Lauren Johansen, 22, was found dead in her car at a Harrison County, Mississippi cemetery wrapped in sheets and trash bags after Bricen Rivers allegedly drove around with her mutilated body for days, prosecutors said.
Background
Rivers, 25, had been arrested for domestic violence in Nashville, Tennessee, and bonded out of jail just days before Johansen's death — without an ankle monitor, according to court records obtained by WLOX. The Davidson County court released Rivers despite the Johansen family's insistence that his release posed a danger to Lauren's life, prosecutors said.
Rivers allegedly ignored conditions requiring him to stay in Davidson County and to wear an ankle monitor following his domestic violence arrest, authorities reported. He traveled to Mississippi with Johansen, who was his on-again, off-again girlfriend, according to investigators.
Lauren's father, Dr. Lance Johansen, told WLOX he reported his daughter missing to Hattiesburg police after discovering that a security camera at the home where Lauren lived with her sister had stopped working and the front door was left open. Lauren's car was also gone, he said.
The Investigation
Police tracked down Johansen's vehicle through OnStar, locating it "in the middle of the cemetery" in Harrison County, Mississippi, according to authorities.
"When we got there, her car was in the middle of the cemetery and she was in the back of the car wrapped up in sheets and trash bags," Dr. Johansen told WLOX. "She was basically beaten to death. Her face was smashed in, her head was smashed in, she was brutally beaten to the point she couldn't see out of either eye when she finally died and there was multiple holes in her head."
Rivers fled when authorities arrived at the cemetery scene and was apprehended in the woods several hours later, according to Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley.
Dr. Johansen, an orthopedic surgeon who helped remove his daughter's body from the vehicle, described the extent of her injuries at Rivers' Friday sentencing hearing.
"The number of skull fractures Lauren had, a Mack truck could hit somebody and not create that many fractures," Dr. Johansen said, per WLOX. "When I took the top of her head off, her brain was torn apart and it was already inside her abdomen. But the fracture lines went everywhere."
The Charges
Rivers pleaded guilty to capital murder in Harrison County Circuit Court. Judge Roger T. Dye sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the killing that occurred in December 2023.
A family friend, Shantrell Nicks, described Johansen during Friday's hearing as "a nice young lady" whose life was "cut too short."
Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley expressed his belief that the criminal justice system failed Johansen. "There's things that are set in place to protect victims and those things failed," Haley said. "And she lost her life because of it. I want to do my best to make sure we don't see this happen in Harrison County."
Key Takeaways
- Bricen Rivers, 25, was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to capital murder
- Lauren Johansen, 22, was found dead at a Mississippi cemetery days after her ex-boyfriend bonded out of jail without an ankle monitor
- Authorities say Rivers drove around with her body in the car before dumping it wrapped in sheets and trash bags
- The victim suffered catastrophic head trauma including multiple skull fractures that one medical expert said would be "impossible to survive"
What's Next
Rivers' guilty plea concludes this particular case. However, Sheriff Haley indicated ongoing concerns about how domestic violence cases are handled within the justice system, suggesting possible policy discussions may follow.
No additional court dates remain as Rivers' sentencing marks the conclusion of criminal proceedings in Harrison County Circuit Court for this matter.