GUILTY SC - Samantha Josephson, 21, Columbia, thought she was getting into Uber, 29 Mar 2019 *Arrest* #2

[Gardenista]

CPD searching for missing 21-year-old USC student

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - Special Victims Unit Investigators with the Columbia Police Department are working to locate a missing 21-year-old USC student.

Samantha Josephson was last seen by friends between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. this morning on the 700 block of Harden Street.

Shortly after 2:00 a.m., Josephson was seen on surveillance video getting into a dark vehicle, possibly a newer model Chevy Impala.

Josephson is described as being white, 145 lbs and 5’7” tall. She has long brown hair and brown eyes.

Thread #1

 

[Gardenista]

21-year-old USC student reported missing, last seen in Five Points

Columbia police searching for missing USC student

 

[Gardenista]

FB Samantha Josephson

 

[Herat]

I think a lot of what we can do to avoid bad situations is --
1) Don't drink alcohol to the point of fearlessness or lack of good judgement
2) Be observant, use common sense
3) If it feels wrong or dangerous or risky, it probably is

And also --

Welcome to Websleuths,
Maa23*s !!​

I would add: Have someone you check in with regularly and who has no problem trying to roust you out if you haven't made contact within a specific time.

No one can help you if they don't know you are in trouble.

This case was made so much more expedient because she was found so early. We could have been spinning our wheels for the past week trying to find her and making all sorts of odd conjectures about what had happened.

This, at the least, will bring some closure to the grieving family

 

[Maa23*s]

I think a lot of what we can do to avoid bad situations is --
1) Don't drink alcohol to the point of fearlessness or lack of good judgement
2) Be observant, use common sense
3) If it feels wrong or dangerous or risky, it probably is

And also --

Welcome to Websleuths,
Maa23*s !!​

All good advice! My point is that even with all precautions taken, evilness will still find a loophole.

 

[Downtownbrown]

As stated before, I’m the mom of 5 and wife on an Uber/Lyft driver. This opinion I’m about to give was very unpopular on a friends facebook post and I was called mean, insensitive and a poor excuse for a mother, but here goes. The whole idea that an Uber driver has to say your name is false. Uber discourages it, at least in my area which is Miami/Ft Lauderdale because of fraud. The scam is the driver says, “Are you Carol?” the rider says “yes” gets in. Before the ride is over, the passenger says drop me off here. The driver pulls over because if you don’t..it’s kidnapping..and lets them out. Then the driver ends the ride on the app. The next day, you get a message that the wrong passenger was picked up and you get paid nothing for your time, gas, anything. It’s a free ride to the scammer that gets them close to their destination if they are lucky, the person who ordered the Uber gets a refund because the driver picked up someone who claimed to be them and not the correct person, and the driver is out money. Uber says the passenger should tell the driver what their driver’s name is for verification if you want to ensure you will be paid. So this whole movement that the college announced saying everyone should say, “Hi are you so and so?” will never work in reality. Uber drivers will just start refusing all those passengers. Please don’t forget that Uber drivers have families and bills too. Not to mention that our car has major wear and tear from passengers. Not just mileage and tires, but people will literally wipe dog poop they stepped in all over your carpets. They will take their gum out and stick it on your seats. Now not all passengers are like this, but enough that I can tell you that it’s not a public transport service where a driver can give away free rides all the time! Also, the idea that Uber drivers are all seedy characters that give you the creeps is just plain ignorance. I know many many drivers who are working for families and trust me, it doesn't pay well. I have a very good job that pays most of the bills and my husband makes the same as he did at his regular job but he also works 7 days a week, gets up at 4am and ends every day at 7 pm. That's alot of hours for not alot of money, but he enjoys the freedom of being his own boss and he's happy. There are many honest drivers out there just working for their families. Not everyone is a killer or a rapist. With that said, the best thing that passengers can do at present time is check the license plate, type of car and the driver info. That is what the info is there for. No one should feel uncomfortable or rude doing so. My husband thinks its great in the rare circumstance someone does and is not offended in the least bit. The QR thing I read earlier sounds like an idea that can work, but putting 100% of your safety onto a driver is not only not taking any responsibility for your own safety, it’s just not right to do to a driver. Now, if my opinion sounds like I’m victim blaming that isn’t my intention. I think it is a horrible thing that happened, but it was a preventable tragedy. I know that probably tears her parents up inside but that is the fact. This young girl made a deadly mistake and jumped in a car with a crazed killer. Even typing it makes me cringe. So sad.

 

[KatzEye]

@Downtownbrown - Thank you for this informative information. I'm sorry your husband has experienced so many scamming and rude customers, but sadly I'm not shocked by that. And you're 100% correct - people must take responsibility for their own personal safety. It's a FACT that no one can afford to be flippant with their own safety today whether they are extremely rushed, slightly tipsy, or a myriad of other reasons. I am horribly sad that Sami did not check that license plate, as I'm sure most of us here are. I just hope it's a wakeup call for many who use rideshare services of any type.

