WEBVTT - Hell and Gone Murder Line: Lauren Johansen 

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<v Speaker 1>School of Humans. Helen Got Murder Line actively investigates cold

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<v Speaker 1>case murders in an effort to raise public awareness invite

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<v Speaker 1>witnesses to come forward and present evidence that could potentially

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<v Speaker 1>be further investigated by law enforcement. While we value insights

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<v Speaker 1>from family and community members, their statements should not be

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<v Speaker 1>considered evidence and point to the challenges of verifying facts

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<v Speaker 1>inherent in cold cases. We remind listeners that everyone has

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<v Speaker 1>presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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<v Speaker 1>Nothing in the podcast is intended to state or imply

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<v Speaker 1>that anyone who has not been convicted of a crime

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<v Speaker 1>is guilty of any wrongdoing. Thanks for listening.

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<v Speaker 2>On Monday, December eleventh, twenty twenty three, twenty two year

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<v Speaker 2>old Lauren Johansson and her boyfriend Bryson Rivers were on

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<v Speaker 2>vacation in Nashville and out at the var Bryson and

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren had known each other for years. They had dated

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<v Speaker 2>on and off since high school, and on the surface,

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<v Speaker 2>they seemed happy. You can look online and see that.

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<v Speaker 2>Photographs of Lauren and Bryson from that time period show

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<v Speaker 2>a smiling, happy, young couple who were in love, but

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<v Speaker 2>behind the scenes that relationship was violent. Lauren's father, Lance Johansson,

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<v Speaker 2>later told police that Bryson was physically abusive to his

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<v Speaker 2>daughter and that Bryson had stalked Lauren for years. On

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<v Speaker 2>December eleventh, things took a horrific turn. Lauren and Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>were hanging out at a bar when Bryson flew into

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<v Speaker 2>a jealous rage and accused Lauren of having sex with

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<v Speaker 2>a bartender. The fight continued after they left the bar

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<v Speaker 2>in a vehicle, and the fight escalated. Police came to

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<v Speaker 2>the scene and found Lauren screaming in a parking lot.

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<v Speaker 2>She had been hit dozens of times and the inside

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<v Speaker 2>of the car was covered in blood. Police arrested Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>and he was charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated stocking, and

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<v Speaker 2>coercion of a witness. He was taken to jail and

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<v Speaker 2>a judge set his bail at two hundred and fifty

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<v Speaker 2>thousand dollars. It seemed like Lauren and Bryson's violent relationship

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<v Speaker 2>was finally at an end, but tragically that was not

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<v Speaker 2>the case. Lauren Johansson's father, Lance attended Bryson's hearing with

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<v Speaker 2>his daughter. He later told the news station w LOX

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<v Speaker 2>quote I sat in the courtroom in Nashville and told

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<v Speaker 2>the judge that if they let him out, he was going.

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<v Speaker 3>To kill her. He had assaulted her.

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<v Speaker 2>This was probably the fifth or sixth time where they

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<v Speaker 2>would get into a fight and he would beat her.

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<v Speaker 2>We would get her away from him for a while,

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<v Speaker 2>but he would find a way to weasel back.

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<v Speaker 3>In end quote.

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<v Speaker 2>Later, Bryson's lawyer asked for a reduced bond, and in

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<v Speaker 2>March the judge, Cheryl Blackburn, agreed to lower the bond

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<v Speaker 2>amount to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This meant

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<v Speaker 2>that Bryson's mother could afford to put up the twelve

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<v Speaker 2>thousand dollars needed to secure his release with the help

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<v Speaker 2>of two bailbond companies. So on June twenty fourth, twenty

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<v Speaker 2>twenty four, Bryson Rivers was released.

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<v Speaker 3>From the Davidson County Jail.

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<v Speaker 2>Eight days later, Lauren Johansson was found dead in the

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<v Speaker 2>trunk of her car. Lauren's father told WLX quote, I

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<v Speaker 2>knew she was dead.

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<v Speaker 3>She was basically beaten to death.

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<v Speaker 2>Her face was smashed in, her head was smashed in,

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<v Speaker 2>she was brutally beaten to the point she couldn't see

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<v Speaker 2>out of either eye. When she finally died, there were

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<v Speaker 2>multiple holes.

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<v Speaker 3>In her head. End quote.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Catherine Townsend. Over the past seven years of making

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<v Speaker 2>my true crime podcast, Helling Gone, I've learned that there

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<v Speaker 2>is no such thing as a small town where murder

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<v Speaker 2>never happens. I have received hundreds of messages from people

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<v Speaker 2>all around the country asking for help with an unsolved

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<v Speaker 2>murder that's affected them, their faire families, and their communities.

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<v Speaker 2>If you have a case you'd like me and my

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<v Speaker 2>team to look into, you can reach out to us

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<v Speaker 2>at our Helen Gone Murder Line at six seven eight

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<v Speaker 2>seven four four six one four five. That's six seven

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<v Speaker 2>eight seven four four six one four five, or you

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<v Speaker 2>can send us a message on Instagram at Helen Gonepod.

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<v Speaker 2>This is Helen Gone Murder Line. Lauren Johanson's murder was

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<v Speaker 2>not a who done it?

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<v Speaker 3>Instead.

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<v Speaker 2>I wanted to do this episode because this is something

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<v Speaker 2>that we see all too often.

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<v Speaker 3>How could the system fail her like this?

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<v Speaker 2>As we'll talk about here, police chased Bryson, their only suspect,

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<v Speaker 2>into the woods shortly after Lauren's body was found. They

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<v Speaker 2>had him on camera stalking her, and he confessed to

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<v Speaker 2>a family member. On this podcast, we get so many

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<v Speaker 2>calls from people who were either in a domestic violence

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<v Speaker 2>situation or have a friend or family member dealing with

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<v Speaker 2>those issues, and so often the systems that are in

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<v Speaker 2>place to protect us fail. So I wanted to go

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<v Speaker 2>back and find out in detail what happened between the

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<v Speaker 2>time when Bryson was released and the time when Lauren

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<v Speaker 2>was murdered.

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<v Speaker 3>First, we're going to back up and.

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<v Speaker 2>Take a look at the beginning of the relationship. Lauren

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<v Speaker 2>grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi, with her parents, Lance and Tamala,

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<v Speaker 2>and three siblings. Her father, Lance is an orthopedic surgeon

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<v Speaker 2>who has been very outspoken about how much danger his

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<v Speaker 2>daughter was in from Bryson. He told True Crime News

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<v Speaker 2>that when Lauren was born, he delivered her himself. In

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<v Speaker 2>high school, Lauren was popular and made straight a's. According

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<v Speaker 2>to her father, Bryson was her high school sweetheart. Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>was a star athlete in high school. He played football,

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<v Speaker 2>so on paper, Bryson and Lauren looked like the perfect

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<v Speaker 2>high school couple, but those cute photos hid a very

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<v Speaker 2>ugly reality. Lauren was being terrorized. Lance told True Crime

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<v Speaker 2>News that he didn't like Bryson from the very first

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<v Speaker 2>time he met him, and that he believed that Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>had influenced his daughter to use drugs in high school.

