Nothing about her identity, relationship to Rowland or circumstances has been released. He had the option to not attend the jail hearing on Sunday, more than 24 hours after he was arrested and charged with kidnapping and killing Samantha. Rowlands defense attorneys called no witnesses and Rowland did not testify. 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. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Samantha Josephson Death - Samantha Josephson Found Dead. Inside the vehicle, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. [33] The act requires ride-share vehicles to display license plate numbers on the front. Prior to that, Dr. Thomas Beaver took the witness stand, telling jurors Josephson, 21, sustained several fatal wounds to the brain and neck when she was stabbed to death on March 29, 2019. She said that riding in a car with blood in it does not make you a murderer, and that if it did, Mr. Rowlands girlfriend should have been charged. He was heterosexual, she was attractive, and rape is almost obligatory in cases like this. A child safety seat was also found in the back seat and the child safety door locks were locked. A forensic pathologist would say that there were 100 stab wounds, cuts, and abrasions, he promised jurors last week. He has been convicted by the jury.. What happened to Samantha Josephson? The officer asked him to get out and he complied, but kept his hands in his pockets. I have had to look for motives myself. She was stabbed with both the double and single blades. NJ judge orders recount in Trenton City Council runoff won by 1 vote, Bed Bath & Beyond close to bankruptcy: Which NJ stores are left, Mercer County, NJ hiking trails closed for hunting on these days, 4th person sentenced to prison for violent Trenton, NJ riot, Robber off the streets forever after shooting NJ woman in neck and head, Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and EEO Report. Josephsons hyoid bone was also broken, he said. But he also used it as an opportunity to warn students about ride-share services and to use them properly. She was found on her back, fully clothed, with her shirt pulled up toward her head. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/vpa5YKqC1J, Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 26, 2021. Additionally, companies must give ride-share drivers two barcodes that passengers can scan to confirm the driver's identity. Another witness earlier testified that Josephson's DNA was recovered from beneath Rowland's fingernails. 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. The murder led to the passage of Samis Law in New Jersey, which enhances protections for drivers and passengers using ride share services. 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? Miss Howard was annoyed that Mr. Rowland was gone that morning, because she had given him her work shirt to launder, and had left her McDonalds visor in the back seat of his car. A phone tech from Cellular City testified that a man came to his shop that night, wanting to sell a rose gold iPhone 7 Plus for $300. "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. On July 27, 2021, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. On the evening of March 28, 2019, 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was out with her friends in the Five Points village in Columbia, South Carolina. She was never able to get back outdue to the child locks already in place, according to prosecutor Bryon Gipson's opening statement . 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. 1534 Pennington Rd. . In this case, there was none of this, not even a psychiatric evaluation of the killer. < Grammy Awards Show to Make Diversity Part of the Contract, Being White on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Annual 2023 Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day History Quiz, President Bidens Insulting Prisoner Exchange, How to Stop Blacks from Shooting Each Other. In a virtual hearing, family members for both Josephson and Rowland delivered statements in front of Judge DeAndrea Benjamin. During the jail hearing, Marci said there are no words to describe "the immense pain" the alleged killer's actions have caused her family and friends. The image of Samantha fighting for her life has haunted her parents for the past 28 months. Miss Josephsons body was discovered that day by hunters in the woods of New Zion. Here is the recording of Marci as she spoke at the hearing; the story continues below the video: The Robbinsville family did it as they also planned a funeral that will be held on Wednesday at 12 p.m., with services at Congregation Beth Chaim at 329 Village Rd. Among a number of stab wounds in her flank area, one actually went into the lung, he said. WHAT WE DON'T KNOW:Several questions remain unanswered -- or their answers remain undisclosed to the public. "Unlike him, Samantha valued human life and could never harm another soul," Marci said in the WIS audio tape. Samantha Josephson was born in 1998 (age 21 years; as in 2019 at the time of death) in Nevada, United States. Perhaps most importantly: We don't know what allegedly prompted Rowland to attack Josephson so violently. Similar laws were passed in New York and North Carolina, and federal legislation to protect rideshare passengers has also been proposed. As reported by WYFF4, Josephson got separated from her friends, and reportedly contacted Uber for a ride back to her apartment. 