Dad of woman allegedly murdered by ex-boyfriend reacts to clerk’s office admitting fault

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The father of a young woman allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend said Nashville’s criminal justice system needs to have more checks and balances.

23-year-old Bricen Rivers was in a Nashville jail after he and 22-year-old Lauren Johansen got into a brutal fight in December during a trip to Nashville. He was behind bars until a few weeks ago when Rivers bonded out and was released from jail without following his bond conditions.

The Metro Nashville and Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office said they played a big part in letting that happen. It’s a serious error that may have allowed Rivers to cross state lines and be accused of taking Johansen’s life.

After a two-day long manhunt at the beginning of July, Lance Johansen said he was at a Mississippi cemetery when he saw his daughter, Lauren Johansen, wrapped in a sheet, dead, inside a car after search crews found her.

“To see your daughter mutilated, I mean the sight was horrific,” he said. “She was unidentifiable.”

Rivers somehow crossed state lines even though he was supposed to stay in Nashville with an ankle monitor. That’s according to his court-ordered bond conditions, which also said he must be released to a bondsman. They were supposed to take him to Tracking Solutions between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays to get a tracker, like an ankle monitor. However, none of that was followed.

Clerk’s office admits fault

“In this particular incident our employee made the mistake where he did the recognizance part right, but when he sent the release over, the release unfortunately did not contain the conditions of the bond,” said Julius Sloss, Chief Deputy Clerk.

Lance Johansen said he is glad someone with the office came forward.

“It’s nice to see some transparency that someone is willing to admit,” he said.

The clerk’s office said one of their employees did not attach Rivers’ bond conditions to his release form. So, when the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office got the release, they let Rivers go without a bondsman to ensure he got an ankle monitor.

“I don’t think this person should blame themselves,” said Lance Johansen. “I’m sure they feel bad, but the bigger thing is this isn’t the only place where there is a problem.”

Father believes there are more entities at fault

Instead, Rivers was let out of the correctional facility on Harding Place at 4:05 p.m. on June 24, five minutes after he should have been let go. Court reports said he didn’t have an ankle monitor, so he called Brooke’s Bail Bonding.

Brooke’s is one of the companies that bonded Rivers out.

“You have to realize all of these people signed off on these bond conditions way in advance of this,” said Johansen.

Brooke’s Bail Bonding, along with On Time Bonding, signed a court order weeks before and a recognizance package acknowledging Rivers needed an ankle monitor to stay in the county. Since Rivers was released after 4 p.m. he could not get to Tracking Solutions in time to get a monitor, so Brooke’s got him one from Freedom Monitoring, a different company.

In Freedom Monitoring’s court report, it said they asked Rivers where he was going. It said Rivers gave the company representative a Mississippi address, which Lance Johansen said is their family home.

It’s a series of mistake but he believes there are more people responsible.

“If you have a judge that everyone is raising a red flag that she is lowering bonds and letting people out, you better have your bonding system right,” said Lance Johansen.

WSMV4 reached out to Freedom Monitoring who declined to comment.

Lauren Johansen’s funeral will be on Saturday in Mississippi.