‘The jail let this animal out’: Documents outline timeline for accused murderer’s release

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The family of a college student brutally murdered days after her ex-boyfriend bonded out of jail is questioning the Davidson County court system.

New court documents obtained by News 2 outline the events that allowed the accused killer back on the streets. Days after Bricen Rivers was released, 22-year-old Lauren Johansen was found murdered and stuffed in the trunk of a car.

“You basically let an animal out of a cage. It’s like letting a tiger out of a cage on a piece of meat and he’s going to go right for it and start eating it,” Lance Johansen, Lauren’s father, told News 2. “You know the jail let this animal out.”

It was a sight that Lance feared after he told News 2 that his daughter was brutally beaten by Rivers in December. He was arrested. However, after a few months, Rivers’ bond was lowered from $250,000 to $150,000 by Judge Cheryl Blackburn.

“Just to see my daughter — the most kind woman in the world — just mutilated and thrown away like a piece of trash was the most overwhelming thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Lance added.

“Why in anybody’s right mind would they let this person out?” Lance asked.

New documents from the court administrator show a timeline, including lowering Bricen’s bond in April with a list of conditions. Those court documents also show that those requirements were broken from the moment Rivers was released on June 24.

“They basically let him free out into society with no recourse,” Lance said.

The court order required his release to occur between specific hours, but the records indicate that those procedures were not followed. Additionally, Rivers was supposed to be placed under GPS monitoring with a specific company. That company was not available and Rivers was ultimately fitted through a different company.

That violation was not brought to the attention of the DA’s office until four days after the fact.

Freedom Monitoring’s records claimed that they installed an ankle monitor on Rivers on June 24. At the time, no court order was available that indicated that Rivers was to be living in Mississippi. However, the conditions laid out during the bond hearing in April noted that Rivers was to stay in Davidson County.

On July 2, the court issued a warrant for Rivers. Paperwork indicated that June 2 is the same day that his ankle monitor died, but it was too late. Lauren was missing.

Her body was found on July 3.

“It was horrendous to see my daughter piled up on a bunch of trash bags and blankets in the back of her grandmother’s car,” Lance said. “Lauren was allowed to die because of negligence from the criminal justice system in Nashville Tennessee.”

The District Attorney’s office tells News 2 that they opposed the motion to reduce Rivers’ bond. He was arrested in Mississippi on July 3 and charged with murder. His bond has been set at $1 million.

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