Suspect in student's death declines to show for bond court

Posted
A 24-year-old New Zion man charged in Columbia in the kidnapping and death of a 21-year old University of South Carolina student will remain in jail for at least 45 days. Bond was continued for Nathaniel David Rowland after the suspect declined to show for court Sunday afternoon and waived his rights to the hearing. Rowland is charged with one count of murder and one count of kidnapping, accused of taking Samantha Josephson, 21, of New Jersey from the Five Points area of Columbia early Friday morning and later dumping her body about 70 miles southeast in a wooded area in New Zion. Josephson was apparently, according to friends' accounts, attempting to locate an Uber car she had ordered when she entered Rowland's black Chevrolet Impala about 2 a.m. Friday. Rowland was arrested 24 hours later during a routine traffic stop in which police saw a large pool of what appeared to be blood. DNA matched that of Josephson, Columbia authorities said. Had Rowland showed for court Sunday, bond would have been denied. Under South Carolina law, any offense which carries the death penalty as a sentence must have bond decided by a circuit court judge. Rowland may petition to be heard 45 days from today in circuit court.