American woman, 22, found beaten to death days after judge released ex-boyfriend from prison

A 22-year-old college student in the United States was found beaten to death and wrapped in a sheet in the backseat of her car – days after her boyfriend was released from prison. According to New York Post Office, Lauren Johansen’s body was discovered wrapped in trash bags and a sheet on July 3 in a Mississippi cemetery. Her father said he begged a judge not to release her ex-boyfriend from prison, warning him he would “kill” her if he did. However, the judge did not listen to her warnings and five days later, the 22-year-old’s body was found mutilated in her own car and police say her boyfriend was responsible.

According to Publish, Johansen’s former partner, 23-year-old Bricen Rivers, was arrested and charged with her murder. He had been released on bail just five days before the 22-year-old’s death. He was previously arrested for aggravated kidnapping for brutally beating Ms. Johansen and holding her hostage during a trip to Nashville in December.

Ms. Johansen was on track to earn her nursing degree. She was first reported missing on July 2, when her sister woke up alone in their shared apartment with the front door open and the security camera broken. The same morning, her father said he woke up to a notification that his location tracking app had been turned off. He then reported her missing, and the next day, officers informed him that they had located her car in a nearby cemetery.

Johansen was found dead in her car, parked in the middle of a cemetery in Harrison County, Mississippi. His mutilated body was wrapped in trash bags on the back seats.

“She was basically beaten to death. Her face was smashed, her head was crushed, she was brutally beaten to the point where she couldn’t see out of either eye when she finally died and there were several holes in her head.” Mrs. Johansen’s father said.

“I helped the coroner get her body out of the car. It was simply mutilated,” he continued.

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The father also said he warned the judge that if her boyfriend was released from prison, he would kill her. He alleged that Rivers held his daughter hostage in December and beat her while the couple was on vacation in Nashville. He also added that in the moments leading up to Rivers’ arrest in December, officers found Lauren Johansen severely beaten and trying to escape from a rental vehicle while Rivers grabbed a firearm.

The heartbroken father criticized the criminal justice system in Tennessee for failing his family. “I believe the criminal justice system in Nashville, Tennessee has failed my daughter and our family. The world shouldn’t work like this,” he said. “She was really beautiful, super, super smart. She had larger than life dreams and hopes. Everything she did, everything she touched,” he added.

Now, Rivers, who was arrested after a six-hour manhunt, faces a murder charge and is being held on $1 million bail.