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. [5] On July 27, the jury found Rowland guilty of Josephson's kidnapping and murder and the judge sentenced him to life in prison. One of Rowland's strikes went completely through her right hand, as she likely used it to protect herself. 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. The car she got into went in the opposite direction of her apartment - and she wasn't. Mr. Rowland faced three charges: Murder; kidnapping; and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. 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. The judge said the case was the "most severe" murder he had seen in court before. She attended the University of South Carolina where she majored in political science. Thomas Beaver testifies about Samantha Josephsons death. 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. He was charged with kidnapping, murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime in April 2019. Josephsons DNA was also collected from Rowlands fingernails. According to his Facebook page he attended South Carolina State University in 2017, but the schools chief of staff in 2019 confirmed he was not a student there at the time of Samanthas killing. 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, according to police. He assumed she had left her phone in the Uber car. 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. During re-direct, he said she might have hit items in the car such as the door or window. [17] Additionally, the child locks were activated, which police believe prevented Josephson from escaping. 5. . Trenton, NJ Samantha L. Josephson ROBBINSVILLE Samantha L. Josephson, 21, passed away Friday March 29, 2019. 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Man Convicted of Breaking into Home, Murdering 2 Kids and Woman over Facebook Post. . "I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at [Rowland's} hands 120 times. She bled profusely, ultimately dying within 10-20 minutes, according to the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on her body. RM T29H53 - Columbia, South Carolina USA - March 31, 2019: University of South Carolina students mourn the death of their slain fellow Gamecock Samantha Josephson during a candlelight vigil held in her honor. The toe straps were broken off, but her sandals were still attached to her ankles. The South Carolina student mistakenly . "I am completely devastated and am praying for her family.". A comment since removed that was posted to Mr. Rowlands Facebook page after his arrest, says as much. I try to move forward each day, but forever will be broken.. Samantha, 21, got into Rowland's car after a night out in Columbia's Five Points entertainment district thinking it was an Uber ride that would take her back to her apartment, prosecutors said.. First to testify Wednesday was a turkey . "She was such a sweet and caring girl," the person wrote. Hours later, the young woman was found murdered many miles away from where she was last seen. Investigators said they also found bleach, germicidal wipes and window cleaner in the car. 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. 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. "For whoever asked me for leniency, that's not part of my DNA," said Judge Newman. Prosecutors admitted they never identified a motive for the gruesome attack and believe "it was absolutely a random act of violence.". Samantha Josephsons parents established the #WHATSMYNAME Foundation in honor of their daughter, to promote rideshare safety. [24] Inside the car, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. The Tragic Murder Of Samantha Josephson Explained. [50] Her diploma and college possessions were given to her mother. They haven't saidwhy he allegedlyreturned to the Five Points area? April 2, 2019 Examined May 03 4:31 13:00 11:16 11:44 13:58 May 25 11:45 7:42 7:31 8:01 7:41 5:33 Oct 30 Following his arrest, authorities reportedly made a number of gruesome discoveries inside the vehicle. Beaver suggested that someone moved the victims body after death. Samantha Josephson had just a little more than a tablespoon of blood in her body after the attack, making it difficult for workers at her autopsy to collect enough blood for routine testing.. Thats one of those questions Mr. Rowland would have to answer at some point in time.. Just days before New Jersey native Marci Josephson will bury her daughter, Samantha, she had just one question for the alleged killer: Marci then let anyone who could hear that she and her family are grieving, they're stunned, they're shocked and they're terribly angry that anyone could kill somebody they affectionately called "sweet pea.". The area was called 5 Points and was heavily viewed on social media when video surveillance footage began circulating of Josephson getting into a black Chevy Impala around 2am. According to the news release, an. Miss Howard noticed that the car smelled of chlorine, and she saw a bottle of bleach in the car. In South Carolina a life sentence means there can never be parole. 