The day after Bricen Rivers was officially indicted by a grand jury for the homicide of his 22-year-old ex-girlfriend Lauren Johansen, he pleaded not guilty to capital murder, stealing a motor vehicle, and tampering with evidence. All three charges are in connection with Johansen’s death.
Police found Johansen’s body in the trunk of a vehicle at Wolf River Cemetery in Pass Christian on July 3, 2024. Before she was found, authorities saw a man later identified as Rivers fleeing the scene into a wooded area nearby. An ensuing manhunt resulted in Rivers’ capture.
An investigation later led officials to believe that though Johansen was found in Harrison County, the murder took place in Forrest County beforehand. The case was transferred to Forrest County by Harrison County District Attorney W. Crosby Parker as a result.
Before the alleged murder, Rivers was behind bars in Davidson County, Tenn. for beating and kidnapping Johansen in December 2023. An administrative error by a county employee allowed Rivers to bolt to Mississippi nearly untracked while he was out on bond, a mistake that Johansen’s father Lane Johansen said directly contributed to his daughter’s death.
On Thursday in downtown Hattiesburg, Rivers, who was denied bond Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Lauren Johansen standing feet away from her father. Lance Johansen believes Forrest County District Attorney Lin Carter should seek the death penalty for the alleged crime.
“If any case should seek the death penalty, this is it,” Lance Johansen told WLOX after the court hearing Thursday. “There’s enough evidence that he should be executed this week, but we have a system of rules and laws in this country, and we have to follow the system how it’s set up.”
Johansen also told the news station that he is aiming for the creation of new legislation dubbed “Lauren’s Law” in which those charged with violent domestic crimes would not be eligible for bond until trial, saying, “These people don’t need to be released into society.” A GoFundMe page has been created to raise awareness in the wake of Lauren’s death.
The date for Rivers’ murder trial is slated for June 25, 2025.
