The South Carolina Court of Appeals has upheld the convictions of Nathaniel D. Rowland for the murder and kidnapping of University of South Carolina senior Samantha Josephson, a case that garnered widespread attention for its chilling details.
On August 21, 2024, the Court of Appeals affirmed Rowland’s convictions on charges of murder, kidnapping, and possession of a weapon. Rowland had challenged the trial court’s decisions on three grounds, arguing that key evidence should have been suppressed and that expert testimony should not have been admitted.
Rowland’s appeal questioned the legality of a traffic stop that led to his arrest, claiming there was no probable cause or reasonable suspicion for the detention. He also contested the admission of expert testimony linking him to handwriting found on an envelope in his car and DNA evidence on the murder weapon and other items.
The appellate court, however, found no merit in these claims. It ruled that Columbia Police Officer Jeffrey Kraft had reasonable suspicion to conduct the traffic stop, which justified the trial court’s decision to deny Rowland’s motion to suppress the evidence obtained during the stop.
Additionally, the court upheld the inclusion of handwriting analysis by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Agent John Jamieson. The analysis linked Rowland to the crime scene, and the court deemed it relevant and reliable under the South Carolina Rules of Evidence (SCRE).
The court also affirmed the admissibility of DNA evidence presented by SLED Agent Ryan DeWane, which further implicated Rowland in the crime. The court ruled that this evidence was crucial and met the standards of SCRE.
Deputy Solicitor Daniel Goldberg expressed gratitude for the Court of Appeals’ decision, stating, “The Court’s unanimous opinion is another step in pursuing justice for the Josephson family.”
Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor Byron E. Gipson reflected on the gravity of the case, saying, “The Nathaniel Rowland case was one of the most horrific trials I have experienced in my tenure as the Fifth Circuit Solicitor. I am pleased that the South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the verdict handed down by a Richland County jury in July 2021. Although the Court’s decision cannot bring Samantha back to us, I hope that, in time, it will bring peace and closure to the Josephson family.”
Rowland was convicted in July 2021 after a trial that revealed harrowing details of Josephson’s abduction and murder. On March 29, 2019, Josephson was killed after she mistakenly entered Rowland’s vehicle in Columbia’s Five Points entertainment district, believing it was her Uber ride. Rowland had activated the child locks in the vehicle, trapping Josephson inside.
Her body was discovered in woods off a dirt road in Clarendon County, approximately 65 miles from where she was abducted, with multiple wounds to her head, neck, face, upper body, leg, and foot. Investigators found blood and other evidence in Rowland’s black Chevrolet Impala, which linked him to the crime.
Rowland was sentenced to life in prison and has been in the Richland County jail since his arrest. The case has spurred changes in rideshare safety regulations, including a South Carolina law requiring drivers to display license plate numbers in the front of their vehicles and imposing criminal penalties for impersonating rideshare drivers.
