Trial Begins for Man Accused of Killing Robbinsville, NJ’s Samantha Josephson

The trial for Nathaniel Rowland, the man accused of killing Robbinsville, NJ native Samantha Josephson has just begun.

Opening arguments started around 2:15 pm on Tuesday as jury selection for the case wrapped up earlier in the day. Jury selection took about a day and a half in total. The seated jury consists of 10 women and 6 men.

You can watch the opening arguments here

If convicted of murder, Rowland could face life without parole. He has been in a local prison since his arrest in 2019. Prosecutors, however, are not pursue the death penalty, according to reports from Columbia, South Carolina's WIS-TV.

Nathaniel Rowland is accused of kidnapping and killing 21-year-old college senior, Samantha Josephson, who was a student at the University of South Carolina at the time of her brutal murder in 2019.

Prosecutors say that Josephson got into Rowland's car after a night out with friends in the area thinking it was an Uber she had requested to take her back to her dorm room.

Her body was found about 14 hours nearly 65 miles away from the original kidnapping scene. Her blood and cellphone were found in Rowland's vehicle, police allege.

Josephson became trapped in the car because the suspect had turned on the child safety locks in his car making it impossible for the young woman to escape.

Following her death, Samantha's family has launched the "What's My Name" foundation, which has aimed to push for ride share safety for all including a call for all riders to ask their drivers "what's my name" before they enter a rideshare vehicle.

The trial is expected to last several days as many witnesses will be brought.