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<v Speaker 2>Lance said Lauren's grades dropped after she met Bryson, but

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<v Speaker 2>he said Lauren was getting back on track and hoping

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<v Speaker 2>to begin a career in nursing. In an interview with

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<v Speaker 2>The Daily Mail, Lance said that Lauren struggled with breaking

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<v Speaker 2>out of what he called an abusive relationship with Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>for years. He told True Crime News that Bryson would

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<v Speaker 2>do what he called crazy things, like threatened to kill

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<v Speaker 2>her dog if Lauren left him. Lance said that when

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren graduated from high school, she told her father she

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<v Speaker 2>thought it was over with Bryson, but even after she

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<v Speaker 2>got accepted to college and went to the University of

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<v Speaker 2>Southern Mississippi, Bryson was obsessed with Lauren. He tried to

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<v Speaker 2>stay in constant contact. Her father claimed that Bryson would

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<v Speaker 2>even break into her home and confront man Lauren was

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<v Speaker 2>dating and try to start fights. Lauren and Bryson broke

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<v Speaker 2>up and got back together several times. Reading between the lines,

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<v Speaker 2>it seems like Lauren didn't tell her family about the

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<v Speaker 2>last time that they reconciled in late twenty twenty three.

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<v Speaker 2>In December of twenty twenty three, Lauren and Bryson were

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<v Speaker 2>on that vacation together in Nashville.

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<v Speaker 3>There were other.

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<v Speaker 2>Friends on the vacation too, so Lauren and Bryson went

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<v Speaker 2>out to bars, saw friends, hung out, and played top golf.

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<v Speaker 3>They seemed to be having.

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<v Speaker 2>A good time at least at first, but then on

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<v Speaker 2>December eleventh, they had that fight, the one where Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>accused Lauren of having sex with a bartender. He got angry,

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<v Speaker 2>grabbed her phone, and drove her to a parking lot.

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<v Speaker 2>Once they were alone and isolated in that car, Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>started violently beating Lauren with his fists and with a gun.

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<v Speaker 2>Police also found rocks covered in blood in the car

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<v Speaker 2>which he had hit her with. Now this went on

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<v Speaker 2>for three hours. He held Lauren captive in that car.

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<v Speaker 2>Bryson's mugshot shows his face was completely covered in blood.

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<v Speaker 2>This attack was brutal and prolonged. At some point, Bryson's mother,

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<v Speaker 2>Chelsea rivers. Now. It's not clear from media or police

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<v Speaker 2>reports whether he answered on purpose or accidentally, but whichever

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<v Speaker 2>it was Bryson's mother could hear what was happening. She

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<v Speaker 2>called the police and told them where the couple was.

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<v Speaker 2>Officers rushed to the parking lot and they found Laurence

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<v Speaker 2>screaming for help. She was wearing just her bra and underwear.

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<v Speaker 2>She was asking for her father. According to police reports,

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren was traumatized and was quote severely beaten. Her eye

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<v Speaker 2>was swollen shut, and she also had a severe laceration

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<v Speaker 2>to her forehead end quote. Bryson was arrested and charged,

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<v Speaker 2>and Lauren went back to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where she lived

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<v Speaker 2>with her sister. They believed that because Bryson was in custody,

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<v Speaker 2>that Lauren was safe, but they were wrong. Lauren's family

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<v Speaker 2>first realized that something was very wrong on July first.

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<v Speaker 2>On that day, her dad, Lanced, said that he received

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<v Speaker 2>a text message from Lauren's phone. He later said that

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<v Speaker 2>message did not seem like it came from Lauren, so

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<v Speaker 2>her family started checking up on her. On Tuesday, July second,

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren's sister said that she was not at home, and

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<v Speaker 2>according to court documents, the sister noticed their front door

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<v Speaker 2>security camera had been destroyed. Lauren's family reported her missing

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<v Speaker 2>to the Hattiesburg Police Department, and they immediately told the

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<v Speaker 2>police they suspected that Bryson Rivers was responsible. Shockingly, even

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<v Speaker 2>though Bryson had been arrested for severely beating Lauren and

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<v Speaker 2>the bail bond company was supposed to be monitoring him,

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren's family soon discovered neither police nor the bond company

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<v Speaker 2>had any idea where he was. The company that was

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<v Speaker 2>monitoring his ankle bracelet said that on July second, the

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<v Speaker 2>battery in his device had started to run out and

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<v Speaker 2>he wasn't responding to messages, so they reached out to

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<v Speaker 2>his mother. His mother said she hadn't heard from him either,

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<v Speaker 2>so the court issued a warrant for his arrest. Bryson's

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<v Speaker 2>ankle monitor had last pinged on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi,

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<v Speaker 2>but one police were alerted on July second, it was

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<v Speaker 2>already too late. According to the Harrison County Coroner's Office,

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren was already dead. What laurence family didn't know was

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<v Speaker 2>that after Bryson left Tennessee, he had gone straight back

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<v Speaker 2>to Lauren's house and he had been texting her. Police

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<v Speaker 2>say he had texted and called her over one hundred

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<v Speaker 2>and twenty times within a short period of time, but

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<v Speaker 2>she never responded. Camera foot had showed Bryson being dropped

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<v Speaker 2>off close to the place where Lauren and her sister

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<v Speaker 2>lived on South eleventh Avenue in the early morning hours

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<v Speaker 2>of July second, according to court documents. At that time,

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<v Speaker 2>Lauren and her sister were home and a male friend

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<v Speaker 2>of theirs was also there. The male friend told detectives

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<v Speaker 2>that Lauren was alive. On that morning, July second, between

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<v Speaker 2>the hours of four am and six am, police took

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<v Speaker 2>camera footage from laurence neighbors. They saw footage of Bryson

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<v Speaker 2>walking toward her house at around five am. Cameras show

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<v Speaker 2>him leaving the house without a shirt on. Then he

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<v Speaker 2>comes back to the house, gets into laurence car, and

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<v Speaker 2>backs it out of the driveway. He then returns to

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<v Speaker 2>the house for just a few minutes before leaving again.

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<v Speaker 2>After Laurence family reported her missing, police used her car's

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<v Speaker 2>on Star system to track the vehicle, and on July third,

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<v Speaker 2>it showed the location as Wolf River Cemetery near some

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<v Speaker 2>woods in Harrison County. The Hattiesburg Police Department called Harrison

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<v Speaker 2>County and asked the officers to do a welfare check

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<v Speaker 2>on her. At that location, a deputy found the car

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<v Speaker 2>and when he opened the trunk, he found Lauren's body

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<v Speaker 2>wrapped in a trash bag in sheets from her house.

