Samantha Josephson.Photo: Gofundme
Jurors have convicted Nathaniel Rowland of murderingSamantha Josephson, the New Jersey woman and University of South Carolina student who entered his car in late March of 2019, mistaking it for her Uber ride.
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.”
At trial, Rowland’s ex testified that she had seen blood in the back of his vehicle. She also recalled seeing him clean the car with bleach, and later saw him cleaning a knife.
Nathaniel Rowland.Columbia Police Dept.
Prosecutors also called Dr. Thomas Beaver to the witness stand. Beaver, who handled Josephson’s autopsy, said she hadsustained several fatal woundsto the brain and neck when she was stabbed to death.
Beaver also noted Josephson lost a lot of blood in the fatal attack, making it hard for medical examiners to collect a sample from her body.
Josephsonwas weeks away from graduating with a degree in political science when she was killed.
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She had planned to go to the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in Philadelphia upon her graduation.
Her death has inspired action from state lawmakers in South Carolina, who passed legislation soon after her killing requiring all ride-share vehicles to display an illuminated sign featuring their company’s name. The legislation was subsequently passed into law.
The ride-share industry has also implemented changes, like clearer displays of driver license plates, following Josephson’s death.
source: people.com
