches Nathaniel Rowland. Josephson, 21, was seen leaving a bar in Columbia, S.C., in the early morning hours of March 29, 2019. Nathaniel said in court, For whoever asked me for leniency, thats not part of my DNA. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? The brutal murder changed the way people approach safety on ride-share apps, with it now common to check the license plate of your Uber or Lyft, and expect drivers to say the prospective passengers name. Hospitality Opportunities in Food Services, Housekeeping And Others! Rowland also spoke and maintained his innocence. State politicians in South Carolina were moved to action by her tragedy, and shortly after she was killed, they approved a law requiring all ride-share vehicles to show an illuminated sign with the name of their firm. "His selfish, unspeakable and violent actions created a hole in the universe, a hole in our universe, and we see the unimaginable ripple affect her world," she said in the WIS recording. Let's, therefore . Kraft told Rowland he smelled marijuana and Rowland admitted to smoking earlier in the day. At some point, Josephson called her father, Seymour, and asked to use his credit card because she claimed hers didn't work on her ride-hiring apps. "A person who is totally emotionless and what the law would call a depraved heart.". Words cannot express the anguish our family and friends have endured since you kidnapped and brutally murdered Samantha, said Josephsons mother, Marci Josephson. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Born in Princeton, Samantha graduated from Robbinsville High School in 2015. But Howard needed the car to drive to her mothers house to pick up rent money. And for whomever asks me for leniency, thats not part of my DNA.. But I guess what I know and what I think really doesn't matter, Rowland said. But he said Samanthas phone went dead in Rosewood, South Carolina. Prosecutors did not choose to seek the death penalty in Rowlands case. Howard told the court on Wednesday that, hours after Josephson vanished, she questioned Rowland, 27, about the blood she noticed in the back seat and on the dashboard of his car. Samantha Josephson was separated at some point during the night from her friends in a heavily trafficked area of town. Everything, she had seen Rowland say and do that day finally made sense. Josephsons roommates gained access to Josephson's laptop and saw an email where her Uber ride had been canceled. He instead watched her phone travel the opposite direction. Cigarettes were passed around as friends chatted and leaned on each other after a night of drinking. They attended USC football games, ate out and remained in constant contact by phone even while living only minutes apart. There were a thousand roads. A comparable car was discovered on March 30, 2019, a few blocks from Samanthas last known location. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. But about 14 hours later, turkey hunters in a field off a gravel road about 90 miles from Columbia discovered her dead. He circled the tightly packed network of streets, making a handful of U-turns, every move captured on video and matched with the Impalas shark-fin antenna and rims. John A. Carlos II/Special to The Post and Courier, The boyfriend of Samantha Josephson, Greg Corbinshley, pleads with the judge to give the maximum sentence to Nathaniel Rowland after a jury found him guilty in the slaying of Samantha Josephson, who was killed after getting into a car she thought was her Uber ride in March 2019 in Columbias Five Points. Setting: Columbia, South Carolina, United States . Jurors have convicted Nathaniel Rowland of murdering Samantha Josephson, the New Jersey woman and University of South Carolina student who entered his car in late March of 2019, mistaking it for her Uber ride. Columbia airport receives $5 million in federal funds for security and terminal expansion, USC Foundation buys site of embattled student housing development in downtown Columbia, SC House GOP approves asking voters to remove ban on taxes directly aiding private schools, GOP infighting escalates as SC Freedom Caucus sues in federal court for fundraising power, The Berkeley Independent - Moncks Corner, SC, Rowland convicted in 'mistaken Uber' murder of USC student; sentenced to life in prison, SC man accused in USC 'ride-hiring' murder tries to switch lawyers on first day of trial, Trial starting Monday in killing of USC student who hopped into supposed Uber ride, Jurors had little doubt of Rowland's guilt in murder trial: 'No disputing anything', Test your knowledge of this week's headlines with our news quiz, Bamberg native pronounced dead at Louisiana hospital hours after Uber ride, Charleston moves to create new board to help homeowners restore dilapidated houses, Live: Jurors in Alex Murdaugh's murder trial travel to Moselle, site of the slayings, Alex Murdaugh's prosecutors push back on 2-shooter theory in final day of testimony, International African American Museum sets new opening date. He returned to Columbia after 10 years as a reporter at The Island Packet and is a University of South Carolina graduate. Shame on him," she said. At the time of the incident, she was just weeks away from graduation. She would have graduated in June and planned to attend Drexel University School of Law. 