Samantha Josephsons blood and DNA were found all over the car: the rear seat, the rear center console, the drivers side headrest, the gearshift, the seat backs, and the roof. Other items she gathered and presented on the witness stand were a roll of duct tape and bleach wipes with blood on them. 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? My prayers are with you now and in the coming days. Nathaniel Rowland, 24, the accused, has denied any wrongdoing. The image of Samantha fighting for her life has haunted her parents for the past 28 months. . Maam, Im not going to hear any claims of innocence, he said. I visualize the blood flowing from her body. The toe straps were broken off, but her sandals were still attached to her ankles. He was not willing to pay $300, so he gave it back. 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. . 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 reminded the jury that when Mr. Rowland was arrested, he had no injuries, and a scraping from under Josephsons fingernail did not show Mr. Rowlandss DNA, which suggested she did not fight back. [28], On July 20, 2021, Rowland's trial began. Posted at 09:48h in michael deluise matt leblanc by He knew the route from the Bird Dog to her home; he had taken it many times himself. [39] The law was signed by Governor Roy Cooper in August 2019. However, when they asked the man to step out of the vehicle, he fled on foot. womanspace.org. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Oscar Cainer tells all. His face was not clear because he pulled his jacket up to cover his nose and mouth. Strangulation will break it, but Beaver suggested a stab wound damaged Josephsons hyoid bone. A stab wound behind her ear, through her skull, and into her brain. A forensic expert testified Samantha Josephson was killed with a multi-tool weapon and stabbed over 100 times. First to testify Wednesday was a turkey . The images are of black women, but there are suggestions that Mr. Rowland was interested in white women. Here you see #SamanthaJosephson in orange, waiting for her Uber. She opens the rear, drivers-side door, says something, and gets in. Her body was then found in a field[17] in the town of New Zion in Clarendon County by turkey hunters[21] fourteen hours after the kidnapping. 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. Following Samantha's death, South Carolina lawmakers introduced . Why, to put it bluntly, didnt he rape Josephson? The double-bladed multi-tool had both Mr. Rowlands and Samantha Josephsons DNA on it. Miss Howards McDonalds visor was found in the trunk; it also had Josephsons blood on it. 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. Miss Josephsons body was discovered that day by hunters in the woods of New Zion. 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. Jamison was tasked to take a piece of paper with a list on it and compare it to Rowlands handwriting. He assumed she had left her phone in the Uber car. The state announced Monday afternoon that it . 2023 Court TV Media LLC, part of The E.W. Born in Princeton, Samantha was a student at The University of South Carolina majoring in political science. The murder weapon being shown to the jury. The public defender, Ashley Goode, cross-examined Jazic asking if she documented any scratches on Rowland at the police station. . . She had stab wounds from head to toe. Miss Josephsons iPhone was in the car and child safety locks were turned on. 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. Mr. Rowlands shirt was also found in the bag. Additionally, Josephsons DNA was collected from Rowlands fingernails. On June 5, 2019, the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act was signed into law in South Carolina. The Tragic Murder Of Samantha Josephson Explained. . His Impala jumps a curb to pull into an empty handicapped space next to Josephson. 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. 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. For many blacks, a white bunny or a snow bunny is a white woman who is interested in blacks. [33] The act requires ride-share vehicles to display license plate numbers on the front. Samantha L. Josephson, 21, passed away Friday March 29, 2019. 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. At one point, he went the wrong way down a one-way street. Samantha Josephson, from Robinsville, New Jersey, was a student at the University of South Carolina where she majored in political science. Missing University of South Carolina Samantha Josephson's death confirmed by university Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student who was reported missing, has died, the . 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. [24], On June 9, 2020, Nathaniel Rowland was denied bond. samantha josephson autopsy. @LawCrimeNetwork #SamanthaJosephson #NathanielRowland pic.twitter.com/vZQ9eXqQuI, Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) July 23, 2021. One of Rowlands strikes went completely through her right hand, as she likely used it to protect herself. A forensic pathologist goes over the autopsy report of Amy Mullis. Wasn't an issue for my friend who I saw get stabbed to death before a punch was thrown either. The real driver testified at trial that when he showed up, she wasnt there. Investigator Dawn Claycomb stood up from the stand and pulled Josephsons clothing out of a brown paper bag. 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 . Additionally, companies must give ride-share drivers two barcodes that passengers can scan to confirm the driver's identity. The jury took a little more . For what? I have had to look for motives myself. According to a warrant for . Among a number of stab wounds in her flank area, one actually went into the lung, he said. Beaver said that Josephson also sustained wounds to her head, and had defensive-type injuries to a palmnamely, two parallel stab wounds that went through her hand. [6][7][8], The killing attracted national attention and led to discussion about the dangers of ridesharing and the importance of ensuring that a rideshare car is being driven by a registered driver prior to entering. In previous testimony, Rowland's attorneys have pointed out scientists weren't absolutely certain Rowland's DNA was on the knife and his genetic material wasn't in other places it might be expected. Similar laws were passed in New York and North Carolina, and federal legislation to protect rideshare passengers has also been proposed. you want to continue watching? 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, including . 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. Click or tap here to report it. 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. 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). Williams said it looked like 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. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday. He noticed that she was going in the wrong direction, and that the app stopped tracking her. The Clarendon County Coroner on Monday released a cause for Josephson of death as "multiple sharp force injuries" for Samantha Josephson following an autopsy. Nipsey Hussle probably knew how to . 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. Not all of the 120 or so wounds would have caused Josephson's death, but . Samantha Josephsons parents established the #WHATSMYNAME Foundation in honor of their daughter, to promote rideshare safety. This post, about the need for blacks to support black businesses shows that Mr. Rowland was race conscious. Over and over and over, fighting for her life, locked in his car." They called the police. Court adjourned for the night around 5:45 p.m. Testimony continues at 9:30 a.m. Friday. Cause of death revealed: A chilling video also shows when Samantha Josephson of New Jersey entered the car. [4] A trial began on July 20, 2021. 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