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<v Speaker 2>According to court testimony, forensic testing showed that Lauren's body

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<v Speaker 2>could have been in the air area where she was

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<v Speaker 2>found for over twenty four hours. The coroner estimated it

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<v Speaker 2>could have been there anywhere between thirty to thirty five hours.

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<v Speaker 2>While they were on the scene, police talked to witnesses

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<v Speaker 2>who said they saw a man running into the woods.

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<v Speaker 2>Police chased and caught the man who was hiding. The

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<v Speaker 2>man was Bryson Rivers. They arrested him and took him

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<v Speaker 2>into custody.

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<v Speaker 3>This time his bail was set at one million dollars.

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<v Speaker 2>The evidence against Bryson Rivers is overwhelming. He was caught

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<v Speaker 2>on camera entering and leaving Lawrence house, he was hiding

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<v Speaker 2>in the woods, and according to police, during the period

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<v Speaker 2>when he was hiding in the woods, he called his

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<v Speaker 2>brother and confessed to Laurence murder. He said, quote, I

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<v Speaker 2>killed the bitch end quote. But there were still a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of questions about what happened to Lauren. One of

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<v Speaker 2>them was where exactly.

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<v Speaker 3>Was she killed and how.

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<v Speaker 2>At first, it seemed like police believed she had been

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<v Speaker 2>murdered at or near the cemetery where her body was found,

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<v Speaker 2>but later media reports said that new information had led

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<v Speaker 2>police to believe she may have been killed not in

0:14:57.041 --> 0:15:01.281
<v Speaker 2>Harrison County, but somewhere else. A news channel interviewed Forest

0:15:01.281 --> 0:15:04.121
<v Speaker 2>County Sheriff of Charlie Simms, who said that as the

0:15:04.121 --> 0:15:08.281
<v Speaker 2>investigation continued, evidence started to point to Lauren being killed

0:15:08.401 --> 0:15:09.321
<v Speaker 2>in Forest County.

0:15:10.201 --> 0:15:12.201
<v Speaker 3>The investigation involved.

0:15:11.841 --> 0:15:14.361
<v Speaker 2>Multiple counties, which, as we all know, can lead to

0:15:14.441 --> 0:15:18.201
<v Speaker 2>more complications. However, in this case, it seems like they

0:15:18.241 --> 0:15:21.361
<v Speaker 2>were all pretty cooperative. In addition to the police from

0:15:21.361 --> 0:15:24.801
<v Speaker 2>Harrison County being involved, there was Forest County, the Hattiesburg

0:15:24.881 --> 0:15:29.441
<v Speaker 2>Police Department, and the Pedal Police Department. Charlie Simms said

0:15:29.441 --> 0:15:32.161
<v Speaker 2>that Forest County would collect and compile the evidence and

0:15:32.201 --> 0:15:34.921
<v Speaker 2>present it to the District Attorney's office, and he stressed

0:15:34.921 --> 0:15:38.241
<v Speaker 2>the importance of communication between all these different agencies, keeping

0:15:38.281 --> 0:15:40.321
<v Speaker 2>in mind that they all had the same goal catching

0:15:40.361 --> 0:15:47.401
<v Speaker 2>and bringing Lauren's killer to justice. Bryson Rivers was indicted

0:15:47.401 --> 0:15:50.321
<v Speaker 2>by a grand jury. He pleaded not guilty to capital

0:15:50.401 --> 0:15:55.201
<v Speaker 2>murder stealing a vehicle and tampering with evidence. But how

0:15:55.241 --> 0:15:58.921
<v Speaker 2>did Bryson Rivers end up going from being incarcerated in

0:15:59.041 --> 0:16:03.081
<v Speaker 2>Davidson County, Tennessee to fleeing the state and stalking and

0:16:03.201 --> 0:16:07.521
<v Speaker 2>killing Lauren? How was that ever allowed to happen? It

0:16:07.601 --> 0:16:10.961
<v Speaker 2>turned out that this happened because of a catastrophic series

0:16:11.001 --> 0:16:15.841
<v Speaker 2>of mistakes, mistakes that Lance Lauren's father believes crossed the

0:16:15.841 --> 0:16:19.281
<v Speaker 2>line into criminal He is alleged in a civil lawsuit

0:16:19.481 --> 0:16:22.641
<v Speaker 2>that the administrative errors that were made by the court

0:16:22.681 --> 0:16:26.761
<v Speaker 2>and by these bailbond companies directly contributed to his daughter's death.

0:16:28.001 --> 0:16:31.361
<v Speaker 2>After Bryson was released from prison on Monday, June twenty fourth,

0:16:31.361 --> 0:16:33.881
<v Speaker 2>at four oh five pm, he was met by a

0:16:33.881 --> 0:16:38.241
<v Speaker 2>Brooks bailbonding agent. The agent then signed his release form.

0:16:38.481 --> 0:16:42.481
<v Speaker 2>Now that release form specifies that Bryson was not allowed

0:16:42.521 --> 0:16:45.201
<v Speaker 2>to leave Davidson County in Tennessee.

0:16:45.321 --> 0:16:46.241
<v Speaker 3>The judge had.

0:16:46.161 --> 0:16:48.801
<v Speaker 2>Ordered him to wear an ankle monitor from a specific

0:16:48.881 --> 0:16:52.961
<v Speaker 2>company called Tracking Solutions, But because Bryson got out of

0:16:53.001 --> 0:16:56.081
<v Speaker 2>jail after four PM, the time that Tracking Solutions closed,

0:16:56.641 --> 0:16:59.841
<v Speaker 2>the Brooks bail bonding agent used an ankle monitor supplied

0:16:59.881 --> 0:17:05.000
<v Speaker 2>by another company called Freedom Monitoring Services. According to the lawsuit,

0:17:05.561 --> 0:17:09.321
<v Speaker 2>something happened there that meant that Bryson's bond order form

0:17:09.400 --> 0:17:13.041
<v Speaker 2>was not available. The lawsuit stated this happened according to

0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:16.200
<v Speaker 2>the switch in companies. I want to reiterate all of

0:17:16.201 --> 0:17:20.041
<v Speaker 2>this information comes from Lance Johansson's lawsuit, and there are

0:17:20.041 --> 0:17:23.321
<v Speaker 2>obviously two sides to every story, but there are some

0:17:23.360 --> 0:17:26.640
<v Speaker 2>things that are not in dispute. The Davidson County Clerk

0:17:26.721 --> 0:17:30.880
<v Speaker 2>has publicly admitted that mistakes were made by that office.

