US Shocker: Law Student Stabbed 120 Times, Skull Pierced After Entering Wrong Car Mistaken As Uber in South Carolina, Accused Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
n a shocking incident, a 21-year-old law student was brutally stabbed to death after unknowingly entering a car she mistook for her Uber in South Carolina. The victim, Samantha Josephson, suffered as many as 120 stab wounds across her body in the gruesome attack. One of the blows was so forceful that it pierced her skull.
Columbia, September 14: In a shocking incident, a 21-year-old law student was brutally stabbed to death after unknowingly entering a car she mistook for her Uber in South Carolina. The victim, Samantha Josephson, suffered as many as 120 stab wounds across her body in the gruesome attack. One of the blows was so forceful that it pierced her skull. Her body was later discovered about 65 miles away from where she was abducted.
Police said CCTV footage captured Samantha entering a Chevrolet Impala around 2:10 AM on March 29, 2019, outside a bar in Columbia, South Carolina. When she did not return home, her roommates alerted authorities. 14 hours later, turkey hunters discovered her lifeless body in a remote field, with a pathologist confirming that her body contained just over a tablespoon of blood instead of the usual four litres due to massive blood loss. As per the report, Samantha would have died within 10 to 20 minutes of the brutal assault. US Shocker: 76-Year-Old Man Dies After Falling in Parking in New Jersey After Flirty Meta AI Chatbot Poses As Real Person and Requests To Meet in NYC.
Investigators later tracked the car to 27-year-old Nathaniel Rowland, who was stopped by police the following day. He attempted to flee but was apprehended, and a search of his vehicle revealed bloodstains, bleach, and cleaning products. At his girlfriend’s home, police found a two-bladed knife, a bandana, and a sock, all carrying Samantha’s blood. Her DNA was also discovered under Rowland’s fingernails, indicating a violent struggle during the attack, The Mirror reported. US Shocker: 21-Year-Old Student Arrested After Newborn Found Dead Inside Trash Bag in Closet at University of Kentucky in Lexington, Probe On.
Rowland stood trial in 2021, pleading not guilty to kidnapping and murder, but prosecutors presented overwhelming evidence. Witnesses, including his former girlfriend, testified seeing him clean blood from his car and knife with bleach. Jurors also viewed Samantha’s blood-soaked T-shirt and CCTV of Rowland circling the area where he later abducted her. After just an hour of deliberation, the jury found him guilty, and Judge Clifton Newman sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 14, 2025 12:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).