JUL 20, 2021
Nathaniel Rowland Trial: His DNA not found on Samantha Josephson, but someone else’s was, defense says (wistv.com)
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There are 10 women and six men seated on the jury.
Of those, eight people are Black, two people are Hispanic, one person is Indian and five people are white.
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THE STATE’S OPENING REMARKS
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The prosecutor said Rowland traveled to the Rosewood community first.
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Gipson went on to say evidence would show someone using Josephson’s Wells Fargo card. He said there were nine attempts that were unsuccessful. He also said there is evidence Rowland tried to sell Josephson’s cell phone.
The solicitor told the jury that witnesses will talk about Josephson’s bloody clothes behind “Maria’s” home, to which Rowland had access. He said “Maria” would testify that she saw Rowland with the knife that was used to kill Josephson.
Gipson said there were 100 different stab wounds across the college student’s body.
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OPENING STATEMENT FROM THE DEFENSE
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Goode said two South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agents came to the crime scene and collected evidence, including cigarette butts, wounds on Josephson’s body, bite marks, and fingernails which were ripped and torn.
The defense attorney said agents swabbed Josephson’s mouth, as well, and out of all that evidence there wasn’t one piece of Rowland’s DNA.
She said it wasn’t his DNA, but there was someone else’s DNA.
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SAMANTHA’S BOYFRIEND TESTIFIES
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... She called him throughout the night, he said, and when she left the bar he was tracking her to make sure she made it home safely.
The tracking stopped on Montgomery Avenue in Rosewood, he recalled.
He tried calling her, but she didn’t answer. He said he went to sleep thinking she left her phone in an Uber.
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SAMANTHA’S ROOMMATE TAKES THE STAND
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She testified that she thought Josephson left her phone in an Uber, so she went home and went to sleep.
THE ACTUAL UBER DRIVER
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He said he arrived at the pick up spot given to him on the Uber app, but he did not see her. He tried to call her, but she did not answer, he testified.
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The driver said he voluntarily gave a DNA sample on the day that Josephson disappeared.
OTHER WITNESSES
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A man who worked security for Bird Dog also took the witness stand Tuesday.
He said he compiled the security footage of the outside of the bar from the night Josephson disappeared. Some of that was played in court.
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