A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in jail Tuesday for the 2019 abduction and homicide of a 21-year-old faculty pupil who mistook his automotive for her Uber journey.The jury took a bit greater than an hour to search out Nathaniel Rowland responsible of killing Samantha Josephson, a College of South Carolina pupil who disappeared from Columbia’s 5 Factors leisure district in March 2019. “Her desires have been my desires, and her dying was my dying. I shut my eyes, and I really feel what she endured at his fingers,” the sufferer’s mom, Marci Josephson, mentioned throughout the sentencing part of Rowland’s trial Tuesday.The coed from Robbinsville, New Jersey, acquired into Rowland’s automotive pondering it was an Uber journey that might take her again to her condo, prosecutors mentioned. As an alternative, she discovered herself trapped as a result of Rowland had the childproof locks on, investigators mentioned. She was by no means seen alive once more. Coated in roughly 120 stab wounds, her physique was later present in distant woods about 65 miles from Columbia. The dying solid a nationwide highlight on ride-hailing security and led to some adjustments, together with extra outstanding shows of driver’s license plates.Rowland maintained his innocence earlier than being sentenced, however Circuit Choose Clifton Newman famous that every one the proof pointed to Rowland.”She clearly put up a tremendous struggle in opposition to you and left a adequate path for the jury to see what you probably did,” Newman mentioned after sentencing Rowland to life in jail. An individual convicted of homicide shouldn’t be eligible for parole in South Carolina.Carrying a masks, Rowland confirmed little emotion as Josephson’s kinfolk mirrored on the ache of their loss and the way Josephson’s future – the faculty senior was slated to attend regulation college on a full scholarship – was reduce brief.The prosecution spent a few week presenting voluminous proof and referred to as almost three dozen witnesses. Consultants linked Josephson’s blood to the inside of Rowland’s Chevrolet Impala and to the suspected homicide weapon, a knife with two blades. Her blood was additionally discovered on cleansing provides within the trash behind the house of the person’s girlfriend on the time — and on a sock and bandana owned by Rowland, the specialists testified.Different proof included cellphone monitoring knowledge pinpointing Rowland’s location the night time of the crime. One forensic scientist testified that DNA collected from Rowland’s fingernails matched the sufferer’s genetic materials, and DNA belonging to each suspect and sufferer have been discovered on gloves additionally situated within the trash.Rowland’s protection attorneys identified that scientists weren’t completely sure Rowland’s DNA was on the knife. His attorneys additionally argued that though Josephson appeared to struggle her attacker, none of Rowland’s DNA was discovered on her physique and he had no seen marks of such a struggle after his arrest. The protection referred to as no witnesses, and Rowland didn’t testify.Earlier than resting the protection’s case, Rowland’s lawyer requested the fees be thrown out as a result of prosecutors had a circumstantial case — by no means displaying that Rowland truly killed Josephson nor that he was driving the automobile when she disappeared.Newman rejected the request, saying there was an avalanche of direct and circumstantial proof {that a} jury ought to contemplate.___Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.___Liu is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.
A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in jail Tuesday for the 2019 abduction and homicide of a 21-year-old faculty pupil who mistook his automotive for her Uber journey.
The jury took a bit greater than an hour to search out Nathaniel Rowland responsible of killing Samantha Josephson, a College of South Carolina pupil who disappeared from Columbia’s 5 Factors leisure district in March 2019.
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“Her desires have been my desires, and her dying was my dying. I shut my eyes, and I really feel what she endured at his fingers,” the sufferer’s mom, Marci Josephson, mentioned throughout the sentencing part of Rowland’s trial Tuesday.
The coed from Robbinsville, New Jersey, acquired into Rowland’s automotive pondering it was an Uber journey that might take her again to her condo, prosecutors mentioned. As an alternative, she discovered herself trapped as a result of Rowland had the childproof locks on, investigators mentioned. She was by no means seen alive once more.
Coated in roughly 120 stab wounds, her physique was later present in distant woods about 65 miles from Columbia. The dying solid a nationwide highlight on ride-hailing security and led to some adjustments, together with extra outstanding shows of driver’s license plates.
Rowland maintained his innocence earlier than being sentenced, however Circuit Choose Clifton Newman famous that every one the proof pointed to Rowland.
“She clearly put up a tremendous struggle in opposition to you and left a adequate path for the jury to see what you probably did,” Newman mentioned after sentencing Rowland to life in jail. An individual convicted of homicide shouldn’t be eligible for parole in South Carolina.
Carrying a masks, Rowland confirmed little emotion as Josephson’s kinfolk mirrored on the ache of their loss and the way Josephson’s future – the faculty senior was slated to attend regulation college on a full scholarship – was reduce brief.
The prosecution spent a few week presenting voluminous proof and referred to as almost three dozen witnesses. Consultants linked Josephson’s blood to the inside of Rowland’s Chevrolet Impala and to the suspected homicide weapon, a knife with two blades. Her blood was additionally discovered on cleansing provides within the trash behind the house of the person’s girlfriend on the time — and on a sock and bandana owned by Rowland, the specialists testified.
Different proof included cellphone monitoring knowledge pinpointing Rowland’s location the night time of the crime. One forensic scientist testified that DNA collected from Rowland’s fingernails matched the sufferer’s genetic materials, and DNA belonging to each suspect and sufferer have been discovered on gloves additionally situated within the trash.
Rowland’s protection attorneys identified that scientists weren’t completely sure Rowland’s DNA was on the knife. His attorneys additionally argued that though Josephson appeared to struggle her attacker, none of Rowland’s DNA was discovered on her physique and he had no seen marks of such a struggle after his arrest. The protection referred to as no witnesses, and Rowland didn’t testify.
Earlier than resting the protection’s case, Rowland’s lawyer requested the fees be thrown out as a result of prosecutors had a circumstantial case — by no means displaying that Rowland truly killed Josephson nor that he was driving the automobile when she disappeared.
Newman rejected the request, saying there was an avalanche of direct and circumstantial proof {that a} jury ought to contemplate.
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Jeffrey Collins contributed to this report.
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Liu is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.
