303. The Fake Uber Homicide - The Murder of Samantha Josephson

Summary

Murder With My Husband

Episode 303: The Fake Uber Homicide – The Murder of Samantha Josephson
Release Date: January 12, 2026
Hosts: Peyton Moreland & Garrett Moreland

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the tragic murder of Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student whose life was abruptly stolen after she entered a car she mistook for her Uber. Peyton and Garrett unravel Samantha’s story, from her bright future and the night of her disappearance to the relentless police investigation and the subsequent trial of her killer. The case became a national touchstone for rideshare safety and led to significant changes in legislation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Implicit Trust in Everyday Life

• [05:01] Peyton: Discusses how much we trust common systems like doctors’ offices, social media, and rideshare services without much scrutiny.
  • “Are you diligent about checking the license plate to make sure you know it's the model, it's the correct one? Do you always make sure the driver matches their pictures and knows your first name?”
• The conversation sets the stage for how easily systems designed for convenience can be exploited with tragic results.

Samantha Josephson’s Background

• [05:26] Peyton: Samantha was a responsible, ambitious, and beloved senior at USC, originally from New Jersey.
• She was accepted to law school at Drexel and had a devoted boyfriend, Greg, also heading to law school.
• Samantha was celebrated by friends for her drive and was just months from graduation.

Night of the Disappearance (March 29, 2019)

• Samantha and friends went out to celebrate in Columbia’s Five Points district.
• [08:50] Peyton: At around 2AM, Samantha left the Bird Dog Bar alone, ordering an Uber to get home safe after a call with her boyfriend. Greg tracked her phone but saw it stopped moving unexpectedly.

The Search and the Discovery

• Samantha never arrived home, missed her work shift, and was quickly reported missing by her roommate.
• [14:13] Police involvement escalated rapidly, leading to parents making a frantic drive and receiving a vague, worrying call from police.
• Samantha’s body was discovered by turkey farmers 14 hours after she was last seen, 65 miles away, heavily mutilated and difficult to identify.
  • [14:51] Peyton: “Her wounds are actually so severe, police are having a hard time identifying her.”

Investigation & Piecing Together the Crime

• The autopsy revealed Samantha was stabbed approximately 120 times, with numerous defensive wounds.
  • [20:03] Peyton: “Pathologists find that Samantha's been stabbed...approximately 120 times.”
• Surveillance footage outside the bar detailed how Samantha entered the wrong car—a Chevy Impala, not her awaited Uber.
  • [22:42] Peyton: “They see Samantha...waiting for her Uber...she approaches a car, realizes it's not her Uber...then another dark colored car pulls up and Samantha walks over, opens the back door and gets in. Then the vehicle drives off.”
• The Impala was seen circling and targeting Samantha, then leaving the area.

The Killer: Nathaniel Rowland

• After using Samantha’s ATM card and driving through a Wendy’s, Nathaniel Rowland became the primary suspect.
• [27:24] Peyton: Officer Jeffrey Kraft, searching for the Impala, found and pulled it over. Nathaniel ran but was caught.
• Rowland was from New Zion—the small town where Samantha’s body was found—connecting him to the scene.
  • [33:32] Peyton: “...if Nathaniel is the one who killed Samantha, it means he dropped her body off there last night and then drove back to Columbia...Was he hunting, looking for another victim?”

Evidence and Arrest

• Police found extensive evidence in the car: Samantha’s belongings, copious blood, cleaning supplies, and a bloody footprint on the inside of the back window (indicating attempted escape).
  • [34:22] Peyton: “Almost like someone was trying to kick their way out of the car.”
• Nathaniel claimed someone else had borrowed his car, but mounting forensic and eyewitness evidence stacked against him.

The Trial and Witnesses

• Nathaniel’s girlfriend, Maria Howard, testified about his panic, attempts to clean his car, and disposal of bloody clothing and the murder weapon at her home.
• Maria revealed chilling details, including Nathaniel’s threats and evasions when she questioned him.
  • [39:46] Peyton: “...he mentioned something about how the visor had blood on it and I needed to get rid of it.”
• Samantha’s cellphone was pawned by Nathaniel, further cementing his involvement.

The Verdict & Aftermath

• Forensic evidence—Samantha’s DNA under Nathaniel’s fingernails and on his belongings—closed any doubts.
  • [42:15] Peyton: “...the murder weapon was found in his home...all belonging to him had Samantha's DNA on it.”
• Nathaniel Rowland was convicted of murder and kidnapping in under 70 minutes of jury deliberation; sentenced to life without parole.
• The Josephson family—especially Samantha’s mother and father—gave heartbreaking victim impact statements.
  • [43:24] Peyton (quoting): “Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death...I feel what she endured at his hands.”
  • [43:33] Peyton (quoting father): “To me, the monster has stolen that bright light, this enthusiasm for life out of me.”

Motive and Lingering Questions

• There was no evidence Samantha and Nathaniel knew each other and no clear motive; Samantha wasn’t sexually assaulted, and the brutality suggested more than just a robbery.
  • [43:58] Peyton: “If the motive was robbery, the murder that followed was...gruesome and uncharacteristic of what we see following robberies gone wrong.”
  • [44:22] Peyton: Speculates if Rowland was a serial killer in the making.

