Murder of Samantha Josephson

Murder of Samantha Josephson
Undated photo of Samantha Josephson
DateMarch 29, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-03-29)
Attack type
Murder by stabbing, kidnapping
VictimSamantha Lee Josephson
PerpetratorNathaniel David Rowland[1]
MotiveUnknown
VerdictGuilty on all counts
Convictions
SentenceTwo life sentences without the possibility of parole plus 5 years[2]

The murder of Samantha Josephson, a student at University of South Carolina, in Columbia, South Carolina, occurred on March 29, 2019.[3] Josephson, 21, had ordered an Uber and mistakenly entered a car that she thought was her ride. Nathaniel Rowland, the driver of the car, used childproof locks to prevent Josephson from leaving the vehicle and kidnapped and murdered her, leaving her body near New Zion, South Carolina – 65 miles (105 km) from Columbia, where she had entered Rowland's car.[4]

Rowland was arrested the next day, and charged with kidnapping and murdering Josephson.[5] A trial began on July 20, 2021.[6] On July 27, the jury found Rowland guilty of Josephson's kidnapping and murder and the judge sentenced him to life in prison.[7][8][9]

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. The murder led to the passage of Sami's Law in New Jersey, which enhances protections for drivers and passengers using ride share services. Legislation of the same name at the federal level was signed into law by President Joe Biden on January 5, 2023.[4][10]

  1. ^ "Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of College Student Samantha Josephson in Mistaken Uber Case". Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  2. ^ "ROWLAND, NATHANIEL DAVID (00386010) INMATE". Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  3. ^ Pruitt, Sharon (April 10, 2019). "A college student got into a car she thought was her Uber, police say. She was found dead in a field". Oxygen.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Benson, DeAngelo and Vainieri Huttle Bill "Sami's Law" Requiring Rideshare Driver, Car Identification Passes Assembly". insidernj.com. 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  5. ^ Vera, Amir (30 March 2019). "A college student got into a car she thought was her Uber, police say. She was found dead in a field". CNN. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  6. ^ Adams, Lauren; Mallory, Laurel (July 20, 2021). "Nathaniel Rowland Trial: His DNA not found on Samantha Josephson, but someone else's was, defense says". wistv.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  7. ^ Olson, Mike (July 27, 2021). "Nathaniel Rowland found guilty of the murder of Samantha Josephson". ABC Columbia. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sentence was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Madani, Doha (July 27, 2021). "Life in prison for man in killing of South Carolina student who mistook his car for an Uber". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  10. ^ Monk, John (July 26, 2021). "Pathologist speaks for the dead, tells jury in Rowland trial how USC student died". The State. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.