[6] On July 27, the jury found Rowland guilty of Josephson's kidnapping and murder and the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

The murder led to the passage of Sami's Law in New Jersey, which enhances protections for drivers and passengers using ride share services.

Josephson, who was a senior in college at the time of her death,[12] planned on graduating in 2019, and attending Drexel University School of Law.

[3] Josephson, a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, studied abroad in Barcelona and visited Madrid and Paris during her time at South Carolina.

Additionally, Josephson suffered a severed hyoid bone, as well as stab wounds to her face, neck, shoulder, torso, back, lung, leg, and feet.

Her body was then found in a field[18] in the town of New Zion in Clarendon County by turkey hunters[22] fourteen hours after the kidnapping.

[17] When investigators searched the trash behind Rowland’s girlfriend’s residence, they uncovered cleaning supplies and a two-bladed knife, both of which had Josephson’s blood on them.

[23][27][21] While searching for fingerprint evidence, investigators also uncovered a bare footprint impression on the rear driver-side window of Rowland's Impala — using latent print analysis, forensic experts were able to conclusively match the patterns on this footprint with the unique friction ridge patterns on the soles of Josephson's bare feet.

[31] According to Richland County deputies, hours after the alleged kidnapping Rowland sold some of the items stolen from the woman, including the PlayStation 4, at a pawn shop.

In a virtual hearing, family members for both Josephson and Rowland delivered statements in front of Judge DeAndrea Benjamin.

[6] During the trial, prosecutors called 31 witnesses, including the turkey hunter who found Josephson’s body, a cell phone store owner who testified that Rowland unsuccessfully attempted to sell him Josephson's phone the day after she went missing,[33] Rowland’s former girlfriend, and numerous State Law Enforcement Division investigators and other experts.

[27][19] On July 27, 2021, after just over one hour of deliberation, a jury found Rowland guilty of kidnapping and murdering Josephson, and of possessing a weapon during a violent crime.

"For whoever asked me for leniency, that's not part of my DNA," said Judge Newman, characterizing Rowland as being "heartless" and said the case was the "most severe" murder he had ever seen in court.

[46] The act, which is currently in the Transportation Committee,[47] requires ride-share drivers to “display visible, consistent, and distinctive signage clearly identifying the rideshare service provider at all times when the driver is active on the service platform or providing rideshare service.” These signs must be readable from a distance of 50 feet during daylight hours and should be illuminated at night so that the logo is patently visible.

[46] Josephson's parents have worked with lawmakers in the United States Congress to craft a federal law to enhance ride-share safety.

[49] It requires ride-share vehicles to have front license plates and illuminated windshield signs along with scannable or quick-response codes on the sides.

The bill would also regulate the sale of official ride-share signage, require a Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on incidents of assault and abuse of passengers and drivers, and require the GAO to examine the nature and specifics of background checks that are conducted by companies and the state standards of background checks.

[50][51] Josephson's death prompted the University of South Carolina to launch a campaign titled "What's My Name" to help students stay safe while using ride-sharing services.

[52] On December 28, 2022, federal legislation authorizing a study of ride-sharing safety practices, with passage by the US House and Senate, was sent to President Biden's desk.