Found Deceased SC - Samantha Josephson, 21, Columbia, 29 March 2019 *Arrest*

[carolinegeorge]

I have also wondered if an accomplice alerted him to "a yong woman who just called for a ride"...

 

[bestill]

Maybe the phone slipped way under the seat

Yes and she had it on silent, I'm sure her friends were blowing the phone up, for all we know her battery may have died while she was looking for her Uber.

If his parents have not been allowed to talk to him, how do they know he was passed out?

Hate to be cynical but could be some messaging going on there.

The description of the wounds is interesting. Stab wounds in the legs and feet, suggesting she was prone and kicking at him, perhaps from a sitting or recumbent position in the back seat while he stabs from the drivers seat.


Theory: SJ gets into the car and NR either realizes his trap has succeeded or is surprised and decides to use the opportunity he’s been afforded to commit a crime (robbery, rape). If the driver is alone (at this point I favor this scenario, since I don’t believe she gets in the car if there are two) he begins driving away like he’s just doing a standard ride share. Within a few minutes, SJ receives a text from the real Uber driver, at which point she realizes the mortal danger she is now in. She starts trying to open the doors, but is unable to due to the child locks. Maybe she starts to panic and she starts kicking at the doors and windows. Nate now realizes this isn’t going how he has planned. His car is being damaged and she’s screaming at him. He grabs his knife and initially threatens her, but she keeps kicking and screaming. He cuts her, probably intentionally but possibly accidentally. Now she’s really in sheer terror, and he’s full on panicked. It accelerates quickly with her being cut all over during the struggle, including her feet and legs. One or more of the wounds are fatal and the blood loss is extensive, leading to her death in the back seat. He finds a relatively secluded place and temporarily moves her body into the trunk. Panicked, he goes to a familiar place, an hour away, with the intent of placing her body someplace where no one will find it. He purchases the bleach and other cleaning agents thinking he can manage to get out of this somehow by removing all physical trace of her, but for whatever reason he doesn’t have to time to do a thorough job of it. He returns to 5 Points the next night to pick up his gf and is pulled over. JMHO

Spot on with what I think happened.

I have also wondered if an accomplice alerted him to "a yong woman who just called for a ride"...

Welcome carolinegeorge!!

 

[Researchgirl]

If he worked for fed ex perhaps he had a box cutter on him? I know when my cousin works for UPS during the holidays he keeps one in his car and brings it to work.

Also I wonder if the Chevy impala had back seats that folded down? Where he could have slid her into the trunk that way?

 

[ilovechili]

I have also wondered if an accomplice alerted him to "a yong woman who just called for a ride"...

I agree. Nothing like that can be ruled out imo and it is certainly possible.

ETA: And welcome by the way!

 

[dotr]

“SLED agents wrote that Josephson had “numerous wounds evident on multiple parts of her body to include her head, neck, face, upper body, leg and foot.” It doesn’t say hands and arms which would be more consistent with defensive wounds from sheilding herself. Unless upper body is used in that regard. I can see the legs being maybe the defense part as previously stated.


USC student Samantha Josephson’s cause of death released by officials


He was very angry. Crime of Passion? But her head? Face? And “multiple sharp force injuries”
Doesn’t make me think it was a knife. It makes me think of a screwdriver or piece of glass or something....

A screwdriver comes to mind, imo, speculation.

 

[Researchgirl]

A screwdriver comes to mind, imo, speculation.

Yes definite speculation on all accounts for me also. I do recognize it is premature to even try to figure out the murder weapon was. But for me, speculating what he might have used helps me try to get inside his head as I am not entirely believing the Uber scenario quite yet. I am more inclined to believe they knew each other someone. Even by the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.

 

[ilovechili]

Wasn’t “sharp force injuries” reported in Mollie Tibbett’s autopsy? I’ll have to look back. But I seem to remember something along those lines, as we were trying to figure out what kind of weapon was used.

ETA: Yes, Mollie also died from sharp force injuries.
UPDATE WITH SERVICE INFO: Autopsy finds Mollie Tibbetts died of sharp force injuries

I did not follow Tibbetts on this site but I think you are right (I was well aware of the case). I think it is not unusual although I have to admit I have not heard it many times but I do get they are just not getting overly specific at this early stage, may still need to determine the weapon, depths of wounds, etc. and just needed the overall finding to file charges. That is just my opinion though.

Did they ever have the weapon or determine what it was in Mollie's?

 

[dotr]

Yes definite speculation on all accounts for me also. I do recognize it is premature to even try to figure out the murder weapon was. But for me, speculating what he might have used helps me try to get inside his head as I am not entirely believing the Uber scenario quite yet. I am more inclined to believe they knew each other someone. Even by the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.

Early on had also wondered if they were acquainted in some way because both originally came from the NY/NJ area.
imo, speculation.

 

[Researchgirl]

I apologize if this article was posted already. I looked through thread quickly and didn’t see it. But that doesn’t mean I am not blind.

At any rate..if you haven’t read it. Read it and share your thoughts if this hasn’t been spoken about yet. If this was posted. Just let me know. Read the entire article.

Mother of Brittanee Drexel responds to News10NBC's exclusive interview

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I’m not so sure this guy has done this type of crime before. Twenty four hours after the kidnapping and less than that after the murder and he’s still riding around with her blood and phone in his car. Doesn’t sound to me like an experienced killer.

 

[allboys]

They only found him because of an alert patrol car noticing a black Impala returned to the area where the crime was committed. If he had stayed with friends or family in New Zion, we would be deep in the midst of an intense search.