Legislation & Advocacy: The Positive Change

• Samantha’s case catalyzed the Samantha L. Josephson Ride Sharing Safety Act in South Carolina and, by 2023, similar laws nationwide.
  • [45:17] Peyton: “It was called the Samantha L. Josephson Ride Sharing Safety Act. Since then, the law has sparked national change...all rideshare drivers nationally to display illuminated signs and scannable QR codes to verify their identity.”
• The What’s My Name Foundation was formed, promoting rideshare safety through the SAMI acronym:
  • S: Stop before you request a ride; consider safety features.
  • A: Ask the driver, “What’s my name?” before entering.
  • M: Match the license plate, make, and model.
  • I: Inform a friend by sharing your ride details.
  • [46:06] Peyton: “It uses Sammy's name as an acronym...That is Sammy's acronym now, because Samantha's story shouldn't be a cautionary tale.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [13:14] Peyton: “She’s extremely responsible. She takes her commitment seriously. She wouldn’t have done this.”
• [20:03] Peyton: “Pathologists find that Samantha’s been stabbed...approximately 120 times.”
• [22:42] Peyton: (Describing security footage) “She approaches a car, realizes it’s not her Uber...then another dark colored car pulls up and Samantha walks over, opens the back door and gets in.”
• [34:22] Peyton: “Almost like someone was trying to kick their way out of the car.”
• [43:24] Peyton (quoting Marcy, Samantha’s mom): “Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at his hands...haunting her father...‘To me, the monster has stolen that bright light...out of me.’”
• [46:06] Peyton: “It uses Sammy’s name as an acronym...Stop, Ask, Match, Inform.”

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Timestamps: Important Segments

• [05:00–08:50]: Samantha’s background and academic achievements
• [08:50–13:00]: Disappearance, boyfriend tracks phone, early search
• [14:13–15:45]: Discovery of body and initial grief
• [19:03–20:28]: Autopsy results and discussion of the violence
• [22:40–25:08]: Security footage, the fake Uber, and key investigative leads
• [27:24–29:09]: Police spot the suspect’s Impala and apprehend Nathaniel Rowland
• [33:32–35:07]: Forensic evidence, the child safety lock, and the investigation tightens
• [39:07–41:30]: Maria Howard’s testimony and evidence collection
• [42:15–43:33]: Verdict and emotional statements by Samantha’s family
• [45:17–46:06]: The passing of “Samantha’s Law” and the creation of the What’s My Name Foundation

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Tone and Dynamics

Peyton narrates with compassion and meticulous detail, focusing on Samantha’s life and the ramifications of her murder on her family and the community. Garrett interjects with honest, sometimes emotional reactions that echo the audience’s horror and confusion about the brutality and seeming lack of motive in the case.

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Final Thoughts

The episode is a moving recount of a senseless crime that spurred meaningful reform. Peyton and Garrett handle Samantha’s story with respect, emphasizing both the magnitude of the loss and the importance of the resulting changes for rideshare passenger safety. The case stands as a somber reminder to remain vigilant in our daily routines and highlights the positive power of advocacy born from tragedy.

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Summary prepared for those seeking a thorough understanding of this episode without listening. For more on rideshare safety, visit whatsmyname.org.

Transcript

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Garrett Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

You're listening to an Ono Media podcast. Hey everyone. Welcome back to the podcast. This is Murder with my husband. I'm Peyton Moreland.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm Garrett Moreland.

[Peyton Moreland]

And he's the husband.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm the husband. Welcome back to another episod. Happy Monday. Hope you are having a great start to the week. So I think for my 10 seconds real quick, instead of a hot take this week, someone you know, someone tried to cut me today at the Dutch Bros line. Someone. Someone tried to cut me. I don't know. I don't. I don't know how else to say it. I don't care if I Karen doubt someone tried to cut me today. I'm gonna explain this to you guys real quick. In line in Dutch Bros. One car, two car, three car lane split. Okay? The person in the right lane, boom. Goes naturally. First of all, I was there before the car behind the other right car. Naturally. My turn left Lane. Boom. I. This guy looks at me, looks. I mean, looks at us, and then just says, nope. Just goes. Just starts going, boom. Instantly, I honked my horn. He looked over. I rolled down the window. I put my drinks up. I said, hey, we already got our drinks. We're gonna go in front of you. And he just stared at me and went like this. And then I said, also, by the way, there's a line. I was pissed, right? Was it not kind of crazy that he tried to do that? Babe, you need to weigh in on this.

[Peyton Moreland]

Guys, wait. First of all, mind you. Mind you. We were just halfway through the episode when Garrett remembered this 10 seconds and demanded. Demanded that we go back and retell it.

[Garrett Moreland]

I'm not a Karen type of person. I actually despise them. So if you are a Karen, you're listening. I'm sorry. But I'm also a we gotta follow the rules type of person. So when someone tries cutting me in a line, it's not happening.

[Peyton Moreland]

And the worst part was it's like early in the morning. I don't know why Dutch didn't have their music going, but it was dead quiet outside.

[Garrett Moreland]

I was like, dude, what are you doing?

[Peyton Moreland]

And Garrett's just honks his huge truck horn.

[Garrett Moreland]

He looked at me like deer in the headlight.

[Peyton Moreland]

He's like, I'm going in front of you.

[Garrett Moreland]

I was like, no, you're not. Guess who. Guess who didn't go in front of me. That guy did not go in front of me. All I'm saying, don't cut me. Don't cut me. If you ever see me in public and you try cutting me, I want to find your IP address. You're never going to be able to listen to the podcast again. That's my 10 seconds.

