Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
, occurred on March 29, 2019. Josephson, 21, had ordered an
Uber
Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...
and mistakenly entered a car that she thought was her ride. Nathaniel Rowland used childproof locks to prevent Josephson from leaving the vehicle and kidnapped and murdered her, leaving her body near
New Zion, South Carolina
New Zion is an unincorporated community in Clarendon County, South Carolina, United States. The community is located along Puddin Swamp, south of Turbeville. New Zion has a post office with ZIP code 29111, which opened on March 25, 1852.
Educ ...
65 miles (105 km) from Columbia, where she had entered Rowland's car.
Rowland was arrested the next day, and charged with kidnapping and murdering Josephson. A trial began on July 20, 2021. On July 27, the jury found Rowland guilty of Josephson's kidnapping and murder and the judge sentenced him to life in prison.
The killing attracted national attention and led to discussion about the dangers of ridesharing and the importance of ensuring that a rideshare car is being driven by a registered driver prior to entering. The murder led to the passage of
Sami’s Law Sami's Law is a piece of federal legislation in the United States introduced by Representative
Christopher Smith of New Jersey as H.R. #3262. The bill was introduced in May 2019 and was signed into law on January 5, 2023 by President Joe Biden. ...
in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, which enhances protections for drivers and passengers using ride share services. Legislation of the same name at the federal level was signed into law by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
, and grew up in
Robbinsville, New Jersey
Robbinsville Township is a township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The township is part of the New York Metropolitan area as defined by the United States Census Bureau, but directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area and ...
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
. Josephson, who was a senior in college at the time of her death, planned on graduating in 2019, and attending
Drexel University School of Law
The Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law (previously the "Earle Mack School of Law") is the law school of Drexel University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The School of Law opened in the fall of 2006 and was the first ne ...
. She earned a full scholarship to Drexel University, as well as a partial scholarship to Rutgers and aspired to practice
international law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
.
Josephson, a member of the
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Gamma Delta (), also known as Alpha Gam, is an international women's fraternity and social organization. It was founded on May 30, 1904, by eleven female students at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, making it the youngest member ...
sorority, studied abroad in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
and visited
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
during her time at USC. Josephson is buried at the Perrineville Jewish Cemetery in
Perrineville, New Jersey
Perrineville is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community located within Millstone Township, New Jersey, Millstone Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. ...
.
Murder
Josephson spent the night before her death in the Five Points district in downtown Columbia with friends. At about 2:00 am she decided to leave the Bird Dog bar and ordered an Uber. According to surveillance footage, at 2:09, a black Chevrolet Impala, driven by Rowland, pulled up beside her. Josephson entered the vehicle, thinking it was her Uber driver. According to authorities, Rowland activated the child locks so that the doors could only be opened from the outside, thereby trapping Josephson inside the vehicle.
Using a two-bladed knife, Rowland proceeded to inflict roughly 120 stab wounds upon Josephson. During the attack, Josephson attempted to shield herself. One of Rowland’s strikes went completely through her right hand, as she likely used it to protect herself. Rowland also stabbed Josephson in her head with enough force that the knife went through her skull to her brain. He also stabbed her in the
carotid
In anatomy, the left and right common carotid arteries (carotids) (Entry "carotid" in hyoid bone, as well as stab wounds to her face, neck, shoulder, torso, back, lung, leg, and feet. She bled profusely, ultimately dying within 10–20 minutes, according to the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on her body. Investigators believe Rowland dragged Josephson’s body to the New Zion field where she would later be discovered.
Investigation and criminal proceedings
Josephson's roommates became concerned and reported her missing the day after she accidentally entered the vehicle. Her body was then found in a field in the town of New Zion in Clarendon County by turkey hunters fourteen hours after the kidnapping.
According to police, the area where Josephson's body was located is where Rowland recently resided. An autopsy showed that she died of multiple sharp force injuries. Specifically, the pathologist determined that she suffered approximately 120 separate stab wounds. The pathologist could not determine an exact number of wounds because there were so many. Josephson’s autopsy also revealed the extent of her blood loss—the human body normally has several litres of blood, but Josephson's body only contained .
Nathaniel Rowland was seen by police driving a car that matched the description of the one Josephson was seen entering in the surveillance video. When Rowland, who was driving around the Five Points area where Josephson was kidnapped, was pulled over he got out of the car and ran away. He was caught and was arrested at 3:00 am on March 30. Inside the car, police found a container of liquid bleach, germicidal wipes, and window cleaner. The car also contained Josephson's phone as well as a large amount of her blood, which was in the passenger seat and in the trunk. Additionally, the child locks were activated, which police believe prevented Josephson from escaping.
When investigators searched the trash behind Rowland’s girlfriend’s residence, they uncovered cleaning supplies and a two-bladed knife, both of which had Josephson’s blood on them. Josephson’s blood was also found on a sock and a bandana, both owned by Rowland. Additionally, Josephson’s DNA was collected from Rowland’s fingernails.
Rowland was charged with kidnapping, murder, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. In addition to Josephson’s murder, Rowland is alleged to have sold items that were stolen from a woman during a kidnapping in Columbia. The alleged victim was carjacked by two men while at a traffic light in October 2018. The carjackers allegedly physically assaulted the victim and then forced her to drive to an ATM where they robbed her of money, before forcing her to drive to her home where they again robbed her of items including a Playstation 4. According to Richland County deputies, hours after the alleged kidnapping Rowland sold some of the items stolen from the woman, including the Playstation 4, at a pawn shop. Rowland was charged with obtaining goods under false premises.
