However, it turned out to be her killer. Corbishley told her she had earned a night out with friends after the news of her law school scholarship. The defense had motioned for a new trial based on the brevity of the deliberations, but Newman denied the motion. The couple went from just talking to a formal relationship during the spring of 2017. He saw the car on Harden Street not far from Bird Dog at 2:30 a.m. on March 30, 24 hours after Josephson disappeared. A jury found the 27-year-old guilty of Samantha Josephson's murder on July 27, 2021 - we take a look at his life and what led to the killing. A jury unanimously found him guilty of Samantha's murder after an hour-long deliberation. Samantha Josephson just wanted a ride home when she accidentally got into Nathaniel Rowland's car. sfastenau@postandcourier.com. How Did She Die? "Sami, a 2015 Robbinsville High School graduate, was a vibrant young woman with an infectious smile and a contagious laugh. The Christopher Hoefling Murder -The 2017 murder of Christopher Hoefling in Evansville, Indiana is the topic of theInvestigation Discoverydocumentary series"The Murder Tapes" Season 7 Episode Lauren Harpe From Survivor 44 -Since its debut in 2000, 'Survivor' has become one of the most popular television programs ever. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. "He's taken away a piece of our heart, soul and life. 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. "Don't ever forget her name.". I close my eyes, and I feel what she endured at his hands.. 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. She might have bled to death in as little as 10-20 minutes after those injuries, a pathologist who conducted her autopsy testified. 5. But I guess what I know and what I think really doesnt matter. "It sickens us to think that his face was the last thing that my baby girl saw on this Earth. 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. A store owner later testified that Nathaniel tried to sell him a phone on March 29, 2019. You have permission to edit this article. He was caught and arrested on March 20, 2019. They were called into a conference room where Josephson's mother and father were, looking distraught. 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.. "Robbinsville is a strong, close-knit community and we will continue to find ways to care for and support our students, families, friends, staff, and community members as we hold the Josephson family in our hearts.". In July 2021, Nathaniel was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Samantha in addition to possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Beaver, who handled Josephson's autopsy, said she had sustained several fatal wounds to the brain and neck when she was stabbed to death. On March 30, 2019, they found a similar vehicle a few blocks from the area where Samantha was last seen. The car had stopped, but the driver had exited and was running. Murder victim Samantha Josephson, 21, was stabbed around 120 times in her horrific March 2019 death, according to Monday testimony from a forensic pathologist. Rowland maintained his innocence before being sentenced, with his attorneys pointing out that scientists werent certain his DNA was on the knife. At USC, Samantha was majoring in political science, according to her obituary. He was in the vicinity of the body, according to his mobile phone records, and Samanthas cellphone was located in his vehicle. Let's, therefore . Prosecutors did not choose to seek the death penalty in Rowlands case. Chance of rain 40%.. Cloudy in the evening, then off and on rain showers after midnight. Taken from surveillance video, Samantha Josephson is seen waiting on Harden Street in Columbia's Five Points as a Chevrolet Impala drives toward her on March 29, 2019. Each trail led to you, Newman said. 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. 2101 Gervais Street 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. A fingerprint on the envelope would be matched to Rowland and blood on the envelope belonged to Josephson. And on March 28, 2019, and into the early hours of March 29, she had asked him repeatedly in phone calls, text messages and video calls to make the drive again in part, because she was struggling with an illness of a family member. entered his car by mistake believing it was her Uber ride. He had studied at East Clarendon School and played basketball, according to GreenVille Online. I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at his hands. Thats the amount of DNA on Samantha Josephsons body that matches Nathaniel Rowland. The ride-share industry has also implemented changes, like clearer displays of driver license plates, following Josephson's death. They attended USC football games, ate out and remained in constant contact by phone even while living only minutes apart. Howard texted her mother after 8 a.m., telling her Rowland had tried but the shirt was wet and that he wouldn't be washing clothes again. Suspect in Mistaken Uber Killing of Woman Allegedly Cleaned Car with Bleach Afterward, Says Ex, Video Shows College Student Entering Car She Apparently Thought Was Uber Before Her Murder, College Student Who Mistook Suspect's Car for Her Uber Was Stabbed 120 Times: Pathologist, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, Alex Murdaugh Goes on Trial and Snapchat Rep Will Testify After Revelation of Son's Video Before Death, Alex Murdaugh's Surviving Son Buster Is on Witness List for Father's Highly Anticipated Murder Trial, Daughter of Former National Intelligence Director Convicted of Murder for Killing Friend in Maryland Airbnb, Will Bryan Kohberger Face Death Penalty if Convicted of Idaho Murders? The documentary "See No Evil: Rideshare Nightmare" on Investigation Discovery details