Samantha Josephson was a 21-year-old senior at the University of South Carolina. After a night out with friends in Five Points, a popular nightlife district in downtown Columbia, she got into a vehicle that she mistakenly thought was her Uber, around 2:00 a.m. on March 29, 2019. That would be the last time that Samantha would be heard from again…
The driver of that vehicle was Nathaniel David Rowland.
A search was organized the next day after her friends reported her missing, having realized that Josephson never returned home. Authorities quickly learned that Josephson got into Rowland’s car, which she believed was her Uber to transport her home. Rowland turned the childproof locks on, which prevented Josephson from escaping.
After days of searching, the body of Samantha Josephson was found in a remote, wooded area in Clarendon County and had reportedly been stabbed 120 times.
Nathaniel Rowland was arrested after officers initiated a traffic stop on the suspect. While searching the vehicle, they found marijuana, a rose gold iPhone, and a set of keys with a pink key ring. Officers also observed what appeared to be blood stains, footprints on the window, and cleaning supplies scattered throughout the car.
Rowland was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Josephson and possessing a weapon during a violent crime. He tried to appeal the court’s decision, stating that authorities didn’t have probable cause to search his vehicle. It was ruled that there was reasonable suspicion to initiate the traffic stop based on the smell of marijuana present, the suspect not having a driver’s license, and Rowland also running on foot to evade capture after the stop.
Rowland’s car was also stopped because it matched the description of the vehicle in a missing person’s investigation, two blocks from where Samantha Josephson was last seen.
Nathaniel Rowland is serving life in prison
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.