He had a reason to return to Five Points, specifically. At 3 am. Some thoughts:

1. He had a job that revolved around evening work (like working in a bar or parking lot) and had to return to his job.

2 He lived in the immediate area and returned to that home

3. His gf and child live in the area

4. He was back stalking another victim

He strikes me as a basically good kid from a small town southern family who was a little spoiled ( siblings giving him money) and who couldn't cut it at school or any kind of career. He clearly lives some time in C0lumbia, SC, and doesn't really stay in New Zion. The October arrest for the pawn shop incident tells me he'd had some hard times, needed some extra cash. Whatever job he's doing isn't paying all the bills. Which include maintaining the baby, gf, and car. Drug sales would be the obvious choice, but he didn't really have enough on him when arrested to suggest he was dealing that night. But maybe he hangs around Five Points at 2-3 am to sell to drunk college kids. That's why he cruises. I dunno.

I don't think he would be living in Rosewood. Those are nicer homes there, not basic low-level apartments. That's more along the area where the pawn shop was. I don't see him ducking into a garage in a home in Rosewood.

I'll bet the woman with him at 3 am was his gf and the baby's mother. Was he taking her to a shiftwork job somewhere? Did he act as her pimp? I dunno that either.

I don't really think he was back in Five Points the next morning to stalk another victim. I think he had to return to the gf / baby and job. And I just wonder if the kidnapping was a robbery gone wrong and spun out of control.

Speaking of Rosewood, and what many have mentioned was the opposite direction of where Samantha lived...have we ever heard/read that Samantha was definitely heading home? I’ll have to look back. I know she had a boyfriend. I wonder if he lived locally. Not that it really matters where she was going, but if headed somewhere other than home, it could explain if she was not immediately tipped off when heading in the wrong direction from her home.

 

[KatzEye]

I apologize if this article was posted already. I looked through thread quickly and didn’t see it. But that doesn’t mean I am not blind.

At any rate..if you haven’t read it. Read it and share your thoughts if this hasn’t been spoken about yet. If this was posted. Just let me know. Read the entire article.

Mother of Brittanee Drexel responds to News10NBC's exclusive interview

I see what you're referring to, but NR would have been 14 in 2009. Not impossible, but I'm just not convinced it's related. JMOO

 

[Researchgirl]

I see what you're referring to, but NR would have been 14 in 2009. Not impossible, but I'm just not convinced it's related. JMOO

Yes it may not be related. But the guy who did get arrested for it was only 16 at the time also and the men in question were all African American. So I just was a bit intrigued.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I apologize if this article was posted already. I looked through thread quickly and didn’t see it. But that doesn’t mean I am not blind.

At any rate..if you haven’t read it. Read it and share your thoughts if this hasn’t been spoken about yet. If this was posted. Just let me know. Read the entire article.

Mother of Brittanee Drexel responds to News10NBC's exclusive interview

My first thought after reading this article was Jacksonboro is a pretty long way from New Zion and Nate is a fairly common name so I don’t really see a connection.
But then I thought maybe the article is speaking to an ongoing scheme...that’s the wrong word but you know what I mean...that explains young women going missing and seldom being found. Maybe that’s the connection to this case.That sounds kinda farfetched but....

 

[ilovechili]

Speaking of Rosewood, and what many have mentioned was the opposite direction of where Samantha lived...have we ever heard/read that Samantha was definitely heading home? I’ll have to look back. I know she had a boyfriend. I wonder if he lived locally. Not that it really matters where she was going, but if headed somewhere other than home, it could explain if she was not immediately tipped off when heading in the wrong direction from her home.

I have wondered that as well. I do not think it has ever been stated. I was thinking she could have been headed to a friend's, another club, the boyfriend's, even meeting someone for a late night breakfast. I do think it was likely she was headed home but I do not think we know.

No idea either if the bf lived there or elsewhere. It certainly sounded like they were committed and had their lives planned out but she could have been finishing school and he could live elsewhere or also be going to school. There is much we do not know imo.

 

[Trudie]

Maybe NR really was there to pick up someone else. Someone in that crowd out front.

I think this is very likely, as I previously posted.
When he didn’t pick her/him up, they got a ride from a coworker or UBER.
Too coincidental he was right back there the next night at appx the same time. Tells me he picks someone up after their work shift ends.

 

[Trudie]

What did he do @FedEx, if anyone knows?
I’m going to assume off loaded trucks at the local package center?
Moo

 

[Gardenista]

Has anyone who has access to background checks found a connection of the suspect to any of the streets in the Rosewood neighborhood? That neighborhood is where her cellphone pinged and her friends checked for her there.

 

[BOSCOE]

Such a horrifying case.

I've been reading everything and I have some nagging thoughts. Maybe it's because too many decades of following crimes that make me think this way.

I believe he had an accomplice. I cannot see how he could drive the car and subdue Sami without wrecking the car or drawing attention to the car.

And I don't believe in coinkydinks in criminal cases. Everything just seemed to align perfectly for him at the exact time he needed it to. Don't buy it one bit. He may have had several accomplices. This was actually quite complicated and not so easy when you think about it. I believe LE is playing close to the vest. JMHO

What a lovely young lady with such a bright future. My prayers are with her family and loved ones..

 

[Herat]

Wonder why he returned to 5 points? He didn’t live there and wouldn’t it be foolish to return to that part of town?

We don’t have any idea of where he was living. His driver’s license had the New Zion address, but if he was hanging around Five Points two nights in a row, and had a job with FedEx, he likely was staying somewhere in the Columbia region.

I’d venture he was living in a cheaper area nearer where the pawn shop was