The Judge sentencing is pretty interesting to watch.




Judge sentences Nathaniel Rowland to life in prison






A South Carolina man was convicted Tuesday of the 2019 abduction and murder of a 21-year-old college student who mistook his car for her Uber ride.

The jury took a little more than an hour to find Nathaniel Rowland guilty of the charges in the death of Samantha Josephson of Robbinsville, New Jersey. He was arrested the day after the University of South Carolina student disappeared from Columbia’s Five Points entertainment district in March 2019.


Josephson got into Rowland’s car thinking it was an Uber ride that would take her back to her apartment, prosecutors said. Instead, she found herself trapped because Rowland had the childproof locks on, investigators said.


She was never again seen alive. Covered in roughly 120 stab wounds, her body was later found in remote woods about 65 miles (105 kilometers) from Columbia. The death cast a national spotlight on ride-hailing safety and led to some changes, including more prominent displays of driver’s license plates.

“Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. I close my eyes, and I feel what she endured at his hands,” the victim's mother, Marci Josephson, said during the sentencing phase of Rowland's trial Tuesday.

The prosecution spent about a week presenting voluminous evidence and called nearly three dozen witnesses. Experts linked Josephson’s blood to the interior of Rowland’s Chevrolet Impala and to the suspected murder weapon, a knife with two blades. Her blood was also found on cleaning supplies in the trash behind the home of the man’s girlfriend at the time — and on a sock and bandana owned by Rowland, the experts testified.

Other evidence included cellphone tracking data pinpointing Rowland’s location the night of the crime. One forensic scientist testified that DNA collected from Rowland’s fingernails matched the victim’s genetic material, and DNA belonging to both suspect and victim were found on gloves also located in the trash.

Rowland’s defense attorneys pointed out that scientists weren’t absolutely certain Rowland’s DNA was on the knife. His attorneys also argued that although Josephson appeared to fight her attacker, none of Rowland’s DNA was found on her body and he had no visible marks of such a fight after his arrest. The defense called no witnesses, and Rowland did not testify.

Before resting the defense’s case, Rowland’s lawyer asked the charges be thrown out because prosecutors had a circumstantial case — never showing that Rowland actually killed Josephson nor that he was driving the vehicle when she disappeared.

Circuit Judge Clifton Newman rejected the request, saying there was an avalanche of direct and circumstantial evidence that a jury should consider.

Link

Cliff notes on mom's statement: "my baby didn't do this....he's a good boy."  

Horrible crime.

No evidence of rape as I understand it.

Why would he do such a horrible thing?

Basically that she raised him right and he was a loving person and she knew he didn’t commit the crime.

Typical mother denial nonsense.

He’s a well respected judge in S.C. and wasn’t gonna put up with any of that “he’s a good boy” crap.

The algorithm led me to that video today as well.

The judge seemed like a good guy based on those clips.

The scars on his soul are evident in his voice.

Tag for link to father’s plea to the judge.

The Anthony Huber I knew would never try to bash some kid's brains in with a skateboard.
He was a kind soul, who saved the family from a fire one time, and pulled a knife on his brother while threatening to gut him like a pig another time...

Good thing the Judge was black.

Denial is not just a river... Piece of garbage...

He tried to use her debit card at multiple ATMs.   Beyond that I have no idea.  Just evil.

That judge was impressive to listen to.

A civilized society would give him to the people who cared about her, and everyone would mind their own business.

Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. I close my eyes, and I feel what she endured at his hands,” the victim's mother, Marci Josephson, said
Profound

The judge is more proof that we have a culture problem and not a race problem in this country. The mom is proof that her culture is the problem.

Judge made it clear he was convinced of Rowland's guilt...and that Rowland is heartless, emotionless, and without any remorse whatsoever.  He also said he would be astonished if Rowland's family and friends had not seen signs of these character flaws before this crime, perhaps throwing a bit of shade at the mother's claims of Rowland's innocence.

Still not sure why they didn't pursue the death penalty for murder with the aggravating circumstance of kidnapping, but at least he got life without a chance of parole.  Well, until AOC gets him freed and holds a parade for him.

How the fuck is that not a death penalty case? Our legal system is hopelessly broken. That POS should have been led out the back door and executed in the closest ditch.

If Samantha Josephson had just been armed. Messed up people like Nathaniel should not know that thanks to gun control nuts many people are afraid to take measures to defend themselves. He should of been thinking if he tried to hurt that girl he would of ended up on the wrong end of a gun held by a lady legally justified in pulling the trigger.

These people always have a fucking excuse.

