A judge sentenced the man responsible for murdering University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson to life in prison on Tuesday.
Nathaniel Rowland, 27, was sentenced immediately after the jury announced it had returned a guilty verdict. He was found guilty of murder, kidnapping, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Following closing arguments, the jury deliberated for about an hour. The guilty verdict was unanimous.
While Rowland maintained his innocence during the sentencing phase, Judge Clifton Newman said there was an “avalanche of evidence” proving his guilt. He called Rowland “heartless” before sentencing him to life in prison.
The 21-year-old college student mistook Rowland’s car for an Uber as she left a bar in March of 2019. She was later found dead by hunters 65 miles away from where she got into the car in a remote area of Clarendon County.
On Monday, an expert testified that Josephson had been stabbed 120 times during the attack. She had lost so much blood that medical examiners had trouble drawing a blood sample for testing.
Rowland’s ex, Maria Howard, testified that she saw a sheet covered in blood in his Chevrolet Impala. She later saw him cleaning the car with bleach and cleaning a knife. The bloody sheet and the murder weapon were both in the trash at Howard’s home.
The gruesome crime called into question the safety of using ride-shares. Since Joesephson’s death, industry-wide changes have been implemented to increase passenger safety.
In South Carolina, a law was passed requiring ride-vehicles to display an illuminated sign highlighting the company they are driving for.