 

[bookrat]

Have the police or media said that the perp may have been doing this before? It just seems to me more than fate that he just happened to be there, just happened to have his doors unlocked, didn't tell the woman to get out of his car, just happened to decide to use the child locks, just happened to have a sharp weapon on him. I wonder if there had been a lot of rapes and/or assaults by a driver claiming to be the Uber or Lift driver in that area/state? Wasn't his car hanging around the bar area when the bars closed? It seems to me that he was looking for his next victim.
Reminds me of the perp who killed Morgan, the girl kicked out of a concert, and then years later, killed another young girl when he thought he could get away with it. He too was caught on camera or he probably would have gotten away with it.

 

[Downtownbrown]

@Downtownbrown - Thank you for this informative information. I'm sorry your husband has experienced so many scamming and rude customers, but sadly I'm not shocked by that. And you're 100% correct - people must take responsibility for their own personal safety. It's a FACT that no one can afford to be flippant with their own safety today whether they are extremely rushed, slightly tipsy, or a myriad of other reasons. I am horribly sad that Sami did not check that license plate, as I'm sure most of us here are. I just hope it's a wakeup call for many who use rideshare services of any type.

Thank you KatzEye! I should stop reading for the night or I will drive myself crazy lol. I just read an article someone posted that the parents of the girl are now calling for legislation for Ubers because of the tragedy. Reminds me of a few years back when someone got on the wrong plane and sued the airline. This situation would be like if someone got on an American Airlines flight and then sued Jet Blue because that was who their ticket was and Jet Blue should've done something to prevent someone from getting on a different companies plane. I mean, honestly, the guy wasn't an Uber driver, she got into the wrong car and now Uber is being blamed.. Not the killer, not the girl who got into the wrong car, but Uber who sent her the license tag, car and driver info, provided maps of where her Uber was, did show up and she had already left...Sign of the times and a blame game shift in personal responsibility I guess..*sigh* I need to go to bed lol

 

[ilovechili]

Have the police or media said that the perp may have been doing this before? It just seems to me more than fate that he just happened to be there, just happened to have his doors unlocked, didn't tell the woman to get out of his car, just happened to decide to use the child locks, just happened to have a sharp weapon on him. I wonder if there had been a lot of rapes and/or assaults by a driver claiming to be the Uber or Lift driver in that area/state? Wasn't his car hanging around the bar area when the bars closed? It seems to me that he was looking for his next victim.
Reminds me of the perp who killed Morgan, the girl kicked out of a concert, and then years later, killed another young girl when he thought he could get away with it. He too was caught on camera or he probably would have gotten away with it.

I am pretty sure they have not said but they did ask in the beginning for anyone to come forward who has encountered something like this, someone trying to offer a ride, pose as a cab, etc. I believe. I do not know what kind of response they have had but I think they are wondering as well if this was a first.

 

[cujenn81]

@Downtownbrown - Thank you for this informative information. I'm sorry your husband has experienced so many scamming and rude customers, but sadly I'm not shocked by that. And you're 100% correct - people must take responsibility for their own personal safety. It's a FACT that no one can afford to be flippant with their own safety today whether they are extremely rushed, slightly tipsy, or a myriad of other reasons. I am horribly sad that Sami did not check that license plate, as I'm sure most of us here are. I just hope it's a wakeup call for many who use rideshare services of any type.

Totally agree.
The PYRAMID OF PUBLIC SAFETY is a great guideline to follow.

Pyramid of Personal Safety

 

[NanZDrew]

Some were posting safety info and I wanted to share a post about Megan Holden who was abducted from a Wal-Mart parking lot and later murdered. The video footage shows two people at the front of the parking lot that were loading their groceries and oblivious to what was happening. The article explains some behaviors to be aware of. It is really good, and we need to think about safety for ourselves and teach kids what to look for.
Sensible Self Defense: Thugs in the parking lot: The Kidnapping of Megan Holden

 

[tmar]

I know.

But look at that video. Within 10 feet of her were about 30 men who would have beat the **** out of anyone who was obviously accosting her, if she started screaming. Yet, right under their noses she was silently abducted. I'll bet the friends she had met that night were 30 feet away from her inside the bar

And as I look at that video, he was slick. In and out in seconds... This was rehearsed and calculated. IMHO.

So my conclusion: I TOTALLY AGREE. WE CAN'T EVER LET OUR GUARD DOWN.

Not in for what we think is the Uber. Not for a second in the expensive hotel bar while waiting to go to the theater. Not parking in the grocery store parking lot. Not waiting at 4 am for the Uber to take us to the airport. Not after school. Not when we just had a fun day shopping with friends. Not when we are leaving a friend's house. Not when we are walking the dog. Not when the day is beautiful and we just want to take a walk.