0:17:30.961 --> 0:17:33.600
<v Speaker 2>They said that none of the conditions of Bryson's release

0:17:34.041 --> 0:17:36.241
<v Speaker 2>ever made it to the Sheriff's office when Bryson was

0:17:36.281 --> 0:17:41.000
<v Speaker 2>let out. Julius Schlaus, the chief deputy clerk in Davidson County,

0:17:41.321 --> 0:17:44.680
<v Speaker 2>told news Channel five quote, one of our employees didn't

0:17:44.721 --> 0:17:48.360
<v Speaker 2>completely follow that process end quote. He said that the

0:17:48.441 --> 0:17:51.801
<v Speaker 2>employee who made the mistake will face quote some form

0:17:51.801 --> 0:17:55.160
<v Speaker 2>of disciplinary action, but he didn't specify what kind of

0:17:55.201 --> 0:17:58.681
<v Speaker 2>disciplinary action that would be. He also said the office

0:17:58.761 --> 0:18:03.561
<v Speaker 2>will focus on eliminating human error in future. Lance Johanson's

0:18:03.601 --> 0:18:07.080
<v Speaker 2>lawsuit states that it was the bail bond company's responsibility

0:18:07.161 --> 0:18:09.481
<v Speaker 2>to verify Bryson's release conditions.

0:18:10.641 --> 0:18:12.521
<v Speaker 3>Either way, I find it.

0:18:12.441 --> 0:18:16.161
<v Speaker 2>Incredible that a felon who had been charged with kidnapping, stalking,

0:18:16.241 --> 0:18:19.681
<v Speaker 2>and coercion was allowed to walk away and lead the state.

0:18:20.441 --> 0:18:24.880
<v Speaker 2>And also the GPS parameters were never set so that

0:18:24.921 --> 0:18:27.600
<v Speaker 2>there would be an alert if Bryson left Davidson County.

0:18:28.521 --> 0:18:33.201
<v Speaker 2>Freedom Monitoring finally got Bryson's bond paperwork several days later.

0:18:34.080 --> 0:18:36.801
<v Speaker 2>On that same day, they noticed that Bryson was not

0:18:36.881 --> 0:18:40.041
<v Speaker 2>responding to alerts. They couldn't get in touch with him,

0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:42.001
<v Speaker 2>so they ordered him to come in and get fitted

0:18:42.001 --> 0:18:46.201
<v Speaker 2>with a new monitor. In all that time, the lawsuit

0:18:46.241 --> 0:18:49.761
<v Speaker 2>alleges that Brooks bail bonding did not communicate the conditions

0:18:49.761 --> 0:18:54.081
<v Speaker 2>of release to Freedom Monitoring. It was Bryson's probation officer

0:18:54.241 --> 0:18:57.961
<v Speaker 2>who eventually noticed that Bryson was failing to respond. This

0:18:58.161 --> 0:19:01.081
<v Speaker 2>chain of events led to the District Attorney's office being

0:19:01.121 --> 0:19:05.281
<v Speaker 2>contacted and to the DA's office finally reaching out to

0:19:05.281 --> 0:19:08.681
<v Speaker 2>the Johansson family. This was the first time that the

0:19:08.761 --> 0:19:13.321
<v Speaker 2>Johansson family was contacted. The District Attorney's office called Lance

0:19:13.361 --> 0:19:16.521
<v Speaker 2>and told him that Bryson had not reported in for

0:19:16.601 --> 0:19:19.521
<v Speaker 2>the new ankle monitor fitting and that they couldn't get

0:19:19.521 --> 0:19:21.401
<v Speaker 2>into contact with him.

0:19:21.401 --> 0:19:25.080
<v Speaker 1>Bryson Rivers was released from custodies and he has not

0:19:25.161 --> 0:19:26.921
<v Speaker 1>been heard from. So I want to make sure that

0:19:27.001 --> 0:19:29.761
<v Speaker 1>Lauren is safe and that you all take proper precautions.

0:19:30.881 --> 0:19:35.321
<v Speaker 2>Tragically, Lance did not hear that message until Monday. By then,

0:19:36.161 --> 0:19:46.641
<v Speaker 2>Lauren was already dead. The discovery of Lauren's body, investigators

0:19:46.641 --> 0:19:49.360
<v Speaker 2>were trying to piece together what happened and how Bryson

0:19:49.441 --> 0:19:54.201
<v Speaker 2>Rivers could have slipped through the cracks. On June twenty eighth,

0:19:54.681 --> 0:19:58.481
<v Speaker 2>the bail bond company knew Bryson had violated his bond conditions.

0:19:59.041 --> 0:20:02.081
<v Speaker 2>On Saturday, June twenty ninth, Bryson reported in to get

0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:06.360
<v Speaker 2>a new GPS monitor fitted, but again, for the second time,

0:20:06.840 --> 0:20:09.721
<v Speaker 2>there was no alert put in place if Bryson left town.

0:20:10.641 --> 0:20:13.961
<v Speaker 2>By that Monday, when the company Freedom Monitoring called Bryson

0:20:14.001 --> 0:20:16.161
<v Speaker 2>and told him his monitor battery had gone down to

0:20:16.201 --> 0:20:19.321
<v Speaker 2>six percent, he called back and said he couldn't come

0:20:19.321 --> 0:20:22.200
<v Speaker 2>to court in Nashville the next day. He claimed it

0:20:22.241 --> 0:20:25.681
<v Speaker 2>was because he had no transportation. Now by this point

0:20:25.761 --> 0:20:28.521
<v Speaker 2>he had crossed county and state lines and was already

0:20:28.561 --> 0:20:32.321
<v Speaker 2>in Biloxi. And yet nothing happened as a result of that,

0:20:32.481 --> 0:20:35.241
<v Speaker 2>except that the court issued a warrant for him, and

0:20:35.321 --> 0:20:38.081
<v Speaker 2>by the time they figured this all out, a deputy

0:20:38.121 --> 0:20:40.721
<v Speaker 2>had found the car in the woods with Lawrence's body

0:20:40.721 --> 0:20:43.920
<v Speaker 2>wrapped in a sheet, and Lawrence's family wanted to know

0:20:44.601 --> 0:20:46.321
<v Speaker 2>how it could have happened that he was taken to

0:20:46.361 --> 0:20:48.761
<v Speaker 2>the wrong company in the first place, because he got

0:20:48.761 --> 0:20:51.761
<v Speaker 2>out five minutes late, why they didn't communicate that he

0:20:51.840 --> 0:20:55.121
<v Speaker 2>wasn't allowed to leave the county, and why the GPS

0:20:55.161 --> 0:20:58.400
<v Speaker 2>tracker on the ankle monitor was never programmed to alert

0:20:58.521 --> 0:21:03.120
<v Speaker 2>if he left Davidson County. Lance Johansson filed a civil

0:21:03.201 --> 0:21:06.801
<v Speaker 2>lawsuit against Brooks Bonding, the bail bonding company, and the

0:21:06.840 --> 0:21:09.441
<v Speaker 2>civil lawsuit for me really highlights how a lot of

0:21:09.441 --> 0:21:13.761
<v Speaker 2>these things work. It's really shocking how little supervision there