On June 9, 2020, Nathaniel Rowland was denied bond. In a virtual hearing, family members for both Josephson and Rowland delivered statements in front of Judge
DeAndrea Benjamin
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin (née DeAndrea Donale Gist; born 1972) is an American lawyer serving as a United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She previously served as a ju ...
.
On July 20, 2021, Rowland's trial began. During the trial, prosecutors called 31 witnesses, including the turkey hunter who found Josephson’s body, a cell phone store owner who testified that Rowland unsuccessfully attempted to sell him Josephson's phone the day after she went missing, Rowland’s former girlfriend, and numerous State Law Enforcement Division investigators and other experts. Rowland’s defense attorneys called no witnesses and Rowland did not testify.
On July 27, 2021, Rowland was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering Josephson and of possessing a weapon during a violent crime after the jury deliberated for a little over an hour. Immediately after Rowland's conviction, State Circuit Judge Clifton Newman sentenced him to life in prison. "For whoever asked me for leniency, that's not part of my DNA," said Judge Newman. "There's a thousand trails each that led to you. All of the evidence, each speck of the evidence — not simply beyond a reasonable doubt, but as the highest standard the law requires — all points to your guilt." Newman also characterized Rowland as being "heartless" and said the case was the "most severe" murder he had seen in court before.
Legacy
After their daughter's death, Josephson's parents established the What's My Name Foundation. The foundation works to educate people about ride-share safety, along with supporting charitable foundations and awarding college scholarships. Josephson's parents have worked with lawmakers to advocate for policies that enhance safety for ride-share passengers Several laws have been enacted since Josephson's death. On June 5, 2019, the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act was signed into law in South Carolina. The act requires ride-share vehicles to display license plate numbers on the front. The law also subjects people who misrepresent themselves as authorized
transportation network company
A ridesharing company (also known as a transportation network company, ride-hailing service; the vehicles are called app-taxis or e-taxis) is a company that, via websites and mobile apps, matches passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire tha ...
(TNC) drivers to a maximum $500 fine and those who use TNC ride-sharing application in the furtherance of criminal activity to a maximum $1,000 fine. In addition to facing fines, one guilty of misrepresenting themselves as an authorized TNC driver may be incarcerated for up to 30 days while one who uses ride-sharing in the furtherance of criminal activity may face up to 2 years of incarceration.
Also in June 2019,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
Governor
Phil Murphy
Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American financier, diplomat, and politician serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States ambassador to Germa ...
signed Sami's Law, which requires more identification on ride-share vehicles. Specifically, the law requires companies to issue two "credential placards" to drivers of ride-share vehicles. These placards, which are to be placed on the driver and passenger side back windows, must have the driver's name and photo, along with their license plate number. Ride-share vehicles must also have an identifying marker on the front windshield and back window. Additionally, companies must give ride-share drivers two barcodes that passengers can scan to confirm the driver's identity.
Josephson’s murder prompted lawmakers in
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
to propose the Passenger Protection Act. The act requires ride-share drivers to display a printed license plate number on the front of their vehicles and, as of July 1, 2020, to have illuminated signs on their vehicles. The act creates a new criminal penalty for impersonating a ride-share driver and makes assaulting a ride-share driver a misdemeanor. Additionally, it provides $500,000 in grants for colleges to educate students about ride-share safety and creates a study commission to examine ways to improve ride-share safety. The law was signed by Governor
Roy Cooper
Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...
in August 2019.
Additional legislation aimed at protecting ride-share users is pending. In April 2019, Senator Anna Kaplan introduced the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act, to the
New York Senate
The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate.
Partisan compo ...
. The act, which is currently in the Transportation Committee, requires ride-share drivers to “display visible, consistent, and distinctive signage clearly identifying the rideshare service provider at all times when the driver is active on the service platform or providing rideshare service.” These signs must be readable from a distance of 50 feet during daylight hours and should be illuminated at night so that the logo is patently visible.
Josephson's parents have worked with lawmakers in the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
to craft a federal law to enhance ride-share safety. The bill, which is also titled "Sami's Law," was introduced on June 13, 2019. It requires ride-share vehicles to have front license plates and illuminated windshield signs along with scannable or quick-response codes on the sides. States that do not comply would be penalized by losing 1% of federal highway funding. The law would also establish a 15-member advisory council, called SAMI's Council, which would be made of federal agency and public stakeholders. The Council would report to the Secretary of Transportation and work to advance safety standards in the rideshare industry. The bill would also regulate the sale of official ride-share signage, require a Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on incidents of assault and abuse of passengers and drivers, and require the GAO to examine the nature and specifics of background checks that are conducted by companies and the state standards of background checks. The federal Sami's Law was referred to several subcommittees and in July 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved it. Josephson's death promoted the University of South Carolina to launch a campaign titled "What's My Name" to help students stay safe while using ride-sharing services. On December 28, 2022, federal legislation authorizing a study of ride-sharing safety practices, with passage by the US House and Senate, was sent to President Biden's desk. It was signed into law on January 5, 2023.
Josephson was awarded a posthumous political science degree in May 2019 at what would have been her graduation ceremony. Her diploma and college possessions were given to her mother.
The Township of Robbinsville built a patio and rock garden, dedicating the landmarks to Josephson.