COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) ā A Ā鶹“«Ć½AV Carolina man was convicted Tuesday of the 2019 abduction and murder of a 21-year-old college student who mistook his car for her Uber ride.
The jury took a little more than an hour to find Nathaniel Rowland guilty of the charges in the death of Samantha Josephson of Robbinsville, New Jersey. He was arrested the day after the University of Ā鶹“«Ć½AV Carolina student disappeared from Columbiaās Five Points entertainment district in March 2019.
Josephson got into Rowlandās car thinking it was an Uber ride that would take her back to her apartment, prosecutors said. Instead, she found herself trapped because Rowland had the childproof locks on, investigators said.
She was never again seen alive. Covered in , her body was later found in remote woods about 65 miles (105 kilometers) from Columbia. The death cast a national spotlight on ride-hailing safety and led to some changes, including more prominent displays of driverās license plates.
āHer dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. I close my eyes, and I feel what she endured at his hands,ā the victim's mother, Marci Josephson, said during the sentencing phase of Rowland's trial Tuesday.
The prosecution spent about a week presenting voluminous evidence and called nearly three dozen witnesses. Experts linked Josephsonās blood to the interior of Rowlandās Chevrolet Impala and to the , a knife with two blades. Her blood was also found on cleaning supplies in the trash behind the home of the manās girlfriend at the time ā and on a sock and bandana owned by Rowland, the experts testified.
Other evidence included cellphone tracking data pinpointing Rowlandās location the night of the crime. One forensic scientist testified that DNA collected from Rowlandās fingernails matched the victimās genetic material, and DNA belonging to both suspect and victim were found on gloves also located in the trash.
Rowlandās defense attorneys pointed out that scientists werenāt absolutely certain Rowlandās DNA was on the knife. His attorneys also argued that although Josephson appeared to fight her attacker, none of Rowlandās DNA was found on her body and he had no visible marks of such a fight after his arrest. The defense called no witnesses, and Rowland did not testify.
Before resting the defenseās case, Rowlandās lawyer asked the charges be thrown out because prosecutors had a circumstantial case ā never showing that Rowland actually killed Josephson nor that he was driving the vehicle when she disappeared.
Circuit Judge Clifton Newman rejected the request, saying there was an avalanche of direct and circumstantial evidence that a jury should consider.
Rowland faces up to life in prison without parole at sentencing.
___
Liu is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Michelle Liu, The Associated Press