0:21:13.881 --> 0:21:17.160
<v Speaker 2>is when the court puts conditions on a defendant. Because

0:21:17.401 --> 0:21:19.841
<v Speaker 2>after Bryson's bail was lowered to one hundred and fifty

0:21:19.840 --> 0:21:22.481
<v Speaker 2>thousand dollars by Judge Blackburn at that bond hearing on

0:21:22.561 --> 0:21:27.160
<v Speaker 2>June fifth, Judge Blackburn had set bond conditions. Bryson was

0:21:27.161 --> 0:21:29.801
<v Speaker 2>supposed to wear a GPS bracelet, he was supposed to

0:21:29.840 --> 0:21:32.840
<v Speaker 2>stay in Davidson County. He had told the court he

0:21:32.881 --> 0:21:35.161
<v Speaker 2>would be living with his mother in Nashville, and apparently

0:21:35.161 --> 0:21:37.801
<v Speaker 2>no one was checking on that, and it was emphasized

0:21:38.121 --> 0:21:42.600
<v Speaker 2>he was to have absolutely no contact with Lauren in

0:21:42.681 --> 0:21:44.601
<v Speaker 2>case there are people out there who don't know how

0:21:44.601 --> 0:21:47.600
<v Speaker 2>a bailbond system works. What happens is that the bond

0:21:47.601 --> 0:21:51.120
<v Speaker 2>company will take a deposit, normally around ten percent of

0:21:51.161 --> 0:21:54.081
<v Speaker 2>the amount of money they're putting up. Then they give

0:21:54.121 --> 0:21:56.281
<v Speaker 2>the money to the court so the inmate can be released.

0:21:56.840 --> 0:21:59.201
<v Speaker 2>If the inmate fails to show up in court later,

0:21:59.641 --> 0:22:02.041
<v Speaker 2>the bail bond officers will go after and try to

0:22:02.080 --> 0:22:06.561
<v Speaker 2>apprehend the suspect. Two different bail bond companies were responsible

0:22:06.641 --> 0:22:10.360
<v Speaker 2>for Bryson Rivers Release, Brooks bonding, and on time bonding.

0:22:10.921 --> 0:22:13.840
<v Speaker 2>Each company posted a seventy five thousand dollars bond to

0:22:13.840 --> 0:22:18.121
<v Speaker 2>the Davidson County Warrant in Bond Office. Lauren's family alleges

0:22:18.161 --> 0:22:21.241
<v Speaker 2>that from the beginning, these bond companies should have known

0:22:21.281 --> 0:22:24.880
<v Speaker 2>that because this defendant was facing serious felony charges, they

0:22:24.921 --> 0:22:27.721
<v Speaker 2>should have been diligent about getting information about the exact

0:22:27.801 --> 0:22:33.001
<v Speaker 2>conditions of Bryson's release, but they didn't. Instead, according to

0:22:33.041 --> 0:22:36.321
<v Speaker 2>the lawsuit, after Bryson was released from jail. On June

0:22:36.321 --> 0:22:39.840
<v Speaker 2>twenty fourth, an agent from Brooks Bail Bonding picked Bryson

0:22:39.921 --> 0:22:42.640
<v Speaker 2>up and then went back to the office. At that point,

0:22:42.681 --> 0:22:46.160
<v Speaker 2>they realized the Core ordered monitoring service was closed, so

0:22:46.521 --> 0:22:50.481
<v Speaker 2>they contacted the owner of the company. She allegedly told

0:22:50.521 --> 0:22:52.761
<v Speaker 2>the employee that wasn't a problem. They could use a

0:22:52.801 --> 0:22:56.400
<v Speaker 2>GPS device from this other company called Freedom Monitoring. So

0:22:56.481 --> 0:22:59.561
<v Speaker 2>the agent put the Ankle monitor on Bryson, but did

0:22:59.601 --> 0:23:02.321
<v Speaker 2>not program the monitor so that an alert would go

0:23:02.361 --> 0:23:05.600
<v Speaker 2>off if he left the county. The lawsuit states that

0:23:05.681 --> 0:23:08.441
<v Speaker 2>the bail bond company knew that Bryson was planning to

0:23:08.521 --> 0:23:11.441
<v Speaker 2>leave town, because they said Bryson didn't hide that fact.

0:23:12.121 --> 0:23:13.921
<v Speaker 3>Bryson's mother, Chelsea.

0:23:13.681 --> 0:23:16.321
<v Speaker 2>Sent Brooks Bonding Company one hundred and thirty dollars to

0:23:16.321 --> 0:23:19.081
<v Speaker 2>pay for a bus ticket so Bryson could travel to Mississippi,

0:23:19.521 --> 0:23:22.721
<v Speaker 2>and Brook's Bail Bonding apparently sent him the money from

0:23:22.761 --> 0:23:23.481
<v Speaker 2>his mom.

0:23:23.321 --> 0:23:24.640
<v Speaker 3>So he could buy the bus ticket.

0:23:25.681 --> 0:23:28.680
<v Speaker 2>The lawsuit alleges the bail bond agent knew that Bryson

0:23:28.721 --> 0:23:31.801
<v Speaker 2>had left Davidson County and that this was a violation

0:23:31.881 --> 0:23:34.521
<v Speaker 2>of his parole, but alleges that they did not take

0:23:34.561 --> 0:23:38.600
<v Speaker 2>immediate action. So then June twenty seventh, th rolled around,

0:23:39.080 --> 0:23:42.360
<v Speaker 2>Bryson's ankle monitor was dying, he was losing battery charge.

0:23:42.601 --> 0:23:44.681
<v Speaker 2>The company ordered him to show up, but he doesn't,

0:23:45.161 --> 0:23:47.601
<v Speaker 2>and then the next day they get the paperwork from

0:23:47.721 --> 0:23:50.761
<v Speaker 2>Davidson County. So by now by Friday, they know for

0:23:50.840 --> 0:23:54.080
<v Speaker 2>sure he's not allowed to leave Davidson County, and presumably

0:23:54.121 --> 0:23:57.441
<v Speaker 2>that by going to Mississippi he was violating his bail conditions,

0:23:58.121 --> 0:24:00.481
<v Speaker 2>and yet this saga was allowed to continue.

0:24:00.840 --> 0:24:02.121
<v Speaker 3>On June twenty ninth.

0:24:01.961 --> 0:24:05.681
<v Speaker 2>Twenty twenty four, Bryson Rivers came back to Brooks Bonding

0:24:05.761 --> 0:24:09.041
<v Speaker 2>to meet the agent, and the lawsuit alleges the owner

0:24:09.080 --> 0:24:11.641
<v Speaker 2>of the company had planned to be there but was

0:24:11.761 --> 0:24:14.321
<v Speaker 2>unable to attend due to what was referred to as

0:24:14.361 --> 0:24:17.601
<v Speaker 2>a personal matter. The lawsuit pointed out there was no

0:24:17.681 --> 0:24:21.281
<v Speaker 2>policy in place in case that happened. At that meeting,

0:24:21.481 --> 0:24:24.681
<v Speaker 2>the agent put a new ankle monitor on Bryson, and

0:24:24.721 --> 0:24:28.160
<v Speaker 2>once again he was allowed to leave that bail bond office.