[Peyton Moreland]

Let's get back into the episode. Let's get back, but actually starting the.

[Garrett Moreland]

Episode for you guys and get into today's case.

[Peyton Moreland]

Our sources for this episode are whatsmyname.org womenspace.org, people.com, nbcphiladelphia.com, wistv.com crimeandinvestigation.com NBC News, CBS News, K Fox TV, theindependent.com foxcarolina.com thestate.com thecinemaholic mir.co.uk abcnews.go.com CNN apnews.com and newyorktimes.com There's a lot of things in this world that we just implicitly trust, things that have become such a part of our daily lives and Routines that we don't even question them anymore. For example, say that you're booking a doctor's appointment. Do you really verify their credentials and certifications before you walk into the office?

[Garrett Moreland]

I do.

[Peyton Moreland]

I don't, I don't even know. Or like, if you're posting your photos on Instagram, have you read the fine print on the information of what you're supposed to be sharing? The policies? No. How about getting into a rideshare vehicle? Are you diligent about checking the license plate to make sure you know it's the model, it's the correct one? Do you always make sure the driver matches their pictures and knows your first name? In a rapidly changing world full of technological updates, it's these little things that fall by the wayside. And not because we forget necessarily, but because we just trust. We trust that these systems work and that the people operating within them have good intentions. But today's story is proof that that is not always the case. Some people take advantage of these tools that we've been told we can rely on and they use these resources to prey upon people, to trick people, even to scam them, and in some rare cases, even to take another person's life. Today I want you to meet 21 year old Samantha Josephson. In 2019, she is a senior at the University of South Carolina and she's majoring in political justice and she's only months away from getting the degree that she has worked her butt off for. Samantha's not from South Carolina originally, she's actually from New Jersey. She was born in the picturesque little college town of Princeton, basically the Hogwarts of the Tri State area. But she was raised about 13 miles away from there in another smallish town called Robbinsville, New Jersey. Now growing up, it was just her, Samantha and her older sister Sydney, and then her parents, Macy and Seymour. And while Samantha loved being close to her family, she had always dreamed of life outside of her small New Jersey town. So when she was accepted to University of South Carolina in 2015, she begged her parents to let her travel 670 miles to college. Now, they were hesitant to say yes at first. The south was a lot different than the Northeast. They weren't sure how their young daughter would fare in another part of the country that she hadn't spent much time in. But Samantha had always been reliable, responsible, respectful. She always made the best choices for herself. And her parents knew life down there would be no different. So in the fall of 2015, they helped her pack her bags and they made the Drive down south, where Samantha would start her new life as an undergrad. And as expected, Samantha took to it like a fish to water. She joined a sorority, making dozens of new sisters in Alpha Gamma Delta. And with Greek life being a big part of the school's culture, that actually opened her up to even more connections and friendships. And at one point, she even studied abroad in Barcelona, traveling through Europe to places like Paris and then Madrid. And before she knew it, her college experience was starting to come to a close. By her senior year in 2018, Samantha was thinking about what life after graduation would look like. And for her, there was only one answer. Law school. She had been offered scholarships from both Rutgers in New Jersey, which would take her back closer to home. But she ultimately chose Drexel University in Philadelphia. Also, honestly, not too far away from her parents, Samantha honestly was excited about being closer to her family again. And plus, her boyfriend Greg Corbishley, who she had met at USC and started dating back in the spring of 2017, was also planning to attend Rutgers School of Law. But first he was going to spend a little time in Charleston, South Carolina, to reset. So all of this to say, the two of them both were going to go to law school. They had a bright future ahead of them. Now, Greg called Samantha the love of his life. He was in it for the long haul. And so by May of 2019, when Garrett and I were getting married, there was a lot worth celebrating for Samantha over in her life, which was exactly what she was doing on the night of the 28th in downtown Columbia, just a few miles from the USC campus. So that evening, Samantha, like a lot of the kids at usc, went to a collection of bars and restaurants down in an area of Columbia known as Five Points. And Samantha spent the night with a few friends at one particular spot called the Bird Dog Bar, having a few drinks, blowing off some steam from the week. And they treated the outing honestly as a sort of celebration for Samantha having gotten into law school. And by this point, she was in the final stretch. Graduation was just around the corner. Samantha could practically smell the freedom. But around 2am, the bar was starting to shut down. And honestly, as was Samantha, she was exhausted from the long week and decided to say goodbye before for the rest of her friends. Now, Greg, her boyfriend, wasn't there that night. He was actually already down in Charleston getting ready for his post graduation move. But the two spoke on the phone a few times throughout the night and they were texting. And around 2am she told Greg she was leaving the bar. He told her to get home safe and said he would track her location. And then Samantha left the bar. She went outside. She got lost in the crowd of dozens of other college students who were emptying out the other bars. And as promised, Greg watched her little blue dot on his Find My Friends app basically travel along a familiar road home. And then several minutes into the drive, her location stopped at a place called Montgomery Avenue in Rosewood, South Carolina. Now, when Greg noticed Samantha's phone didn't make it back to her address when it probably should have, he tried calling her, but there was no answer. So he called one of Samantha's roommates. When they said that Samantha had left alone from the bar, he told them he noticed her phone had stopped in that Rosewood area. So the roommate and a friend hopped into a car and went to look for Samantha and her phone in that same vicinity, but they couldn't find it. Now, both she and Greg assumed, okay, maybe Samantha had left it in the Uber and then had not gone home and just had, like, continued the night somewhere else. So the roommate and Greg are like, okay, let's just get back to this in the morning. Like, it's early hours at this point. We're tired. You're tired. The roommate goes home to get some sleep, but when they wake up in the morning, Samantha is still not home. And so at this point, everyone's like, wait, this is actually pretty bad. So that's when Samantha's roommate actually called 911 to report her missing. And 911 sent a sled agent from the South Carolina Law Enforcement division over to speak with the roommate, who told them Samantha had a shift at a local bar that morning. She was supposed to work at a spot called the Liberty Tap Room and Grill, less than three miles from where she was actually last seen the night before. But she never came home. She didn't show up for her shift. So the agent goes to Samantha's place of work, and they're like, yeah, she really did never show. Which is weird, because as we've heard many times before on this show, it is just very unlike Samantha. And then you add in the fact that the boyfriend had been tracking her location.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, that's true.

