Bond has been denied once more for the man accused of killing a Southern Miss nursing student.
Bricen Rivers, 23, appeared in court on Friday. He is currently facing first-degree murder, grand larceny, and tampering with evidence charges in connection with the early July death of his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Johansen.
Police found Johansen’s body in the trunk of a vehicle at Wolf River Cemetery in Pass Christian. Before the discovery, law enforcement spotted a man later identified as Rivers fleeing the scene into a wooded area. A manhunt then ensued with the suspect being captured and locked up.
Though Johansen was caught in Harrison County, investigators believe the actual murder took place in Forrest County. Due to the revelation, Harrison County District Attorney W. Crosby Parker deemed it necessary for Rivers’ case to be handled in the Pine Belt where the suspect allegedly killed the victim.
“Due to the hard work and collaborative effort of law enforcement departments in Forrest County, it has been determined that Forrest County is the appropriate jurisdiction,” Parker stated.
A paperwork error in Davidson County, Tennessee, where Rivers was locked up for beating and kidnapping Johansen last December, allowed the suspect to bolt to Mississippi without being thoroughly tracked by authorities. Davidson County Chief Deputy Clerk Julius Sloss owned up to the fact that a mistake made by a county employee enabled Rivers to flee unsupervised.
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The admission of fault by the county came after Johansen’s father publicly stated that he believed his daughter’s death was preventable based on how Rivers’ release was executed.
During Rivers’ court appearance on Friday, authorities testified that Rivers’ brother informed police in Harrison County that Bricen had fessed up to killing Johansen. Investigators believe Rivers beat the victim to death in Forrest County, stole her vehicle, and headed to the Coast to discard incriminating evidence.
Rivers will remain behind bars until his sentencing. He had bond denied in previous cases, including a 2022 drug trafficking charge as well as a 2023 kidnapping charge.