0:24:28.761 --> 0:24:31.441
<v Speaker 2>They took him back to his car on June twenty ninth,

0:24:32.201 --> 0:24:37.401
<v Speaker 2>and after that Bryson headed toward Mississippi and toward Lawrence House.

0:24:38.481 --> 0:24:39.801
<v Speaker 3>The lawsuit alleges that.

0:24:39.801 --> 0:24:42.961
<v Speaker 2>In addition to that, no one from the bail bond

0:24:43.001 --> 0:24:47.200
<v Speaker 2>company notied guide anyone in Tennessee, that Bryson's GPS had

0:24:47.241 --> 0:24:50.281
<v Speaker 2>left the county in the state, and that none of

0:24:50.281 --> 0:24:54.561
<v Speaker 2>the bail bonding agents contacted the authorities in Mississippi or

0:24:54.801 --> 0:25:01.360
<v Speaker 2>Lauren Johansson or her family. Lance Johansson is suing for

0:25:01.401 --> 0:25:04.761
<v Speaker 2>one hundred and fifty million dollars, and it seems clear

0:25:04.840 --> 0:25:08.080
<v Speaker 2>that for Lauren's father this is about much more than money.

0:25:08.521 --> 0:25:12.840
<v Speaker 2>This is about holding these companies accountable. Lance has gone

0:25:13.080 --> 0:25:17.641
<v Speaker 2>very public with his daughter's brutal injuries. He gave photos

0:25:17.681 --> 0:25:20.721
<v Speaker 2>to The Daily Mail, photographs that he said he took

0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:24.801
<v Speaker 2>after Bryson beat her. In these pictures, laurence face is

0:25:24.881 --> 0:25:29.761
<v Speaker 2>bloody and bruised. Lance told the Daily Mail he did

0:25:29.961 --> 0:25:33.401
<v Speaker 2>everything right. He attended the hearings, and he told the

0:25:33.521 --> 0:25:36.400
<v Speaker 2>judge straight up that Lauren was in danger and that

0:25:36.441 --> 0:25:39.841
<v Speaker 2>if Bryson ever got out of jail, he would come

0:25:39.881 --> 0:25:44.441
<v Speaker 2>back to kill Lauren. And yet the judge, share Old Blackburn,

0:25:44.481 --> 0:25:47.481
<v Speaker 2>decided to lower the bail, which may have been instrumental

0:25:47.561 --> 0:25:52.801
<v Speaker 2>in facilitating Bryson's release. So why did the judge agree

0:25:52.840 --> 0:26:05.521
<v Speaker 2>to reduce his bond. Judge Blackburn stated in court that

0:26:05.641 --> 0:26:08.001
<v Speaker 2>she thought that due to the evidence, there was quite

0:26:08.041 --> 0:26:10.880
<v Speaker 2>a high likelihood that Bryson would be convicted of this crime,

0:26:11.321 --> 0:26:13.681
<v Speaker 2>but she also stated that the bond of one hundred

0:26:13.681 --> 0:26:17.121
<v Speaker 2>and fifty thousand dollars was appropriate in this case because quote,

0:26:17.401 --> 0:26:20.481
<v Speaker 2>it does not appear that mister Rivers has a prior

0:26:20.521 --> 0:26:24.561
<v Speaker 2>criminal history end quote. I bring this up because I

0:26:24.601 --> 0:26:27.881
<v Speaker 2>see this over and over in cases involving domestic violence.

0:26:28.521 --> 0:26:33.881
<v Speaker 2>Prior convictions are counted, but prior arrests are not. And

0:26:33.961 --> 0:26:37.360
<v Speaker 2>as so many of us know, not every domestic violence

0:26:37.361 --> 0:26:40.880
<v Speaker 2>incident ends in an arrest and conviction. So if someone

0:26:41.001 --> 0:26:44.721
<v Speaker 2>has one hundred domestic violence complaints, that it's not necessarily

0:26:44.761 --> 0:26:48.041
<v Speaker 2>going to be considered at this type of hearing. In

0:26:48.121 --> 0:26:52.041
<v Speaker 2>Bryson's case, he did have prior arrests, including arrest for

0:26:52.121 --> 0:26:56.561
<v Speaker 2>DUI auto burglary and possession and trafficking of a controlled substance,

0:26:57.161 --> 0:27:00.401
<v Speaker 2>but again, because they didn't end in conviction, those would

0:27:00.401 --> 0:27:04.241
<v Speaker 2>not necessarily be considered by the judge. Lance told the

0:27:04.321 --> 0:27:07.761
<v Speaker 2>Daily Mail, quote, I realize people have rights, but you

0:27:07.840 --> 0:27:10.920
<v Speaker 2>can't just let loose a wild animal they knew he

0:27:11.001 --> 0:27:13.121
<v Speaker 2>was a psychopath. They knew he was going to kill

0:27:13.161 --> 0:27:15.681
<v Speaker 2>her if he got out. I warned them how this

0:27:15.801 --> 0:27:17.681
<v Speaker 2>was going to play out, and they went ahead and

0:27:17.721 --> 0:27:18.521
<v Speaker 2>did it anyway.

0:27:18.961 --> 0:27:19.481
<v Speaker 3>End quote.

0:27:20.561 --> 0:27:24.281
<v Speaker 2>Lance Johanson hopes that his civil suit can help change things,

0:27:24.961 --> 0:27:27.880
<v Speaker 2>and sometimes one case can have an effect on how

0:27:27.921 --> 0:27:30.721
<v Speaker 2>the justice system works. I don't know how many of

0:27:30.761 --> 0:27:34.001
<v Speaker 2>you are familiar with the case of Tracy Thurman, but

0:27:34.080 --> 0:27:36.521
<v Speaker 2>her case became a movie in nineteen eighty nine called

0:27:36.561 --> 0:27:38.481
<v Speaker 2>a Cry for Help The Tracy Thurman Story.

0:27:38.801 --> 0:27:40.401
<v Speaker 3>It's one of the very first.

0:27:40.241 --> 0:27:43.201
<v Speaker 2>Movies about domestic violence that left a lasting impact on

0:27:43.281 --> 0:27:47.001
<v Speaker 2>me as child. Tracy Thurman was married to an abusive

0:27:47.041 --> 0:27:49.761
<v Speaker 2>man named Charles Thurmant, and when she tried to escape

0:27:49.801 --> 0:27:53.441
<v Speaker 2>the relationship with her young son, Charles terrorized her.