[Peyton Moreland]

And it had, like, gone off rail and then just not went home.

[Garrett Moreland]

That would be so scary. That'd be horrible.

[Peyton Moreland]

And everyone in her life is trying to tell the agents at this point, like, she's extremely responsible. She takes her commitment seriously. She wouldn't have done this. So when her parents also hear that she didn't come home last night and had missed her shift that morning. They too instantly know something is wrong. So they hop in the car almost immediately and start making the 10 hour drive down, down to South Carolina. Now, meanwhile, Sled actually transfers the case over to the Columbia police department. And they put out a bolo. Be on the lookout for Samantha Josephson. But after five hours into their drive, the Josephsons actually get a call from someone at the Columbia police Department. And it's not a reassuring one. They pretty much just ask the parents, hey, when is your eta? And then they hang up. They don't give the family any details. They don't really ask why they're asking.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

But it is enough for the Josephsons to think this has to be bad news. Like, why would they ask when we're going to be there but then not tell us anything else? And unfortunately, their instincts are correct. Because that morning, about 14 hours after Samantha was last seen at the bar, there's some turkey farmers out in a field in New Zion, South Carolina. This is 65 miles away from Colombia. And as they're out searching for turkeys, they stumble upon a human body.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, gosh, man.

[Peyton Moreland]

Now police are called to this crime scene and they find it's a female who has been stabbed repeatedly. She has scratches all over her face and body as if she was dragged out here to the middle of nowhere. Her wounds are actually so severe, police are having a hard time identifying her. It hasn't been that long, but her face is kind of unidentifiable. Now, unfortunately, there's nothing else at the crime scene that can help them find the killer. But they are fairly certain that these are the remains of the missing 21 year old Samantha Josephson that everyone had got the notification about that morning.

[Garrett Moreland]

I don't know what's worse when we cover these cases and I don't know, it's all horrible.

[Peyton Moreland]

You never find them or you.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, you never find them or you find them quick like this, within hours. And it's like, we found her, but she's not alive.

[Peyton Moreland]

And it's not like, is it, is.

[Garrett Moreland]

It nice to have that closure? I mean, at that point it probably doesn't even matter. It's probably just all so effed up you.

[Peyton Moreland]

I don't even know if you would know unless you go through it.

[Garrett Moreland]

Horrible.

[Peyton Moreland]

I will say it's, you know, not only are they being told, hey, you know, your, your daughter is dead, they're saying, hey, your daughter was brutally murdered, like, most likely tortured. So they're like, hey, we believe this is your missing college student. And it is something that's confirmed to the police from where her body was found when her parents finally do reach the police station in South Carolina later that day. All right, you guys, we are getting into an ad and you've heard us talk about Hungry Root before, so you know how much I love it because it truly simplifies my life as a busy couple. It's been such a game changer for reducing stress to do all our weekly food shopping with Hungry Root. Hungry Root plans all of our meals and groceries for the week, fills our cart, and delivers everything we need right to our door. And one of my favorite things about Hungry Root is that you can literally shop by recipe, get on, say what you're looking for out of the food you're putting into your body. Hungry Root will pull up recipes, you can click add to cart and boom. All of the ingredients you need from huge trusted sources are right there for you.

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

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[Peyton Moreland]

Meanwhile, the Columbia police are terrified that there's a predator on the loose, and at any moment, another life might be claimed. And this is just not something people are used to, Especially because most of the people here are college students. They are vulnerable, they are ambitious, and they're trusting. I feel like you're. You're always so trusting in college.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, Honestly, I would agree. I feel like when I was in college, I had zero.

[Peyton Moreland]

You just.

[Garrett Moreland]

I was stupid.

[Peyton Moreland]

You go anywhere with anyone to any house.

[Garrett Moreland]

Like, maybe it's changed now with a lot more information that's out there.

[Peyton Moreland]

And this was the time we were in college, though.

[Garrett Moreland]

Correct. But, I mean, it's been, what, 10? Long time.

[Peyton Moreland]

Yeah.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah.

[Peyton Moreland]

So police move quickly on trying to track the killer down. And meanwhile, the autopsy reveals its own set of clues. Pathologists find that Samantha's been stabbed. Prepare yourself. Approximately 120 times.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, no way. No way.

[Peyton Moreland]

And, you know, I'm gonna go into a little bit of depth of where these stab wounds are, so just skip 10 seconds if you don't wanna hear. But the reason she was so unidentifiable is because several of these fatal wounds had been to her brain and neck.

