The bonding companies who posted bail for a man accused of violating release terms and killing his ex-girlfriend in Mississippi were not found to have violated any rules by a Nashville court.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The bonding companies involved in the release of a man who allegedly beat and killed his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Johansen, were not found to have broken any rules, a Nashville court has ruled.
Brooke’s Bail Bonding and On Time Bonding both posted bonds for Bricen Rivers in July for a case stemming from December 2023. Rivers was arrested and charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and interference with an emergency call. According to court documents, Rivers “brutally beat” Johansen during a vacation to Nashville while the two were dating. His bond was initially set at $250,000 but after several months was lowered to $150,000.
Once he was released from jail in Nashville, Rivers allegedly tracked down Johansen and killed her in Mississippi.
Since then, court documents have shown several conditions of Rivers’ release were not properly communicated, including a requirement that he stay in Nashville and submit to GPS monitoring. The Davidson County Clerk’s Office has also admitted it made a mistake.
The bonding companies were required to appear in court to testify about their involvement in Rivers’ case. They convened for a special hearing in August.
According to the order issued Monday, Oct. 7, the court found several areas of concern with the bonding companies, though neither committed any willful violations of the current terms or “governing provisions” for operation in Davidson County, and they will not be suspended or terminated from doing business in Nashville.
Specifically, the court noted bond agents signed orders without reviewing bond conditions, nor did they receive the bond conditions when posting the bond; and paperwork was not received from required agencies in a timely manner, complicating things further.
The court found the “tragic situation” was attributed to “numerous system failures, poor individual judgment and missed opportunities.”
“Obviously a calamity of human and institutional errors occurred in the release process of [Rivers],” the Court said in the order. “Bonding agents signed bond release orders sight unseen. The Criminal Court Clerk’s office failed to send the full and complete bond condition order, which has now been rectified per testimony.”
Additionally, the Court said it does take a “skeptical view” of the negligence of many parties where “small but cumulative inactions led to a tragic resolution.”
“Ultimately, however, the cause and responsibility for any violations of release conditions, including the commission of additional criminal acts, rests squarely with the Defendant himself,” the Court added.
Rivers is currently incarcerated in Mississippi.