Today marks two years since a student at the University of South Carolina was murdered by a man claiming to be her Uber driver after a night out.
On March 29 after going to a bar with friends, 21-year-old Samantha Josephson was kidnapped and murdered after she got inside a vehicle that she believed was the Uber she called.
Investigators determined that Samantha was killed inside the vehicle and unable to free herself because the vehicle had its child safety locks engaged. She had been stabbed more than 30 times and left in a wooded area in Clarendon County.
In response to Samantha's murder, South Carolina Legislature introduced a bill that required Uber and Lyft drivers to display an illuminated sign on their vehicle window.
Samantha's father shared a message about the anniversary of his daughter's death on Facebook:
Samantha’s parents spearheaded a bill in her honor called SAMI's Law. The law makes it illegal for ride-share companies to sell their car logos to anyone who isn’t a driver and requires ride-share companies to develop a system that makes it easy for passengers to verify they are getting into the right car.
It also establishes a council within the Department of Transportation to come up with performance standards for ride-share technology.
Samantha's murderer, Nathaniel Rowland, has been charged with murder and kidnapping. His bond was denied in June 2020 and he will remain in jail until further court proceedings.
Photo: Getty Images