[Garrett Moreland]

Oh, my gosh, no.

[Peyton Moreland]

She also had a severed hyoid bone, which, as we've talked about before, could be an indicator of strangulation. Many of the stab wounds, though, were through her hands and arms, which did show that Samantha probably was trying to fight these stab wounds, which is how she even got them on her hands and arms. She obviously tried hard to fend off her attacker. Now, just to give you a scope of how bad her injuries were, when pathologists tried to take a DNA sample, they were having a hard time finding enough blood in her body to, like, get the DNA from, because so much of it had drained out from 120 stabs. Now, luckily, by this point, the Columbia police had already gotten a few good leads on her killer. Because when police spoke with Samantha's friends, they learned that as she was leaving the bar, the Night before, she had called an Uber to take her home. Samantha's parents always encouraged her to be careful about drinking and driving. Her father even let her sync his credit card to her Uber account so she would never have to worry about spending the money and making the choice. She could always just get an Uber instead of driving drunk. So that is exactly what Samantha did. When she got too tired to keep the party going, she just ordered an Uber on her phone. Except what police learn is her Uber driver never actually picked her up. The night before. There were tons of other rideshare drivers driving to pick up clients outside the bar, especially because every bar was closing in this area. But the Uber Samantha called told police that he never actually picked her up. She never got in his car. In fact, the driver said he couldn't find her, so he just canceled the ride and chalked it up to time lost. Maybe she decided to go back in and not, not leave. So investigators go back to the bird dog where Samantha was last seen, and they asked to see the camera footage from outside the bar the night before.

[Garrett Moreland]

Sure enough, we have some cameras.

[Peyton Moreland]

They see Samantha. She's standing by herself in a sea of people outside the bar waiting for her Uber to obviously pick her up. Now, the car that she had ordered, that she was waiting for was a dark colored Dodge. And you can actually see Samantha in this footage approach a car, realize that it's not her Uber, and and then go back to the curb. But clearly at this point, this situation is chaotic. It's confusing. Lots of people are ordering Ubers. I mean, honestly, if you've ever ordered an Uber at like an airport or.

[Garrett Moreland]

A busy place, like, I think if you've been to, let's say, Vegas, for example. Yes, Peyton and I have been a couple of times. And when we order an Uber there, it's a nightmare because people, drivers just.

[Peyton Moreland]

Crazy roll up and are like, are you for me? Are you for me? So it's after this first mix up that another dark colored car pulls up and Samantha walks over, opens the back door and gets in, and then the vehicle drives off. Now, obviously, when police are watching this, their first thought is, but she never got in her Uber. So what car is that? Yeah, who picked her up? Now, a few things about this car in the footage. First, it's a Chevy Impala, not a Dodge like Samantha was supposedly waiting for. But not everyone's familiar with a car's make and model. She may have seen the color, walked up, he said, yes, thought, this is my ride. Another detail that's Frustrating. The windows of this car are extremely tinted. There's no way to make out the driver of the vehicle or see if there's even anyone else inside riding as a passenger in the front. But now police at least have a vehicle to search for. And as they look at more security footage around the bar and five points in general, they see that this Chevy had actually been driving around the area quite a bit that night, especially as the bars were letting out. At one point, it almost seems to take notice of Samantha because the car passes her, does a U turn about a block away, and then comes back around and pulls up right in front of her. And while police can't see inside the vehicle, like I said, they assume it probably doesn't take Samantha very long to realize that she's not in the Uber that she had called.

[Garrett Moreland]

That makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot imagine being trapped.

[Peyton Moreland]

Because here's the thing, this car immediately starts driving in the opposite direction from her dorm. So from the get go, he's already driving an odd way. And after that, remember, they're trying to track Samantha through security footage. The trail on Samantha takes a suspicious turn. Her phone is turned off about 20 minutes into that car ride. And then about 45 miles away from the Columbia area where she was picked up, there's activity of someone trying to use her debit card nine different times. So police head down to the area and they pull up the security video from the atm and they find on that video a man standing alone. It is not Samantha using her card. He's wearing a bandana around his head and a hoodie with the drawstring pulled tight around his face. He's also wearing gloves, so they're not going to find any fingerprints on the machine. But that's not the final place he's actually spotted. That night. His car is also seen passing through a Wendy's drive through in the area. So police go to the Wendy's, they talk to the people that work there, and they said, oh, yeah, we remember this car. That night we actually got a peek into the backseat of the car. It was covered with a white sheet. It like stood out to us. We noticed it, man. And they tell police there was no girl in the car. There was no sign of Samantha anywhere in the vehicle.

[Garrett Moreland]

So I will say I will be very shocked if it's not someone that she knows or the family knows or friends know just because of how intimate the murder was. Being stabbed that many times usually doesn't happen usually, right. It's when it's A crime of, I mean, I guess you can say passion like that where there's stabbings multiple times, that many times, usually like out of anger.

[Peyton Moreland]

It's definitely feeling like if it's not someone she knows, it's more serial killer route than someone just looking for money.

[Garrett Moreland]

Correct.

