The trial date for the man accused of killing Southern Miss nursing student Lauren Johansen has been pushed back.
Forrest County District Attorney Lin Carter reports that Bricen Rivers will appear in court on March 3, 2026. The date of the trial was moved back to afford the defendant’s attorneys more time for their client to undergo a professional mental health evaluation.
Rivers, 25, was indicted back in February. A grand jury found him liable for capital murder, stealing a motor vehicle, and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Johansen, his ex-girlfriend. Rivers pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Police found Johansen’s body in the trunk of a vehicle at Wolf River Cemetery in Pass Christian on July 3, 2024. 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.
A paperwork error in Davidson County, Tenn., where Rivers was locked up for beating and kidnapping Johansen in December 2023, 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.
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 back in August 2024, authorities testified that the suspect’s brother informed police in Harrison County that Rivers 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 his bond denied in previous cases, including a 2022 drug trafficking charge, as well as the 2023 kidnapping charges.
