South Carolina man repeatedly stabbed student who mistook him for Uber driver in deadly attack: prosecutors

A trial for the South Carolina man accused of kidnapping and killing a woman who mistook her car for her Uber ride began this week, with prosecutors alleging the man had stabbed the victim more than 100 times before to throw his body in the woods near his home.

Nathaniel Rowland is on trial for the kidnapping and murder of Samantha Josephson, 21, a law student who disappeared from Columbia’s Five Points entertainment district one night in March 2019.

During opening pleadings at the Richland County Judicial Center in Colombia, prosecutors presented evidence and testimony that they said implicated Rowland. This included surveillance camera footage of Josephson entering Rowland’s car as well as a witness who prosecutors said watched Rowland clean the blade he used to stab Josephson on multiple occasions.

Fifth Circuit lawyer Byron Gipson said cameras captured Rowland circling the block several times in his black Chevrolet Impala before approaching Josephson, who was waiting alone. Josephson got in the car, and that was the last time she was seen alive, the prosecutor said.

Gipson said more than 100 stab wounds, cuts and other abrasions were found on Josephson’s body, which was dumped in the woods a short distance from Rowland’s family home.

Alicia Goode, one of Rowland’s public defenders, said it was clear Josephson hit back, “kicking, punching and clawing the person who attacked her.”

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Goode noted that investigators gathered evidence after the crime, including Josephson’s body and Rowland’s car – but none of the DNA evidence collected from the victim matched Rowland.

“Zero: it’s the amount of DNA on Samantha Josephson’s body that matches Nathaniel’s,” Goode said. “Zero. It’s not on her clothes, not under her torn and torn fingernails, it’s not on her ankles.”

Gipson, who has not mentioned any potential motive for the crime, discussed video evidence showing Rowland trying to use the victim’s debit card and trying to sell his cell phone. Investigators then found Josephson’s blood and cell phone in Rowland’s car, along with bleach, window cleaner and cleaning wipes.

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Rowland, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, has been in the Richland County Jail since his arrest a day after Josephson went missing. He faces life imprisonment if convicted of murder.

Witnesses began their testimony before jurors Tuesday afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.