[Peyton Moreland]

So less than 24 hours after Samantha Josephson disappeared, police have already discovered her body and the make and model of the car that took her and a lot of security footage. They know it was a dark Chevy Impala. So that night, a Columbia police officer named Jeffrey Kraft starts his shift. Now, obviously he knows Samantha is missing, but he hasn't heard news that her body was found earlier that day yet. So what he's looking for tonight on his shift is any sign of the Impala that they are looking for. And it is actually a lot easier than you would ever imagine because around 2:30am, this police officer is cruising about when he spots a car fitting the description of the car they're looking for. So he throws his lights on and pulls the car over. Now, as he approaches, he sees a man and a woman inside this Impala and the car reeks of marijuana. So craft. The police officer asks the driver for his license and registration. The man says he doesn't have it with him, so they have him get out of the car. Now, he doesn't put up a fight at first, but when police tell him, oh, the reason we actually pulled you over was not because you like broke any driving laws. It was because your vehicle matches the description of a suspect's vehicle that we're looking for. This driver takes off running, they tell.

[Garrett Moreland]

Him this, and he just instantly folds.

[Peyton Moreland]

This leads to a full on pursuit and eventually the guy is caught and apprehended. But in the meantime, that female. You know, I would love to know how many people have run away from police and like evaded it forever.

[Garrett Moreland]

And I'm talking about on foot, not on, in a car or on a bike.

[Peyton Moreland]

You ran on foot, they never learned your name?

[Garrett Moreland]

No, it's. I bet you if we. You take the last 30 years, I.

[Peyton Moreland]

Bet you so low, right?

[Garrett Moreland]

It's got to be 0.0001% because what.

[Peyton Moreland]

Are the chances they're driving a car that's not linked to them or someone that they know that's going to tattle on them? I don't know. All right, you guys, now that the holidays are over, you might be feeling like you've got a big spending hangover.

[Garrett Moreland]

True that.

[Peyton Moreland]

Drinks, the holiday food, the gifts, it all adds up. And luckily Mint Mobile is here to help you cut back on overspending on wireless this January with 50% off unlimited premium wireless.

[Garrett Moreland]

Peyton and I are big fans of Mint Mobile. The service is amazing, the prices are amazing. You honestly can't go wrong. Something that I love is you can still take your same number and your phone straight to Mint Mobile. That's a big deal. And save. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network.

[Peyton Moreland]

And Mint Mobile's end of year sale is still going on, but only until the end of the month. So this January, quit overspending on Wireless with 50% off unlimited premium wireless plans start at $15 a month at mint mobile.commwmh that's mintmobile.commwmh Limited time offer upfront.

[Garrett Moreland]

Payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or 180 for 12 months. Plan required $15 a month equivalent taxes and fees extra initial Plan term only 50 gigabytes may slow when network is busy. Capable device required. Availability, speed and coverage varies. See Mint Mobile.

[Peyton Moreland]

Tax season and that big deadline will be here before you know it. And every year you just want to know that everything's actually being handled. But sometimes it just doesn't feel that way. You're tracking down receipts, paperwork and then appointments to get all situated and then crickets. Hello. Weeks go by and you start wondering did they even get my documents? You're sending follow up emails, texts, calls that go straight to voicemail.

[Garrett Moreland]

This year have your taxes done for you with TurboTax Expert form full service you can match with a dedicated tax expert and simply hand off all your tax stuff to them right in the Turbo Tax app. Peyton and I actually have both used TurboTax before. We love it. I am a big, I don't know, I guess believer in it. It's great. It saves a lot of time and a lot of money. So you need to check it out.

[Peyton Moreland]

Do what you do and let TurboTax handle it this year. Visit TurboTax.com today. That's TurboTax.com only available with TurboTax full service experts. So he takes off running. Like I said, he gets apprehended. But in the meantime, the female passenger is actually still sitting in the car frozen in fear. And when police ask her what the driver's name was, she tells them Nate aka 24 year old Nathaniel Rowland. He was from a tiny little town near New Zion, South Carolina where Samantha's body was found. Now New Zion is small. It is not a place you would ever seek out unless you were familiar with the area. So this is a major red flag to detectives, which just a quick insert here. This is so interesting to me because I've actually lately been doing a lot of research on the serial killer Israel Keys. Now, if you don't know Israel Keys would basically drive around America and find extremely small towns. He would then kidnap someone from a different area, drive them to that small town, find an abandoned house and kill them there for the exact reason that police jumped to who would ever kill here unless they knew of this area. So he would do it to trick. But in this case, police are doing the same thing like who would know of this area? It has to be someone who grew up around here. So that's what is actually happening in this case. This is a major red flag to detectives. And what's even more worrisome is that if Nathaniel is the one who killed Samantha, it means he dropped her body off there last night and then drove back to Columbia to the Five Points area, basically the scene of the kidnapping that same day, and got pulled over by police. So what's he doing? Hunting. Looking for another victim.

[Garrett Moreland]

Also a big believer in karma. Like what goes around comes around.

[Peyton Moreland]

This is all really strange. And it was looking worse and worse for Nathaniel as police examined his car. Now inside they find a set of keys with a pink keychain. And when they ask the passenger if they're hers, she says no. Also on that key ring, a USB drive that's given to all of the students, college students at usc, and a key that's labeled room. They also find a pink cell phone in his car that doesn't belong to either him or the passenger. But the most damning evidence is a female footprint on the window in the back seat. Almost like someone was trying to kick their way out of the car. And there is a lot of blood in the back seat and trunk of his car.

[Garrett Moreland]

There's no way this girl didn't know.