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. ", "If there's somebody else in the car, she actually has a chance.". The young and ambitious woman was a senior at the University of South Carolina pursuing a degree in Political Science. She asked if he hit a dog. document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = "© " + html; Josephson, 21, was last seen at a bar in Columbia, South Carolina, in the early morning hours of March 29, 2019. He planned to move with Josephson to Philadelphia when she began law school at Drexel University, where she had received a full scholarship. Soon after, the car pulled out and picked up Josephson. "It sickens us to think that his face was the last thing that my baby girl saw on this Earth. Samantha Josephson was born to Seymour and Marci Josephson in August 1997 in Princeton, New Jersey. Josephson's rose gold iPhone gave her location for the last time at South Ott Road and Montgomery Avenue in Rosewood after 2:30 a.m. before being powered off or losing signal. Stephen Fastenau is a local government reporter covering the City of Columbia, Richland County and general assignments. Nathaniel then sold some of those items. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. ", Marci then implored the court to keep Rowland in jail, and that he "should never be given the right to walk free again.". Then, a black car was seen pulling into a parking spot, and Samantha walked toward that vehicle. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. Her body as later found with 120 stab wounds in remote woods 65 miles from Columbia. One person noted she tutored her in Math and Samantha had babysat her twins. While she was driving the Impala, Rowland sat in the passenger seat with blue gloves and cleaned the car with the wipes and at one point scrubbed a multitool. He turned on his blue lights, pulled over the Impala after Rowland turned the wrong way on Saluda Avenue. Samantha Josephson was allegedly kidnapped and killed by a man she thought was her Uber driver in 2019 Credit: Columbia Police Department. Her shift started at 7 a.m. "WYA (where you at)?" As parents, Mayor Dave Fried and others said, "This is just beyond my comprehension capabilities.". One aspect was unchallenged: The back seat of the Impala was the crime scene. Beaver, who handled Josephson's autopsy, said she had sustained several fatal wounds to the brain and neck when she was stabbed to death. Subscribe 182K views 1 year ago Sydney Josephson, the sister of Samantha Josephson, spoke during sentencing of Nathaniel Rowland. Samantha Josephson, a college student, boards what she believes to be her rideshare in 2019 after a night out with friends, never to be seen alive again. See No Evil: Rideshare Nightmare chronicles how the authorities used security camera footage and other evidence to find and bring Samanthas killer to justice. Josephson was stabbed more than 100 times, the wounds on the right side of her body as she seemed to shield her left side. Josephson was weeks away from graduating with a degree in political science when she was killed. On March 29, 2019, during the afternoon, they decided it was best to contact the police and report her missing. The woman didn't cleanup after herself in Howard's home and had a daughter who urinated on the floor and left the entire apartment smelling of human waste. Read moreColumbia airport receives $5 million in federal funds for security and terminal expansion, The University of South Carolina Development Foundation has purchased 1.3 acres on the southeast corner of Gervais and Pickens streets across from the university's Law School. Again, Rowland told her to mind her business. Rowland was supposed to wash the shirt at his sister's house in the Rosewood area and return it before Howard began her next shift at McDonalds the next morning. Some questions may never be answered even after Rowlands conviction and sentence of life in prison without parole. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. But he also used it as an opportunity to warn students about ride-share services and to use them properly. You have permission to edit this article. The defense had motioned for a new trial based on the brevity of the deliberations, but Newman denied the motion. Dr. Thomas Beaver detailed the many injuries the victim sustained, allegedly at the hands of Nathaniel David Rowland, 27. sfastenau@postandcourier.com. Each road led to you. A co-worker gave Howard a ride home that afternoon when Rowland didnt pick her up. At some point, she kicked at the window, leaving a footprint on the glass and breaking her platform sandals. The jury determined the 27-year-old killed Josephson, 21, by stabbing her 120 times. At USC, Samantha was majoring in political science, according to her obituary. High 74F. Her final moments. The former child star, infamous Calvin Klein supermodel, and Hollywood icon is at the center of two-part documentary "Pretty Baby," directed by Lana Wilson ("Miss Americana"). The car also contained Samanthas cell phone and a large amount of blood was also discovered on the backseat. 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