NASHVILLE (Scripps News Nashville/Court TV) — A six-panel judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing after a man allegedly murdered his girlfriend while out on bond.
Bricen Rivers, 23, is accused of murdering Lauren Johansen on July 3 in Mississippi. Just days before Johansen’s death, Rivers was released on bond in Nashville, where he had been held after an alleged attack on Johansen.
This photo provided to Scripps News Nashville shows Lauren Johansen. (Scripps News Nashville)
What happened in Nashville?
Last December, Rivers and Johansen took a vacation in Nashville. Police arrested Rivers after finding him lying on top of Johansen in a parked car. In that incident, Johansen had recorded part of the attack on her phone. Audio reviewed by Scripps News Nashville revealed Rivers accusing her of having sex with another man. In the 11-minute recording, Rivers seemingly taunted Johansen with graphic language while the recording depicted her gasps and cries.
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Body cam footage showed Johansen using her hands to bang on the passenger side window for help. An officer tugged the door open, and she ran outside into the cold night in just her underwear. Rivers was arrested, and Johansen, who was covered in blood, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Days later, he called Johansen from jail, allegedly instructing her what to say to investigators. Per the arrest affidavit, Johansen didn’t want to press charges, but police said they had enough evidence to do so.
Rivers was charged with two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated stalking and witness coercion.
Rivers bonds out
In April, Judge Blackburn lowered Rivers’ bond from $250,000 to $150,000.
Brooke’s Bail Bonding and On Time Bonding split the cost of Rivers’ $150,000 bond and he was released on June 24.
An amended order stated that Rivers must wear a GPS device installed by Tracking Solutions in Nashville, he could not leave the county, and could not have contact with Johansen.
Court officials later acknowledged that an error by one of their clerks meant the Davidson County Jail did not have Rivers’ bond conditions when he was released. That meant Rivers’ walked out of jail without supervision before calling Brooke’s Bail Bonding himself.
Bricen Rivers (Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi via Scripps News Nashville)
Brooke’s Bail Bonding then hired Freedom Monitoring for GPS services instead of Tracking Solutions. The owner of Freedom Monitoring later told Judge Blackburn they were unaware of the judge’s conditions for release at the time the monitor was installed, but insisted they set up “zones” for his device on June 28 when they learned of the order.
That day, Rivers showed up to Brooke’s Bail Bonding, supposedly with Johansen, reports Scripps News Nashville. Legal analyst Nick Leonardo said Rivers should’ve been put under arrest.
Instead, just four days later, Johansen’s body was found in her car seven hours away in Mississippi.
Police found Johansen after a call for a welfare concern at a local cemetery. Upon arrival, deputies encountered Rivers running from a vehicle into the woods. Mississippi agencies located Rivers several hours later and arrested him.
Rivers was charged that same day with Johansen’s murder and now sits in a Mississippi jail on a $1 million bond.
What’s next in Nashville?
Now, a six-panel judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Aug. 15, where representatives from Brooke’s Bail Bonding and On Time Bonding are expected to give testimony.
The courts are also requesting receipts, documents, emails and photographic evidence of what these companies knew before Rivers left for Mississippi.
Depending on the panel’s decision, each of these companies could be suspended or denied the ability to write bonds in Davidson County.
That’s not taking into consideration any possible criminal liability these companies may face.
This story is a combination of reporting from Scripps News Nashville, an E.W. Scripps Company.