[Peyton Moreland]

About it or we'll get there alongside with a bunch of cleaning products and bleach found in the car. And that's when they realized they actually likely just found the place where Samantha Josephson was killed and then her body was dumped. They also realized Nathaniel probably had his child safety locks on in his back seat, which was what likely kept Samantha from being able to get out and run away. Luckily, police now had the 24 year old Nathaniel D. Rowland in custody. And soon he was charged with kidnapping and first degree murder.

[Garrett Moreland]

Now it seems like it's going to be open and shut, but why?

[Peyton Moreland]

Problem was, Nathaniel, from the beginning, insisted that someone else had borrowed his car the night before. He wouldn't name names. He's like, I'm not ratting, but I did not do this. It was an angle his defense attorneys would also take. There's no footage of him in any of the surveillance. It's just his car. Now, prosecutors knew this was going to be tricky. There was nothing they could actually prove that Nathaniel was the one driving. His windows were tinted. Also, though, Wendy's drive through footage doesn't show his face, Samantha hadn't been sexually assaulted, meaning there was no semen that could tie it back to Nathaniel. In fact, Nathaniel's DNA wasn't even showing up under Samantha's fingernails. However, police believed that was because Nathaniel was wearing so much clothing that night that she was never actually able to make skin to skin contact with him. If you remember how the person looked on the atm, there's barely any skin showing right now. The only thing they could prove was that Samantha Josephson had been killed inside Nathaniel's car, but not really that he was the one who did it. So the prosecution knew, before we go to trial, we're going to need more evidence. And their best chance at gathering that was by taking a closer look at the Impala. So as police go to gather more clues, they discover something interesting in Nate's car. An eviction notice that included the name and address of Nate's girlfriend, a woman named Maria Howard. So police go to speak with her, hoping she can shed some light on her now arrested and charged boyfriend. And they get more than they bargained for. She says that the morning Samantha went missing, Nathaniel came to her house and tried to clean his car. He had rubber gloves on and was scrubbing down the console when she saw him grab this knife that had two blades, basically like a multi tool that also had blood on it. When she asked him what was going on, she says he said to mind her own business. He doesn't give her any details. It's clear he's in a panic. So she lets police search her home for any more evidence that might corroborate her side of the story. And she leads the police to the garage where there's a garbage can, which is where she says Nate disposed of many of those cleanup materials. And in there, the clothes, the knife.

[Garrett Moreland]

Ah, okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

They find the murder weapon, the multi blade tool that Maria claimed she had seen him with. They also find some of Nathaniel's clothes that are Covered in blood, as well as a leather jacket of his that appears to have scratch marks all down the side of it, as if someone was dragging their nails along it, trying to fight back. Now, this is important because it's another. It's his clothing that has evidence on it, not hers, not someone else who could have borrowed the car. Shortly after this, the DNA results came back from the vehicle, and it proves it was, in fact, Samantha's blood and footprint inside the Impala, only strengthening the prosecution's case. Now, some time has gone on, not a lot, but it's basically hit the time that should have been the biggest, most celebratory time in Samantha's life. It was her college graduation. There was a seat held in her memory. Her parents were given her degree, the degree which Samantha had worked so hard for and now would never get to pursue. And around the same time, a vigil was held back in Samantha's hometown. Friends, family members, and even complete strangers moved by her story showed up to light a candle for her. Meanwhile, Nathaniel Rowland was skipping his court appearances back in South Carolina and still proclaiming his innocence. Now, unfortunately, it was going to take two more years for him to face a trial because of COVID Oh, okay.

[Garrett Moreland]

What?

[Peyton Moreland]

July of 2021. Attorneys on both sides are ready to go to battle. Now, arguably, the most important witness in this case was Nate's girlfriend, the one who lived at the home where the murder weapon was found, Maria Howard. There was a lot of uncertainty around whether Maria would even agree to testify at the trial. She was worried about her safety, the safety of her young daughter. But at the end of the day, she knew it was the right thing to do. So on day two, she showed up and was called to the witness stand.

[Garrett Moreland]

Which I respect because I understand being scared. But I also think she probably thinks if I don't testify, people are going to think I'm involved.

[Peyton Moreland]

Which, yeah, she tells the jury not just about Nate coming to her house and cleaning out his car that day, but also how she'd asked him after he cleaned the car out about a visor that she needed to wear for work that she had left in his car. He cleans the car out. Now she can't find it. And he tells Maria it was out, quote, in the country. And when she asked what he was talking about, he mentioned something about how the visor had blood on it and I needed to get rid of it. But after pressing him for more details, he again threatened her to mind her own business. She also mentioned the details about the white sheet that was now covering the back seat, a detail that was validated by the workers and surveillance video out of that Wendy's drive through. Maria said it wasn't until she finally saw something about Samantha's disappearance on the news that she did put it together. She said the reason she didn't immediately report it to police directly was because she didn't know what Nate was capable of. She had her young child to worry about. Is she just jumping to conclusions? But Maria wasn't the only important witness called to the stand. There was also the Uber driver that was supposed to pick Samantha up that night. He said he went to the designated pickup spot for Samantha, but when he got there, there was no sign of her. He even said he had called her cell phone, but didn't receive an answer. And then came Osharmar Williams. He owned a cell phone repair shop, and his surveillance footage from inside the store showed Nate coming in the morning Samantha disappeared. He had tried to pawn off Samantha's cell phone. Problem was, what an idiot.

[Garrett Moreland]

What an absolute idiot.

