The Mississippi man said to have killed his nursing student girlfriend and leaving her body in the trunk of his car will avoid the death penalty after changing his plea in court Friday.
Bricen Rivers, 25, appeared at the Forrest County Courthouse and pleaded guilty to capital murder after previously pleading not guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Police found the body of Lauren Johansen, a 22-year-old nursing student at the University of Southern Mississippi, in the trunk of a vehicle at Wolf River Cemetery in Pass Christian on July 3, 2024. Before her body was discovered, authorities saw a man later identified as Rivers fleeing from the scene into a nearby wooded area. An ensuing manhunt resulted in his capture.
The investigation later led authorities to believe Johansen was killed in Forrest County before her body was transported to Harrison County.
Rivers was given an opportunity to speak during his sentencing.
“I just want to apologize for everything that’s happened throughout this process,” Rivers said, according to WDAM-TV. “Lauren didn’t deserve this, and I want to apologize. That’s all I have to say.”
Judge T. Michael Reed swiftly responded to Rivers’ statement.
“You’re right. Lauren didn’t deserve this. No woman deserves this. No person deserves this,” the judge said. “You’ll never walk out of that jail a free man, but I hope and pray you take this time to get right with the Lord.
“Because if you don’t, I know where you’re going, and that’s not a good place.”
Throughout the investigation, questions arose about whether Rivers should have been free at the time of Johansen’s killing, considering he had been jailed months earlier for attacking her.
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 leave the state while out on bond, largely untracked, before eventually making his way to Mississippi.
Johansen’s father, Lance Johansen, has said the error directly contributed to his daughter’s death.
Since his daughter’s death, Lance Johansen has urged lawmakers to create what he hopes would be known as “Lauren’s Law,” prohibiting people accused of violent domestic crimes from being eligible for bond while awaiting trial. The Johansens have also filed a $150 million lawsuit against the bond companies they believe were responsible for Rivers’ release.
“For somebody to kill her, it just shows how much of a loser they are,” Lance Johansen said. “Women need help, and this has to stop.”
Rivers’ trial had been scheduled for October 2026 before he changed his plea.