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. The Clarendon County Coroner Bucky Mock stated that SLED is releasing the cause of death for Samantha L. Josephson, 21, of Robbinsville, New Jersey. Ride-share vehicles must also have an identifying marker on the front windshield and back window. States that do not comply would be penalized by losing 1% of federal highway funding. . If were not supposed to pay attention to what the scientists tell us, then why are we sending stuff to science? @LawCrimeNetwork #SamanthaJosephson #NathanielRowland pic.twitter.com/vZQ9eXqQuI, Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 23, 2021. Samantha Josephsons DNA was found on his bandana, shoes, and socks, and under his fingernails. A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the family, and nearly $50,000 was collected. The University of South Carolina student from Robbinsville, New Jersey, disappeared. 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. 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. According to TV network A&E the episode will air on their show Killer Cases. The page had sexual images and references to sex. Emailus. Despite this list, Josephsons body was neither taped nor burned. She asked if he had hit a dog. "On behalf of the Robbinsville Board of Education and entire school community, we want to extend our deepest sympathy and love to the Josephson family," Foster said. He was caught and arrested on March 20, 2019. Forensic investigators determined that she was killed in the car. He testified that the average human has over a gallon of blood in his body, but Josephson had only two tablespoons, making it hard to get a large enough sample even for toxicology tests. She earned a full scholarship to Drexel University, as . [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. 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. . "I cannot fathom how someone could randomly select a person, a beautful girl, and steal her life away. Boojee, for example, from bourgeois, means too white, rich, or upper class. One person noted she tutored her in Math and Samantha had babysat her twins. According to authorities, Rowland activated the child locks so that the doors could only be opened from the outside, thereby trapping Josephson inside the vehicle. She absolutely had no chance. Shame on him," she said. She had planned to go to the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia after her graduation. 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). This bone sits at the back of the tongue. [24], On June 9, 2020, Nathaniel Rowland was denied bond. Phil Murphy also signed legislation, which is referred to as "Sami's Law," that requires rideshare drivers to provide and display identification information. After the burial, the Josephson family will sit Shiva, then visiting hours will be on Thursday after 3 p.m. and Sunday starting at 12 p.m. at the family's house. As her boyfriend drove her to work, Miss Howard noticed dried blood on the dashboard and the back seat. In April 2019, Senator Anna Kaplan introduced the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act, to the New York Senate. Beaver's testimony went to the. "[8][31] Newman also characterized Rowland as being "heartless" and said the case was the "most severe" murder he had seen in court before. [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. WLTX 7/26/2021. 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 . Josephsons father tearfully said that the loss of his daughter was so terrible he considered suicide several times. USC student Samantha Josephson (pictured) - who was murdered after getting into a fake Uber - was stabbed around 120 times and had so little blood left in her body that autopsy workers. 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. [38] The act requires ride-share drivers to display a printed license plate number on the front of their vehicles and, as of July 1, 2020, to have illuminated signs on their vehicles. Decide for yourself what the target means. 