[Peyton Moreland]

Osharmar was only offering $125 for the phone, and Nate didn't think it was enough, so he took the phone with him where it was found in his was pulled over by police. Now, even more damning, Oshomar got a look at the phone's lock screen and noticed it had a picture resembling Samantha on it. And again, this is helpful because it's Nate who is the one who's trying to pawn the cell phone off. That's clearly her phone, because the witness identifies him and her, which helps against the defense's theory that he had nothing to do with this. Now, as anticipated, the defense tried to argue everything pointing to Nate was circumstantial.

[Garrett Moreland]

Which is funny, because at this point, it's not circumstantial. I mean, the murder weapon was found in his home.

[Peyton Moreland]

Well, and what's crazy is, at trial, it comes out that they took samples from under Nathaniel's fingernails after he was arrested. And they found it was a match for Samantha's genetic material. Plus a pair of gloves, a sock, a bandana, and the knife he threw in Maria's trash, all belonging to him. Had Samantha's DNA on it.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah. Open and shut.

[Peyton Moreland]

Now, after six days of testimony, the jury deliberated for an hour and seven minutes. And when they came back, they had all unanimously agreed Nathaniel Rowland was guilty on all charges. The family had chosen not to pursue the death penalty, but spoke out. During his sentencing hearing. Samantha's mother, Marcy, said in court, quote, her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. I close my eyes and I feel what she endured at his hands, which I'm sure, like haunting her father. Seymour said through tears. Do I tell you that I contemplated suicide several times over the past 28 months? To me, the monster has stolen that bright light, this enthusiasm for life out of me. I tried to stop having these thoughts or desires only because I'm afraid of what this would ultimately do to Sydney, Samantha's sister, and Marcy, which is also just, like, horrifying. The judge then told Nate that leniency was not in his DNA and that he was sentencing him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Now, what's unusual about this case is there's really never been a clear motive. As I mentioned, Samantha wasn't sexually assaulted.

[Garrett Moreland]

He didn't know her.

[Peyton Moreland]

If the motive was robbery, the murder that followed was, like Garrett said, particularly gruesome and uncharacteristic of what we see following robberies gone wrong. So what did Nate want? Was he.

[Garrett Moreland]

Sorry to interrupt. Which is scary. These are the scariest types of killers that kill. I mean, every killer is scary. But someone who kills for fun and.

[Peyton Moreland]

For pleasure, that's what my mind goes to. Is he a serial killer in the making? Was he just stopped before he could get away with anything else? Was this just a thrill kill and nothing more? I'm not sure we'll ever really have the answers to those questions. What we do have, though, is some meaningful change. Samantha's death forced lawmakers in South Carolina to pass new legislation stating that rideshare drivers must display an illuminated sign given to them by the company when picking someone up, which we see now a lot.

[Garrett Moreland]

Great. I mean, I guess someone could really fake it if they wanted to, but I think it's a great start.

[Peyton Moreland]

So that's awesome, because this wasn't really a thing back in 2015.

[Garrett Moreland]

I was not.

[Peyton Moreland]

And if anyone stops working for the rideshare company, it's illegal for them to keep and continue using the sign. It's also illegal to have a fake one.

[Garrett Moreland]

Okay.

[Peyton Moreland]

It was called the Samantha L. Josephson Ride Sharing Safety Act. Since then, the law has sparked national change. And in 2023, Samantha's Law went into effect federally, which is why we now see this everywhere. This required all rideshare drivers nationally to display illuminated signs and scannable QR codes to verify their identity before you get in the car. It also criminalized misrepresentation of being a rideshare driver and promoted more effective background checks for drivers but the advocacy doesn't even end there. Samantha's family has since established the what's My Name? Foundation to educate people about rideshare safety. And they came up with a memorable slogan to help you stay safe when using a rideshare app.

[Garrett Moreland]

What's My name?

[Peyton Moreland]

It uses Sammy's name as an acronym. S is for stop. Before you request a ride. Think about where you're headed and review the app's safety features before you get in. A is for ask. Ask your driver, what is my name before getting in. M is for match. Be sure the make, model, and license plate of the car matches what is listed on the app. And finally, I is for inform. Share your ride details with a friend using the share status function in these apps. And that is Sammy's acronym now, because Samantha's story shouldn't be a cautionary tell. It should be one about a driven young woman who went on to be a great lawyer, who lived a long, happy life full of success, surrounded by family. But one person robbed her of all of that. All it took was one quick Uber ride for Sammy's story to become a warning of what happens when the systems that we implicitly should be able to trust are weaponized against us.

[Garrett Moreland]

This is crazy. Not often do we cover a case where someone is murdered so brutally like that and there's really no motive behind it. That's scary.

[Peyton Moreland]

I forgot to say the female that was riding in the car must have been completely cleared, and I think her identity was protected. Just. But yeah. So if you had any questions involving that.

[Garrett Moreland]

That's so sad. Horrible. Shout out to the family. Happy that there's been change back. Yeah, that. Happy that there's been change. I'm extremely sorry that something this tragic and brutal has happened to them, but I'm happy that they're able to get some change and have a lasting effect.

[Peyton Moreland]

You know, they probably don't even know how many people they've saved.

[Garrett Moreland]

Yeah, probably.

[Peyton Moreland]

Because I'm sure it has been a lot. Maybe not even just murder, but, like, assault, robbery, so many different things. All right, you guys, that was our episode for this week, and we will see you next time with another one. I love it and I hate it. Goodbye.