Mississippi, July 12: A 22-year-old university student in US, Lauren Johansen, was found beaten to death and wrapped in a sheet in her car, days after her ex-boyfriend was released from jail. Johansen's body was discovered on July 3 at a cemetery in Harrison County, Mississippi. Her father had previously pleaded with a judge not to release Bricen Rivers, 23, warning he would "kill her" if freed. Despite his warnings, Rivers was released on bond, and five days later, Johansen's mutilated body was found.

Rivers, now arrested and charged with murder, had been jailed for aggravated kidnapping after brutally beating Johansen and holding her hostage during a December trip to Nashville. Johansen, who was on track to earn her nursing degree, was reported missing on July 2 when her sister awoke to find their apartment door open and their security camera smashed. Her father received a notification that her location-tracking app had been turned off and immediately reported her missing. The following day, police found her car in a nearby cemetery. US Shocker: Man Tortures, Starves Girlfriend’s Children ‘Because It Made Them Poop’; Sentenced to Life in Prison.

According to the New York Post, her father described the gruesome scene, stating, "She was basically beaten to death. Her face was smashed in, her head was smashed in...there were multiple holes in her head." He helped the coroner lift her mutilated body from the car, wrapped in trash bags. He criticised the criminal justice system in Tennessee for failing his daughter, alleging that Rivers had held Johansen hostage in December, during which police found her badly beaten and attempting to escape a rental vehicle as Rivers reached for a firearm. US Shocker: Transgender Driver Runs Over Elderly Man in Texas, Kisses Body Before Stabbing Victim Nine Times; Disturbing Video Surfaces.

Rivers was arrested after a six-hour manhunt and is now held on a USD 1 million bond. Johansen's father lamented, "The world shouldn't work this way. She had dreams and hopes that were larger than life."

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women / Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/ 1291; Missing Child and Women – 1094.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 12, 2024 04:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).