A 21-Year-Old South Carolina Student Got Into Her Killer's Car, Mistaking It For an Uber
Early Friday morning, 21-year-old University of South Carolina senior Samantha Josephson ordered an Uber home after a night out with friends in Columbia's popular Five Points nightlife district. Surveillance footage shows Josephson waiting for her car outside the bar Bird Dog. At 2:09 a.m., a black Chevrolet Impala pulls up and she hops in.
But Josephson hadn't ordered an Impala. The man in the vehicle was not her driver, according to authorities, and he didn't take her home.
Fourteen hours later, hunters discovered her body in a field nearly 70 miles away.
"Our hearts are broken,” Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said at a news conference, shortly after meeting with Josephson’s relatives. “They’re broken. There is nothing tougher than to stand before a family and explain how a loved one was murdered.”
Josephson's co-workers at the Liberty Tap Room, a local restaurant, grew concerned when she didn’t come in for her morning shift that day. The establishment's operating partner, Rich Vascovich, told Columbia's newspaper The State that her friends contacted him to see if she'd shown up for work.
“That kind of clued us in that something wasn’t right,” Vascovich told the newspaper.
By early afternoon, Josephson’s friends reported her missing.
As the search for her ensued, two turkey hunters in a wooded field in Clarendon County discovered a body in clothing that matched the description of what Josephson had been wearing out that night: black jeans, light shoes, orange top.
According to The Washington Post, 24-year-old Nathaniel D. Rowland was arrested early Saturday after a police officer noticed him driving a black Impala two blocks from Five Points. It was the same type of car Josephson got into and investigators believe she mistook it for her Uber. USC’s student newspaper, the Daily Gamecock, also reports that Josephson’s Uber driver canceled the ride when she failed to appear at their pickup point.
Authorities discovered blood in the trunk and on the passenger seat of Rowland's Impala, and tests confirmed it was Josephson’s. Police also found window cleaner, bleach, antibacterial wipes and Josephson’s phone.
The child safety locks had been activated in the back seat.
Chief Holbrook said Rowland had lived near where Josephson’s body was found in Clarendon County, which is “very difficult to get to unless you knew how to get there.”
Rowland waived his right to a court hearing on Sunday and did not appear before a judge.
According to WISTV, Josephson’s mother made a statement during proceedings.
“There are no words to describe the immense pain, his actions have caused our family and friends,” Marci Josephson reportedly said. “He’s taken away a piece of our heart, soul and life. Shame on him.”
She asked the judge not to forget her daughter. “Samantha Josephson. My daughter’s name is Samantha Josephson," she said. “Don’t ever forget her name. Samantha Josephson.”
Rowland’s case will be moved to general session court, which handles felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, according to The Washington Post. A judge will determine whether he will be granted bond.
Josephson was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at USC. She would have graduated in May, before heading to law school at Drexel University in the fall.
In a message to students, USC urged them to use campus shuttles and to “exercise best practices when using services like Uber and Lyft.” The school also encouraged students to "match the description and license plate number in your app and always ask the driver who he or she is there to pick up before opening the door."
USC President Harris Pastides released a statement announcing Josephson’s death. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write these words this morning. Our prayers are with the family and friends of Samantha Josephson following the devastating news of her death,” Pastides wrote. “Times like these leave me searching for words of wisdom and comfort. However, I take solace that the Carolina Family is here to embrace those who are hurting.”
Josephson’s father, Seymour Josephson, published a statement on Facebook, writing, “I will miss and love my baby girl for the rest of life. Samantha is no longer with us but she will not be forgotten. It is extremely hard to write this and post it but I love her with all my heart. I could continue to write about her but it kills me. I sit here and cry while looking at the picture and write this.”
Around 500 people gathered Sunday night for vigil to honor her life.
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