how the police used security camera footage and other proof to identify and apprehend Samantha's killer. Testimony, surveillance video and cell phone tower data presented in a week-long trial in Richland County court, which ended July 27, helped complete a picture of the roughly 24 hours from when Josephson disappeared to when Nathaniel Rowland was arrested and charged with her murder. During the investigation, Nathaniel was also connected to another crime; selling off stolen property in October 2018. The series, created Carolyn Wiger From Survivor 44 -CBS has debuted the 44th season of the renowned reality television series "Survivor" Diverse strangers attempt to survive in Contestant Carson Garrett From Survivor 44 -Since its launch in 2000, the CBS reality competition series 'Survivor,' developed by Charlie Parsons, has been a Where is Kevin Roby Now? Wreck Season 1 Recap and Ending, Explained, IDs The Murder Tapes Help 712 Ive Been Shot Christopher Hoefling Murder, Lauren Harpe From Survivor 44: Everything We Know, Carolyn Wiger From Survivor 44: Everything We Know, Carson Garrett From Survivor 44: Everything We Know. Of one thing jurors were certain: He was responsible for it all. He returned to Columbia after 10 years as a reporter at The Island Packet and is a University of South Carolina graduate. A chilling video also shows when Samantha Josephson entered the car: Over the weekend, the family was letting people know that they're not through, that they will work to honor Samantha's memory since the 21-year-old University of South Carolina student, unlike the alleged killer, had "purpose in her life. 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. He and Josephson had remained in touch, and she told him in a call after 2 a.m. she had ordered an Uber and was waiting for it to take her back home to Main Street. Howard watched the news and heard about Josephsons disappearance. 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. Instead, I went to Columbia to gather her belongings, Josephsons grieving mother, Marci, said during victim-impact statements at the court hearing. Setting: Columbia, South Carolina, United States . COLUMBIA The scene was pure college town post-midnight revelry. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Shortly after the conviction, Judge Clifton Newman called Rowland "heartless" and sentenced him to life in prison, adding that the decision for him was "easy. He was charged with kidnapping, murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime in April 2019. All Rights Reserved. Her body as later found with 120 stab wounds in remote woods 65 miles from Columbia. Furthermore, the child lock was activated, making it difficult for someone to open the door from inside. Additionally, phone data revealed that Samantha and Nathaniel were using their phones simultaneously in the automobile. Samantha's father appeared at the vigil, too, telling students: "I can't tell you how painful this is.". Enjoy yourself, he told her, take your mind off of things. The death of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson, who mistook her alleged killer for an Uber driver, has turned a national spotlight on ride-hailing safety and led to some changes,. During the sentencing, her devastated mom Marci Josephson said: Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. Discovery Company. Howard banged on the door to her apartment "like the police," angry at Rowland for not showing up after she left him her key so he could sleep while she was at work. Kathie Foster, superintendent of the Robbinsville School District, released a statement, saying: "Our hearts are heavy with grief and shock as we process the news of the sudden and tragic death of Samantha Josephson.". The ride-share industry has also implemented changes, like clearer displays of driver license plates, following Josephson's death. Judith Therianos Murder Case: where is Timothy Frederick Johnson Today? The investigators found Samanthas blood in his car and her footprint on the rear window. 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. They returned home without some of Howard's clothes being washed, including her uniform shirt for work. Nathaniel Rowland, 27, was also found guilty of. I know Im innocent, but I guess what I know and what I think really doesnt matter, Rowland said. Prosecutors also rested their case Monday after calling. Thanks for contacting us. By afternoon on March 29, they felt it was prudent to call the authorities and report her missing. 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. Slain University of South Carolina student died from multiple sharp force injuries, authorities say. So Howard drafted an eviction notice March 28, 2019, and placed it in the glovebox of the black Chevrolet Impala in front of her home to later get notarized at a bank. Her final moments. Where is Lloyd Averys Killer Kevin Roby Now? A double-bladed knife was also discovered by the police in the trash outside his girlfriends house, along with cleaning materials in the car. Samantha Josephson was born to Seymour and Marci Josephson in August 1997 in Princeton, New Jersey. View our online Press Pack. I was planning my trip to [the city of] Columbia in 2019 to watch my daughter graduate from college. According to TV network A&E the episode will air on their show Killer Cases. From the friend's house, Josephson's group walked to Five Points after midnight and made their only stop, the Bird Dog, one of the many bars catering to college students. Corbishley drove to Columbia the morning after Josephson disappeared. Samanthas roommates first began to worry when they couldnt reach her the following morning. And there was Samantha Josephson, standing alone just outside the group. The burial will follow at Perrineville Cemetery, 755 Perrineville Rd., in Perrineville. Surveillance video captured the heartbreaking moment she climbed into Nathaniel Rowlands backseat. The Wrong Car: Shocking Details Of Samantha Josephson's Alleged Murder. