UPDATE: Murder victim identified, suspect arrested following manhunt in Harrison County

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - After multiple agencies carried out an hours-long manhunt for a murder suspect in Harrison County, he was arrested Wednesday night.

Bricen John Rivers, 23, was taken into custody and charged with murder. He’s now booked in the Harrison County Adult Detention Center and was issued a $1 million bond.

Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer has now confirmed the victim was 22-year-old Lauren Johansen from Gulfport.

According to officials, around 3 p.m., Harrison County Sheriff’s Department received information about a vehicle belonging to Johansen located at the Wolf River Cemetery on Cemetery Road.

Upon arrival, officials say Rivers was seen running from the vehicle. When deputies approached the vehicle, Johansen was found dead inside.

Switzer says her body was found wrapped in a sheet, and her death is considered a homicide.

Authorities believe Johansen was reported missing from Hattiesburg by family on Tuesday, July 2. Switzer says she attended school in Hattiesburg.

Johansen’s body will be taken to the state crime lab Monday for an autopsy, which will be performed either Monday or Tuesday.

In addition to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department and Fire and Rescue, Biloxi PD, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Department all had K9 units in the area, along with the sheriff’s department helicopter and several drones.

Gulfport PD, D’Iberville PD, Hancock Sheriff’s Department, and Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries also assisted in the search.

Rivers was previously being held at the Davidson County jail in Tennessee. Online records from Davidson County say he was charged with especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated stalking and coercion of a witness.

In December 2023, Rivers was arrested in Nashville while he and Johansen, his then-girlfriend, were on vacation, according to Metro Nashville Police.

Johansen’s family called from out of state and told dispatchers she called them screaming, afraid that her boyfriend may kill her.

Police said Rivers assaulted the victim in the car, causing her to lose consciousness.

When officers finally found the pair, they could hear Johansen banging on the vehicle as she tried to escape. Police said she was able to get out of the car when officers arrived.

Rivers was seen reaching for a gun in the back seat, however, officers stopped him and took him into custody.

The Davidson County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Rivers was released from custody on Monday, June 24, after posting bond.

We have confirmed Rivers’ original bond was set at $250,000, but was reduced to $150,000.

Stephen Hayslip with the Nashville/Davidson County District Attorney’s Office told WLOX News their office opposed the reduced bond that was ordered by Criminal Court Judge Cheryl Blackburn.

“We do not have anything to do with bond conditions,” Hayslip added. “Those are imposed by the Judge and overseen by Community Corrections.”

We’re working to learn when Rivers may have returned to the Gulfport area from Tennessee.

Rivers was also previously arrested in 2021 in Hancock County for DUI, and in 2022 in Harrison County for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver (tetrahydrocannabinol), trafficking in controlled substances and auto burglary.

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