dailygamecock.com UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019
VOL. 112, NO. 11
SINCE 1908
HANNAH WADE // THE GAMECOCK
‘Don’t ever forget her name.’ Clarendon County, about 70 miles southeast from Columbia. Holbrook said the particular location the body was found was described to him by Clarendon police as an area that would be difficult to find unless someone knew how to get there. At 3 a.m. Saturday, the morning after Samantha had gone Vigil held at Strom Fields missing, a K-9 officer was on patrol and noticed a black Chevy A crowd gathered at Strom Fields Sunday evening for a vigil Impala two blocks from the Five Points area.The officer initiated in honor of Samantha “Sami” Josephson, a USC student who was a traffic stop and asked the driver to step out of the car. A short abducted from Five Points early Friday morning after getting foot chase ensued between the driver and the officer, and the into a car she thought was her Uber. Among the speakers at driver was taken into custody. the vigil were Greg Corbishley, her boyfriend, and Seymour Throughout Saturday, the suspect’s vehicle was processed. Josephson, her father. Holbrook said there was a large amount of dark liquid in the car Josephson began by asking how many people in the crowd that was later confirmed to be blood. The SLED forensic crime personally knew Samantha, and when the majority of the crowd scene agents submitted the blood to the SLED DNA lab for did not raise their hands, he commented on the solidarity of the analysis, and the blood was confirmed to be Samantha’s. Carolina community. Other findings in the car included Samantha’s cellphone, “The reason I ask that is that there are so many people here that bleach, germicidal wipes and window cleaner. Further did not know her and this community that has pulled together,” investigation found that there was a child safety seat in the back Josephson said. “It’s totally amazing — the Gamecocks, USC, of the vehicle and child safety locks on the back doors that would you people — how you guys have come together, how you’ve prevent the victim from escaping. pulled this together, the support that you guys have.” “Our hearts are broken. They’re broken. There is nothing Josephson also spoke of “Sami-isms,” instances that sparked tougher than to stand before a family and explain how a loved one laughter and joy in those around her. was murdered,” Holbrook said at the press conference. “It becomes almost weekly. Daily, sometimes,” Josephson said, Warrants released by SLED Sunday morning did not release “she gets on these little rolls.” how she died but did say that she had “numerous wounds evident Josephson spoke to USC students directly, urging them to stay on multiple parts of her body to include her together when traveling and drinking. head, neck, face, upper body, leg and foot.” “Samantha was by herself,” Josephson said. Nat h a n iel Row l a nd c h a r g e d w it h “She had absolutely no chance. None.” kidnapping and murder Josephson also mentioned his mission to Saturday afternoon, SLED announced they urge Uber and other ride-sharing companies would be charging Nathaniel Rowland, 24, to improve safety measures. with the kidnapping and murder of Samantha “That is gonna be part of my mission in Josephson. Rowland waived his right to appear life now, is going around talking, educating, in court on Sunday, but Samantha’s mother, getting that out — and hopefully put pressure Marci Josephson, spoke. on Uber and Lyft to change something,” “Samantha Josephson. My daughter’s name Josephson said. was Samantha Josephson. Don’t ever forget her Samantha’s boyfriend, Greg Corbishley, name. Samantha Josephson,” she said. COURTESY OF JORDYN SPENNER shared that Samantha had left a positive Originally from New Jersey, Samantha was impact on his life. set to graduate from USC in May and attend law school at Drexel “In the process of the last four years that I’ve known her, I’ve University in Philadelphia. truly learned stuff about myself that I think I’ll be thankful for President Pastides released a statement concerning student her for the rest of my life,” Corbishley said. safety and a call to action directed toward university safety ‘Our hearts are broken. They’re broken.’ officials and establishments in Five Points. On Saturday, the Samantha called an Uber to pick her up from Five Points Office of the President sent an email to remind students of the around 2 a.m. Friday. She was seen getting into a car by a counseling center’s drop-in hours from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on bouncer who knew her, and security footage from outside of Bird Sunday and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during weekdays. Dog, a bar in Five Points, confirmed that Josephson had gotten The email also included safety precautions for utilizing rideinto a black Chevy Impala. sharing services and transportation to and from the Five Points Samantha’s roommates began to worry when they had not area. heard from her and called the police around 1:30 p.m. Friday. Her “Leaving Five Points, make use of the USC shuttles to make location was last tracked by phone on Ott Road off Rosewood sure you get home safely,” the email read. Drive, about 3 miles east from her residence at the Hub. Samantha’s death comes after a death by suicide on USC’s At around 4 p.m. that same day, Samantha’s body was found campus last Monday and the death of a USC Salkehatchie by two turkey hunters, Columbia Police Department Chief Skip student, Parker Neff, after he collapsed on a baseball field Friday. Holbrook said during a Saturday evening press conference. Samantha’s funeral will be held on April 3 in East Princeton, Samantha’s body was found in New Zion, a small town in New Jersey. MADDOX GREENE @MaddoxGrace__
GRAPHIC BY TAYLOR SHARKEY // THE GAMECOCK