0:27:54.321 --> 0:27:56.281
<v Speaker 3>Her case changed.

0:27:55.801 --> 0:27:58.840
<v Speaker 2>The way that police departments deal with domestic violence, because

0:27:58.840 --> 0:28:02.761
<v Speaker 2>back in nineteen eighty two, domestic violence was treated very differently.

0:28:03.241 --> 0:28:06.401
<v Speaker 2>It was almost like whatever happens behind closed doors stays there.

0:28:06.881 --> 0:28:10.001
<v Speaker 2>These issues were treated like something you handle within the family,

0:28:10.441 --> 0:28:14.041
<v Speaker 2>something that wasn't anyone else's business. It was treated like

0:28:14.080 --> 0:28:17.840
<v Speaker 2>a shameful secret, which, sadly, in many places sometimes it

0:28:17.881 --> 0:28:22.321
<v Speaker 2>still is. Police departments back then also did not have

0:28:22.561 --> 0:28:25.801
<v Speaker 2>anywhere near the same level of domestic violence training that

0:28:25.840 --> 0:28:28.441
<v Speaker 2>they have now. This was back in the time where

0:28:28.481 --> 0:28:33.401
<v Speaker 2>marital rape was still legal. Tracy left Charles and filed

0:28:33.481 --> 0:28:36.441
<v Speaker 2>for divorce. Over the next several months, he kept showing

0:28:36.521 --> 0:28:39.041
<v Speaker 2>up at her house and stalking her. Just like in

0:28:39.121 --> 0:28:44.401
<v Speaker 2>Lauren's case, Charles was very well known to police. Did

0:28:44.481 --> 0:28:48.041
<v Speaker 2>everything quote unquote right. There was a paper trail. She

0:28:48.081 --> 0:28:50.601
<v Speaker 2>got a restraining order against Charles. She kept calling the

0:28:50.601 --> 0:28:54.481
<v Speaker 2>police to report every single violation. Once she came to

0:28:54.481 --> 0:28:56.841
<v Speaker 2>the police department because Charles had a warrant out on

0:28:56.921 --> 0:28:59.961
<v Speaker 2>him related to her case, and the officer there told

0:28:59.961 --> 0:29:02.881
<v Speaker 2>her only one officer could handle this request and he

0:29:03.001 --> 0:29:05.601
<v Speaker 2>was out on vacation, so Tracy would have to wait.

0:29:06.201 --> 0:29:10.361
<v Speaker 2>Police told her they would arrest Charles, but they didn't. Finally,

0:29:10.441 --> 0:29:13.321
<v Speaker 2>in June of nineteen eighty three, Charles came to the

0:29:13.321 --> 0:29:15.721
<v Speaker 2>house where Tracy was staying with a friend and demanded

0:29:15.721 --> 0:29:19.881
<v Speaker 2>that Tracy come outside again. She called the police, but

0:29:19.921 --> 0:29:23.321
<v Speaker 2>it didn't seem like anyone was going to show up. Eventually,

0:29:23.361 --> 0:29:26.361
<v Speaker 2>after twenty minutes of waiting for the police, she agreed

0:29:26.361 --> 0:29:29.881
<v Speaker 2>to go outside. Her friend was outside talking to Charles,

0:29:29.921 --> 0:29:34.441
<v Speaker 2>and Charles was getting increasingly agitated. After twenty five minutes,

0:29:34.801 --> 0:29:36.681
<v Speaker 2>one officer finally responded to.

0:29:36.681 --> 0:29:39.161
<v Speaker 3>The scene, but it didn't stop Charles.

0:29:39.481 --> 0:29:43.041
<v Speaker 2>He continued to scream and threaten Tracy, and then he

0:29:43.041 --> 0:29:46.841
<v Speaker 2>pulled out an eye. The officer watched while Charles stabbed

0:29:46.881 --> 0:29:52.641
<v Speaker 2>her over and over thirteen times. Eventually, the officer convinced

0:29:52.721 --> 0:29:56.081
<v Speaker 2>Charles to drop the knife, but the officer continued to

0:29:56.081 --> 0:29:59.440
<v Speaker 2>stand there and watch while Charles went back into the house,

0:29:59.921 --> 0:30:02.441
<v Speaker 2>got his two year old son and dropped the little

0:30:02.481 --> 0:30:05.921
<v Speaker 2>boy on too Tracy, who by now was unconscious. The

0:30:05.961 --> 0:30:09.801
<v Speaker 2>officer also stood there while Charles kicked Tracy over and over,

0:30:10.401 --> 0:30:14.841
<v Speaker 2>and one of those kicks broke her neck. Charles was

0:30:14.921 --> 0:30:19.721
<v Speaker 2>arrested and taken into custody finally, but Tracy's injuries were lifelong.

0:30:20.241 --> 0:30:22.361
<v Speaker 3>That kick partially paralyzed her.

0:30:23.121 --> 0:30:26.641
<v Speaker 2>Eventually, she sued the police department and the city of Torrington,

0:30:26.641 --> 0:30:29.561
<v Speaker 2>where she lived, for failing to protect her. This was

0:30:29.601 --> 0:30:31.721
<v Speaker 2>the first time that a woman had sued a town

0:30:31.881 --> 0:30:35.481
<v Speaker 2>for violating her rights in a domestic violence case. The

0:30:35.601 --> 0:30:38.961
<v Speaker 2>case went to federal court. Tracy won a settlement of

0:30:39.001 --> 0:30:43.601
<v Speaker 2>two point three million dollars. This also resulted in new legislation.

0:30:44.201 --> 0:30:47.121
<v Speaker 2>The Thermon Law requires officers to make an arrest in

0:30:47.201 --> 0:30:50.801
<v Speaker 2>domestic violence cases if there is probable cause. And this

0:30:50.881 --> 0:30:53.521
<v Speaker 2>also changed the way that a lot of police departments

0:30:53.521 --> 0:30:57.881
<v Speaker 2>handle domestic violence calls. They got additional training and for example,

0:30:58.081 --> 0:31:01.561
<v Speaker 2>now officers are routinely sent out in pairs to respond

0:31:01.601 --> 0:31:05.001
<v Speaker 2>to these domestic violence calls. It really marked a difference

0:31:05.041 --> 0:31:07.281
<v Speaker 2>in the way that domestic violence was seen for what

0:31:07.321 --> 0:31:11.241
<v Speaker 2>it is. These are not just little scuffles. These are

0:31:11.521 --> 0:31:16.401
<v Speaker 2>very dangerous and potentially lethal situations for everyone involved, including

0:31:16.401 --> 0:31:17.321
<v Speaker 2>the police officers.

0:31:18.921 --> 0:31:20.681
<v Speaker 3>Tracy was partially paralyzed for.