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The 21-year-old New Jersey native was about to graduate from the University of South Carolina and was madly in love. Defense lawyers said Rowland was not connected to the killing through DNA evidence after Josephsons body was found in a wooded area about 65 miles away from the alleged abduction, according to the report. "I cannot fathom how someone could randomly select a person, a beautful girl, and steal her life away. Rowland is accused of kidnapping and killing University of South Carolina . Rowland, who was 24 at the time of the killing, is a resident of New Zion in Clarendon County, Columbus. Within hours of Samantha being reported missing, her remains were found in Clarendon County, South Carolina. "A person who is totally emotionless and what the law would call a depraved heart.". The group returned to Rosewood and looked for a black car like the one they'd seen in the video and talked to multiple families. The McDonald's visor she had left in his back window was gone. Surveillance video captured his black Impala passing a Bi-Lo grocery store on Devine at 1:48 a.m. and entering Five Points a few minutes later. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. The young and ambitious woman was a senior at the University of South Carolina pursuing a degree in Political Science. I just feel like shes not fighting for me as she would fight for her own, Rowland reportedly told Judge Clifton Newman during a break in jury selection. Corbishley watched on an app used to share locations wanting to ensure Josephson returned home safely from the bar. Directors Tristan Goodley (interview director) Chris Roberts (drama director) Rowland eventually pulled up to the apartment in his black Impala. After a night out with friends in Columbia, South Carolina, Samantha asked for an Uber at around two in the morning on March 29, 2019. Josephson stepped out into the street and reached for the door handle of a different gray sedan as it slowed in the street in front of her. Josephsons blood was found in the cars passenger side and the trunk, and her cell phone was in the passenger compartment, authorities said at the time of her killing. He faces up to life in prison if he is convicted of kidnapping and murder in the March 2019 killing of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson. She had planned to go to the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia upon her graduation. 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. Josephson was weeks away from graduating with a degree in political science when she was killed. Authorities claim that two individuals carjacked a woman and stole money and other goods from her home. Soon after, the car pulled out and picked up Josephson. 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. Nathaniel Rowland has received a life sentence for . The store owner offered closer to $150, and Rowland left without the cash. Hospitality Opportunities in Food Services, Housekeeping And Others! "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.". But it ended up being her murderer. 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. COLUMBIA Samantha Josephson was a fighter, who tore her fingernails as she clawed her attacker before she was killed while locked in the back of a black sedan that she thought was her Uber. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. She left a bar at 2am and had ordered an Uber home, and mistakenly got into Rowlands car thinking it was her ride. Then Nathaniel sold some of those things. Later, her boyfriend Greg Corbishley said he spoke to her the night before she vanished and followed her to make sure she arrived home. Cigarettes were passed around as friends chatted and leaned on each other after a night of drinking. Provided, The final hours leading to the deadly meeting of Samantha Josephson and Nathaniel Rowland, By Stephen Fastenau The former girlfriend of the man accused of killing Samantha Josephson testified she saw blood inside the suspect's car hours after the victim vanished and also saw her boyfriend cleaning a hunting knife. John A. Carlos II/Special to The Post and Courier, Prosecutor Daniel Goldberg holds a multitool investigators believe was used to kill Samantha Josephson as he makes his closing argument in the murder trial for Nathaniel Rowland on July 27, 2021. [2] Josephson, 21, had ordered an Uber and mistakenly entered a car that she thought was her ride. Rowland is. She said she jokingly asked Rowland if he'd hit a dog with his car and then put the dying animal in the back seat. So, lets find out more about what happened then, shall we. Authorities said Josephson was stabbed to death. Josephson had spent the night before her death in the Five Points district in downtown Columbia with friends. In Columbia, Josephson and her roommates prepared for a typical Thursday night out during the spring semester at USC. 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. Police must rely on CCTV footage to help them follow the killer's trail because they have little other information. You can follow his daily exploits on Twitter and Instagram. Kraft told Rowland he smelled marijuana and Rowland admitted to smoking earlier in the day. Chance of rain 50%. The shirt he was supposed to wash for Howard was still wet when he handed it over. The film . Again, Rowland told her to mind her business. And hes been indicted for possession of a weapon from the commission of a violent crime. 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