FORREST COUNTY, Miss. (Scripps News Nashville/Court TV) — A Mississippi judge denied bond for a man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend while out on bond for charges in Tennessee.
Bricen Rivers is charged in the death of Lauren Johansen.
Rivers made his first court appearance in Forrest County, Mississippi, on Friday. He was previously transferred from the Harrison County, where he was arrested.
(L) Bricen Rivers (Harrison County Sheriff’s Office), (R) Lauren Johansen (Provided to Scripps News Nashville)
Deputies have said they have evidence to suggest Johansen was killed near her Forrest County home before her body was later discovered in Harrison County.
Rivers faces one count of first-degree murder, one count of grand larceny, and one count of tampering with evidence.
Judge Gay Polk-Payton denied bond on the murder charge but set bond for the other two charges at $20,000 each.
Lauren’s father, Dr. Lance Johansen, was in court to hear the bond decision and later told a reporter with the Hattiesburg Patriot News Media that he was pleased with the judge’s decision.
“I think that that’s the appropriate decision. I think that the abilities of the court system here in this county are amazing compared to what happened before and I have 100% confidence that justice is going to be served,” Dr. Johansen said.
Dr. Johansen has been critical of how court officials and judges handled Rivers while he was in custody for allegedly beating Lauren while the two were in Nashville.
He told Scripps News Nashville he believed the Nashville criminal justice system failed his daughter.
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Friday was the first time Dr. Johansen had seen Rivers since Lauren was killed, and he said while it was unpleasant seeing him, “these are things that we have to do.”
Dr. Johansen recalled the day medical examiners removed Lauren’s body from her car on July 3.
He went into graphic detail with reporters about what he saw and why he believes the only justice for Rivers is capital punishment.
“Electrocution or lethal injection. That’s what this man deserves. I can’t explain to you the beating this man did to my daughter. He beat her so badly that her skull and her face pretty much became fractured from the rest of her body,” Dr. Johansen said.
Dr. Johansen went on to serve a warning for others in abusive relationships and those watching their loved ones endure the abuse.
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“If this is happening to any woman that is listening to what I’m telling them, get away from that person now and get help. You won’t be strong enough to do this on your own. You’ll have to have an advocate. You’ll have to have somebody to help you and somebody that can stand by your side when you have that urge to go back. You’ve got to say this is not right. You’ve got to stand up because if you don’t do something, nothing is going to happen. I wish I’d done more, and I’ve been kicking myself for weeks wishing I’d done more,” Dr. Johansen said.
Last week, a six-judge panel requested an evidentiary hearing for Rivers’ Nashville bonding companies to present evidence on “irregularities” with Rivers’ release.
The hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15 in Nashville, where Brooke’s Bail Bonding and On Time Bonding are expected to explain Rivers’ timeline from the day he was released on bond.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Nashville, an E.W. Scripps Company.