Can we say it was a hate crime? Asking for a friend

This…..I’m not up on SC laws, but NC sure is a death penalty state…if this isn’t a textbook case for the death penalty…..

She white.

I was under the understanding there would be a bounty for eliminating a 'most dangerous' white domestic terrorist from Mr. Garland?

What a great judge, horrible crime.

I feel terrible for the family of that young woman, why must we have so much evil in this world?

'There was blood:' Nathaniel Rowland ex-girlfriend testifies she saw him clean blood out of car

Because we lack the intestinal fortitude to eliminate it

"Your honor, my baby d***** ** *******. "

"Your son is guilty of murder."

Homie tried using Samantha Josephson's debit card at ATMs hours after killing

He was a good boy, he played basketball and went to church

It was better when this type of people were publicly hanged

The judge was not putting up with mom's bullshit. Not a bit.

SC is a death penalty state, but we used lethal injection. The pharma company that manufactures at least one of the substances used refuses to sell them to the state because they oppose the death penalty. In response, the legislature passed and the governor signed S.200 into law (Edit: that happened last summer), which authorizes use of the firing squad to execute villains like this. There is some time necessary for corrections to get things set up for the firing squad, but no reason this animal couldn't wait it out on death row. Not sure why he isn't going to get the wall and bullet, but here we are.

Truth.

Dude, didn’t you see how she oppressed him with her whiteness?

THIS POST NAILS IT!!!!!!!!

 I know why he didn't get the death penalty, if you think about it long enough
 I believe you could come up with the answer too.

The aggravating circumstances and sheer depravity of his crime certainly justifies, even demands the death penalty.

The death penalty is in major decline all across the country, including Texas. It's mainly about money and resources for rural counties and political opposition in larger counties. I know that since the TX Legislature added life without parole several sessions ago, it's pretty much become the defacto penalty for capital murder.

I don't even recall the last time the death penalty was sought for anyone in my area(DFW). Used to, I'd at least hear about it being sought by a DA or sentenced to someone a few times a year, even if it was just from some random newscast on in the background. Pretty much doesn't happen now.

Exactly.

Link

Kidnapping in South Carolina is a felony, carrying a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment. Additionally, it can also subject offenders to lifetime sex offender registration unless the court makes a finding that the crime was not sexually motivated.

Murder in South Carolina, is a felony carrying a minimum sentence of 30 years up to a maximum sentence of life, but offenders can face up to life in prison or the death penalty.

While not all details about Josephson’s death are currently known, it does appear possible that this crime will qualify for the death penalty. In order for a South Carolina murder to qualify for the death penalty it is necessary that one of the statutory aggravating circumstances spelled out in S.C. Code § 16-3-20(C)(a) apply. One of the listed circumstances is that the murder was committed while in the commission of a kidnapping. Since Rowland has been charged with both Murder and Kidnapping, it seems that the statutory requirement for an aggravating circumstance may be met.

The decision to pursue the death penalty is made by the elected solicitor. Solicitor is a South Carolina term for District Attorney. Columbia is part of South Carolina’s Fifth Judicial Circuit comprised of Kershaw and Richland counties. The elected solicitor for that circuit is Bryon Gibson. The decision is not going to be made lightly, and won’t be known until there has been a full opportunity to review the totality of the evidence and confer with law enforcement and the victim’s family.

There are many reasons why the prosecutor may, or may not, choose to pursue the death penalty in an eligible case. A certain factor is the heinous nature of the crime, and if the police theory about Josephson’s death is accurate her murder seems to qualify for the death penalty. But actual executions in South Carolina are becoming rare, with the last occurring in 2011. This is due to the lengthy appeal process, as well as a shortage of lethal injection drugs. Choosing to forego the death penalty can also help spare the victim’s family from having to live through various appeals that could take decades to conclude

She probably fought him with all she had in the car, before he had a chance to take her somewhere to rape her.  And he responded violently, resulting in her DNA under his fingernails and his car full of her blood.  I doubt his original plan was to stab her in the car.

I’m okay with life in prison but the worst offenders don’t deserve TV, internet, air conditioning, etc. It should definitely suck…

His father believes that he did not commit the murder too. I am not linking his statement because I am too tired to support the lazy people.

Exactly

Perception.

Now Disney can make a movie about it for their woke audience and give the killer's family a 0.05% cut and the victims family honorable mention.

cause he's a feral piece of shit that should be executed already for what he did.   I don't care what his mom said.

When they say this, they should be shown every graphic autopsy photo of what their "baby" did to the victim.