A man has been arrested over the murder and kidnap of a student who mistakenly got into his car thinking it was her Uber after her blood and cell phone were found in his vehicle, police say.
Samantha Josephson, 21, went missing in Columbia, South Carolina early on Friday morning. She was found dead by hunters later that day after her body was dumped in a rural spot in nearby Claredon County.
Nathaniel David Rowland, 25, was arrested after being pulled over by officers driving the car she had been last seen in before trying to flee the scene on foot.
Samantha's blood and her cell phone were found the black Chevy Impala, as well as bleach and cleaning products, according to police. They said the child safety locks were enabled meaning she would have not been able to escape.
Security footage appears to show Samantha getting into the black Chevy Impala at around 2am on Friday, when she was leaving after a night out with a group of friends in the Five Points area.
She left the bar Bird Dog alone and was spotted getting into the car that she and her friends believed was an Uber that she had ordered, a witness told the Daily Gamecock student newspaper.
When Samantha's actual Uber driver arrived moments later, the driver cancelled the ride when she didn't show up for the pick-up, witnesses said.
Throughout the day on Friday, Samantha's friends and family were unable to get in touch with her and an urgent search was launched.
After a frantic day of searching for the missing University of South Carolina student the school had earlier confirmed she was dead.
Man, 24, arrested over the murder of South Carolina student
Samantha Josephson, 21, went missing in Columbia, South Carolina early on Friday. Nathaniel David Rowland, 24, has been arrested over her kidnap and murder.
www.dailymail.co.uk