COLUMBIA, S.C. — From somber songs to tearful tributes with candles lit, friends and family poured out their hearts in remembrance of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson. Hearts are still heavy and emotions raw as families continue to cope with what happened over the weekend.
Her grieving family and friends remember Josephson as a kind and loving person taken too soon.
"I know she'll be with me every day supporting me, but also laughing at me every step of the way," Nicole Freeburg, Josephson's friend, said at the vigil.
Surveillance video shows Josephson leaving a college bar when police say she accidentally got into a black Chevy Impala. She thought it was her Uber.
The 21-year-old's body was found roughly 70 miles away in a field. Police arrested Nathan Rowland after spotting his car near where she was last seen. Detectives found large amounts of blood in his trunk and the back seat along with Josephson's cell phone.
"She was the love of my life," Alex Huggins, Josephson's boyfriend said. "I was on the phone tracking her through all of this just to make sure she got home safely and immediately knew something was wrong."
South Carolina lawmakers are hearing the tearful pleas of her loved ones. A bill has been filed to help make sure this tragic mistake doesn't happen again.
It's called the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act. It would make ride-sharing companies have signs that are lit up.
"Life will not be the same without her," her friend Nicole Freeburg said at the vigil. "But her legacy will live on and her name will forever be remembered."
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