Jurors selected in trial for Rowland, accused of murdering former USC student Josephson

A jury of seven women and five men was chosen shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday in the trial of a man charged with murder in the 2019 slaying of former University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson.

While an exact demographic breakdown was not immediately available, the jury appears to be diverse. Of the 12 jurors, at least five are Black, six appeared to be white, and one Hispanic. Apparent ages ranged from early 20s to 60s.

The defense was more aggressive in rejecting jurors, asking 10 potential jurors to be rejected, while prosecutors asked for four to be rejected.

Rowland, 27, is accused of kidnapping and killing Josephson in 2019 after she reportedly got into a car she mistakenly believed was her Uber ride. Josephson had been with friends in the Five Points nightclub area off campus. Hunters found her body the next day dumped in a rural part of Clarendon County, The State has reported.

Tuesday is the second day of the murder trial, which is being overseen by Judge Clifton Newman. On Monday, Newman and attorneys chipped away at a pool of 1,000 potential jurors. By Tuesday morning, roughly 100 remained. When Newman asked potential jurors who had heard about the case, which made international news in 2019, since yesterday, roughly 20 jurors stood.

Also on Monday, Rowland had initially sought to fire the three public defenders he had for the last two years, but eventually reversed his decision by the end of the day.

Opening arguments in the trial were expected to begin around 2:15 p.m. at the Richland County Courthouse. The trial is expected to last more than a week.

This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Jurors selected in trial for Rowland, accused of murdering former USC student Josephson."