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. Was Mr. Rowland pretending to be an Uber driver? Surveillance video from a nearby Wendys showed Mr. Rowland in his black Impala that night. "Her death was my death," Marci Josephson said. Additionally, Josephson suffered a severed hyoid bone, as well as stab wounds to her face, neck, shoulder, torso, back, lung, leg, and feet. Dr. Thomas Beaver, a forensic pathologist, did the autopsy and found that Josephson had 120 stab wounds, mostly on the right side of her body. Before you get in the car, check that license plate, driver photo, and driver name all match what's listed in the app.". Nathaniel David Rowland, DOB 4/13/1994, has been arrested on charges of murder and kidnapping in the death of Josephson. Nathaniel Rowland, now 27, is accused of kidnapping and killing South Carolina student Samantha Josephson, 21, in March 2019. The murder weapon being shown to the jury. Mr. Rowland said, I know Im innocent, but I guess what I know, what I think really doesnt matter. Her arguments made no sense. She left a bar at 2am and had ordered an Uber home, and mistakenly got into Rowlands car thinking it was her ride. Miss Howards McDonalds visor was found in the trunk; it also had Josephsons blood on it. Mr. Rowland left home at about midnight. She would have graduated in June and planned to attend Drexel University School of Law. "Don't ever forget her name.". Here you see #SamanthaJosephson in orange, waiting for her Uber. After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found Nathaniel Rowland guilty of all three charges. It is popular with white University of South Carolina students, and the surveillance videos show many young whites there. Mr. Rowlands trial, which brought to light many details of the murder, began on July 19 and ended on July 27. 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. Rowland also stabbed Josephson in her head with enough force that the knife went through her skull to her brain. The contents of this website are copyright 1990-2023 New According to surveillance footage, at 2:09, a black Chevrolet Impala, driven by Rowland, pulled up beside her. Rowland was charged with obtaining goods under false premises. [12] She earned a full scholarship to Drexel University, as well as a partial scholarship to Rutgers[13] and aspired to practice international law. Born in Princeton, Samantha was a student. If he liked lit places, he could have found one with young blacks. Samantha went missing for hours before she was found. Samantha Josephson's murder prompted several measures to increase awareness and safety when using rideshare services. Anastasia Katz, American Renaissance, August 6, 2021. (There were scratches on his jacket that showed Josephson had been clawing at him as she tried to fight him off.) Samantha went missing for hours before she was found more than 60 miles away, in Clarendon County, about 40 feet off a dirt road, police said. . [37], Josephsons murder prompted lawmakers in North Carolina to propose the Passenger Protection Act. Murder victim Samantha Josephson, 21, was stabbed around 120 times in her horrific March 2019 death, according to Monday testimony from a forensic pathologist. There was a strong smell of marijuana coming from the car. 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 . He took approximately 170 photographs (because of extent of injuries) and 13 x-rays (looking for pieces of knife that may have broken off and lodged in the body). East in Princeton Junction. That probably happened when she was dragged by her feet to where she was dumped. And it was two days after Samantha got into the wrong car - allegedly Rowland's vehicle - that she mistakenly thought was her Uber ride. 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. Prosecutors did not choose to seek the death penalty. It was later determined Josephson was brutally murdered. The U.S. Sun reports authorities later found a knife, which possibly belonged to Rowland, covered in Samantha Josephson's blood. "His actions were senseless vile and unacceptalbe," Marci continued. Specifically, the law requires companies to issue two "credential placards" to drivers of ride-share vehicles. Samantha Josephson's body was found in a field in a secluded, wooded area about 90 miles from Columbia about 4 p.m. Friday. On March 29, University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson was kidnapped and murdered after going to a bar with friends. [40], Additional legislation aimed at protecting ride-share users is pending. Mr. Rowlands defense had weak closing arguments. The Council would report to the Secretary of Transportation and work to advance safety standards in the rideshare industry. Samantha decides she's ready to go home around 2:00 a.m. on the morning of the 29th, and she contacts an Uber. Century Foundation. During the sentencing, her devastated mom Marci Josephson said: Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. The doctor testified that a pattern of close stab wounds showed she had been stabbed very rapidly. [17] The car also contained Josephson's phone[25] as well as a large amount[16] of her blood, which was in the passenger seat and in the trunk. She had been dumped not far from the home of the parents of the 27-year-old black man Nathaniel Rowland who would be charged with her murder. 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. [51], The Township of Robbinsville built a patio and rock garden, dedicating the landmarks to Josephson.[32]. The 21-year-old's body was found with over 100 violent stab wounds in a remote field . Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Rose said in a message on his Twitter account he is introducing legislation requiring rideshare vehicles to be identified by illuminated signage.
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