The grieving mom of murdered college student Samantha Josephson made a powerful statement about the man who allegedly kidnapped and killed her daughter last week. Marci Josephson condemned defendant Nathaniel David Rowland during a hearing on Sunday in Columbia, South Carolina.
“I can not fathom how someone could randomly select a person, a beautiful girl and steal her life away,” she said, according to Live 5 News. “His actions were senseless, vile and unacceptable. It sickens us to think that his face was the last thing that my baby girl saw on this earth. Does he even know her name?”
Josephson’s family resides in New Jersey; the victim was a student at the University of South Carolina.
Police Chief W.H. Holbrook told reporters that Josephson’s roommates called cops early Friday morning. These friends had been hanging out with her, but got separated from her. They became worried when they weren’t able to reach her over the phone.
Authorities’ search for Josephson ended in tragedy, with hunters finding Josephson’s body in Clarion County, just off a dirt road in a rural area.
Police performed a traffic stop on a black Chevy Impala, Holbrook said. The driver allegedly fled on foot, and he was caught. The chief told reporters that investigators found blood, Josephson’s phone, and cleaning material in the vehicle.
Officers said that Rowland approached Josephson while she was waiting for an Uber car to pick her up. She entered his Impala, possibly mistaking it for her ride, Holbrook said.
“Let me tell you about my daughter,” Josephson said Sunday. “Samantha was bubbly, loving, kind and full of life. She had a plan. She worked hard, was graduating from college in May and starting law school in September. Unlike him, Samantha valued human life and could never harm another soul. Unlike him, Samantha had love within her heart and purpose in her life, the life he brutally ended. He took away our daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin and a friend to so many. His selfish, unspeakable and violent actions have created a hole in the universe. A hole in our universe and we see the unimaginable ripple, affect her world.”
It’s unclear if Rowland has an attorney at this time, but he is scheduled for another bond hearing on April 22.The suspect reportedly chose not to appear in court.
[Mugshot via Image via YouTube screengrab]