It's a terrible truth, repeated over and over

I agree. "WE CAN'T EVER LET OUR GUARD DOWN".
This case, and so many others, prove this.
We must continually be very careful as you specify in your many examples.
We may be labeled as being paranoid, but can reply quoting the numerous cases, which end up in a murder.
MOO.

 

[MsBetsy]

I didn’t read those articles about an after the fact examination which I know they did. I just watched the video and the chief said the cop that stopped him upon further looking into the vehicle saw blood and name the places it was found. So I understood it as at that moment is where they saw the blood. Not pertaining to the final forsenic examination.

And yes bleach doesn’t erase or do anything it just hides for the time being until they use lights and solutions. That is why I was saying that he could have very easily wiped his seat or anything that made it appear in the moment (without forensics involved) and the live report the police chief gave was specifically for that day and not the forensics report.

It is a bit complex figuring out someone’s final moments. All I hope is she fought like hell. Unfortunately I think he took the cowardly way and knocked her out with something to make her unconscious- and she woke up. Choked her or gave her something to knock her out. He could have simply cut an artery in the leg that made blood flow out rapidly and making blood be everywhere.

Yes, I imagine since she died from multiple sharp wounds on her neck, face, arms, and from what it sounds like, all over her body, he likely hit an artery. A neck wound could produce a huge amount of blood alone.
I'm guessing many of the wounds on her arms and legs were self defense injuries. She may have held her arms up in front of her face and kicked with her legs. Imo

 

[mks762]

For what it's worth I took two Ubers last night and both times the driver said "are you ----?" as soon as I opened the door. It made me feel a lot more safe. Also both cars were black sedans, just like the one Samantha got into.
Also I think the QR code is a great idea!! Just put a little QR sticker on each backseat window. All this talk of rider safety, we gotta remember driver safety as well! Not just for scams like @Downtownbrown mentioned but personal safety as well. They are letting a stranger into their car, sure the driver is "in control" of the car but what happens if someone sees an Uber sticker pulled over waiting for someone then gets in their car and pulls a gun on them?? They need to know who they are picking up and have a record of it. Keep the doors locked until that QR code is scanned and confirmed to match.
I was looking for a story from Richmond VA where a female Uber driver was held at gunpoint and locked in her trunk and ended up finding like 4 different news articles of Uber drivers being assaulted in the last 6 months.

 

[flgrl017]

All I know is they need to come up with a better way of identifying the Uber’s and which Uber is for which customer. I say this living in the Chicago suburbs. It’s very hard/confusing/frustrating sometimes to find your Uber downtown. I’m not sure the most efficient & safest way to do this, but surely it can be done.

 

[Maa23*s]

All I know is they need to come up with a better way of identifying the Uber’s and which Uber is for which customer. I say this living in the Chicago suburbs. It’s very hard/confusing/frustrating sometimes to find your Uber downtown. I’m not sure the most efficient & safest way to do this, but surely it can be done.

.... And apparently their app. Someone posted that the app doesn't always show information in real time. That is not good. Have you experienced that?

 

[flgrl017]

.... And apparently their app. Someone posted that the app doesn't always show information in real time. That is not good. Have you experienced that?

Yes.

I also want to add that cars downtown will stop in the middle of the street here and wait on people. At any given time there can be several cars waiting around. Sometimes our Uber will be in the other side of the street. It’s crazy and overwhelming trying to find them sometimes. I’m sure it’s frustrating for the drivers having to waste time waiting as well.

 

[MJPeony]

I have to admit that I have not always used the identification safety measures that Uber has in place for the rider- the model and make of driver car, license number, and photo of the driver. I’ve cross-referenced a handful of times, but most of the time I just track where it’s coming from and then when it’s approaching I look and wave and wait for the driver to acknowledge me and pull over. Not super safe, I know. And you can bet I’ll be cross-referencing from here on out.

That said, I don’t understand why there is a need for more legislation to protect riders from “getting into the wrong car”. Uber already provides the model and make of car, license number and photo of the driver! It’s right there on your phone. It’s not hidden. It’s literally staring at you while you hold your phone waiting.

What more is necessary? Saying a name, a QR code, etc.... totally unnecessary to protect the rider IMO. JMO.

Lord knows SJ didn’t deserve to be murdered and it’s completely understandable how she would have just popped into the car she thought was her Uber (as I said, I’ve done this before). But I see no reason to add additional safety measures. I think awareness just needs to be raised to be sure people are indeed checking the make/model, license number and photo.

(Fwiw, I received an email from Uber last night reminding people to do just this)

All MOO.

 

[RoChEsTeR Paul]

Id like to know more about those cell phone pings, and whether there's a possibility she was taken somewhere and assaulted before any injuries occurred. If she was severely wounded immediately after being taken, then it would be highly unlikely. We know there are definitely 2 crime scenes.. The kidnapping site and the field many miles away. But where did her life sadly end? In the car? In the trunk? In the field?