0:31:20.641 --> 0:31:24.361
<v Speaker 2>Eight months, but now uses a wheeled walker to assist

0:31:24.361 --> 0:31:28.481
<v Speaker 2>her in getting around. Today, she is still an advocate

0:31:28.561 --> 0:31:32.440
<v Speaker 2>for victim's rights and Tracy's case shows the effect that

0:31:32.521 --> 0:31:36.121
<v Speaker 2>one person in one civil lawsuit can have on affecting

0:31:36.241 --> 0:31:39.961
<v Speaker 2>change in a community and around the country. But as

0:31:40.001 --> 0:31:43.081
<v Speaker 2>we see from cases like Lawrence, there is a lot

0:31:43.121 --> 0:31:46.521
<v Speaker 2>that still needs to change. I wonder why, with all

0:31:46.521 --> 0:31:49.721
<v Speaker 2>the technology that exists now, why bail bond companies and

0:31:49.761 --> 0:31:53.121
<v Speaker 2>courts can't create an alert system like the Amber Alert

0:31:53.161 --> 0:31:56.561
<v Speaker 2>system so that families can be immediately notified if an

0:31:56.561 --> 0:32:00.881
<v Speaker 2>offender crosses state or county lines. In my opinion, it

0:32:00.961 --> 0:32:04.761
<v Speaker 2>is not sufficient to leave a message. These are life

0:32:04.801 --> 0:32:11.241
<v Speaker 2>and death situations and these laws need to change. In

0:32:11.281 --> 0:32:15.521
<v Speaker 2>February of twenty twenty five, Bryson Rivers pleaded not guilty

0:32:15.641 --> 0:32:16.481
<v Speaker 2>to Laurence murder.

0:32:17.521 --> 0:32:19.081
<v Speaker 3>Lauren's father, Lance.

0:32:18.841 --> 0:32:22.681
<v Speaker 2>Told WLX that he believes that the Forest County District

0:32:22.681 --> 0:32:24.961
<v Speaker 2>Attorney Lynn Carter should seek.

0:32:24.721 --> 0:32:25.441
<v Speaker 3>The death penalty.

0:32:25.921 --> 0:32:29.241
<v Speaker 2>He said, quote, if any case should seek the death penalty,

0:32:29.241 --> 0:32:31.801
<v Speaker 2>this is it. There's enough evidence that he should be

0:32:31.881 --> 0:32:34.921
<v Speaker 2>executed this week. But we have a system of rules

0:32:34.921 --> 0:32:37.201
<v Speaker 2>and laws in this country, and we have to follow

0:32:37.201 --> 0:32:38.721
<v Speaker 2>the system how it's set up.

0:32:39.161 --> 0:32:41.721
<v Speaker 3>End quote. Bryson rivers murder.

0:32:41.521 --> 0:32:44.321
<v Speaker 2>Trial was due to start on June twenty fifth, twenty

0:32:44.401 --> 0:32:48.041
<v Speaker 2>twenty five. The most recent information that I have is

0:32:48.041 --> 0:32:52.361
<v Speaker 2>that he was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Lance

0:32:52.441 --> 0:32:54.721
<v Speaker 2>also says that he hopes that as a result of

0:32:54.761 --> 0:32:58.441
<v Speaker 2>his daughter's brutal murder in the civil litigation, he hopes

0:32:58.601 --> 0:33:01.561
<v Speaker 2>that laws will change. He has publicly stated that he

0:33:01.601 --> 0:33:05.081
<v Speaker 2>would like to create Lauren's Law, legislation that would require

0:33:05.121 --> 0:33:07.961
<v Speaker 2>people who are charged with crimes related to domestic violence

0:33:07.961 --> 0:33:11.241
<v Speaker 2>to stay in jail. The domestic violence charge would be

0:33:11.241 --> 0:33:13.841
<v Speaker 2>an automatic disqualification from getting bond.

0:33:14.601 --> 0:33:15.601
<v Speaker 3>This is the type of.

0:33:15.641 --> 0:33:19.561
<v Speaker 2>Law he believes could have saved his daughter's life. This

0:33:19.681 --> 0:33:23.361
<v Speaker 2>case is still ongoing and police are still looking for

0:33:23.401 --> 0:33:26.801
<v Speaker 2>the public's help and figuring out exactly what happened to Lauren.

0:33:27.521 --> 0:33:29.681
<v Speaker 2>The sheriff has said they are looking for members of

0:33:29.721 --> 0:33:32.200
<v Speaker 2>the public who may have camera footage from the woods

0:33:32.681 --> 0:33:35.801
<v Speaker 2>or from Lauren's neighborhood. They still want to talk to

0:33:35.841 --> 0:33:38.361
<v Speaker 2>those people, and they ask that those people reach out

0:33:38.441 --> 0:33:42.041
<v Speaker 2>to law enforcement. So if there is someone out there

0:33:42.081 --> 0:33:45.281
<v Speaker 2>who believes that they have information, the sheriff is asked

0:33:45.321 --> 0:33:48.321
<v Speaker 2>that they contact the Forest County Sheriff's Office on six

0:33:48.441 --> 0:33:53.201
<v Speaker 2>oh one, five eight two, seven, eight sixty seven. I'm

0:33:53.241 --> 0:33:58.801
<v Speaker 2>Catherine Townsend. This is Helen Gone Murder Line. Helen Gone

0:33:58.841 --> 0:34:00.721
<v Speaker 2>Murder Line is a production of School of Humans and

0:34:00.801 --> 0:34:04.481
<v Speaker 2>iHeart Podcasts. It's written and narrated by me Catherine Townsend

0:34:04.561 --> 0:34:08.481
<v Speaker 2>and produced by Gabby wattson Special thanks to Amy Tubbs

0:34:08.520 --> 0:34:11.601
<v Speaker 2>for her research assistance and to James Wheaton for legal review.

0:34:12.241 --> 0:34:15.560
<v Speaker 2>Noah camer mixed and scored this episode. Our theme song

0:34:15.641 --> 0:34:19.921
<v Speaker 2>is by Ben Salek, Executive producers of Virginia Prescott, Brandon Barr,

0:34:19.921 --> 0:34:20.361
<v Speaker 2>and L. C.

0:34:20.560 --> 0:34:23.320
<v Speaker 3>Crowley. Listen to Helen Gone ad free by.

0:34:23.201 --> 0:34:26.921
<v Speaker 2>Subscribing to the iHeart True Crime Plush channel on Apple Podcasts.

0:34:27.281 --> 0:34:29.921
<v Speaker 2>If you were interested in seeing documents and materials from

0:34:29.921 --> 0:34:33.241
<v Speaker 2>the case, you can follow the show on Instagram at

0:34:33.440 --> 0:34:34.440
<v Speaker 2>Hell and gonepod.

0:34:35.121 --> 0:34:36.361
<v Speaker 3>If you have a case.

0:34:36.121 --> 0:34:38.281
<v Speaker 2>You'd like me and my team to look into, you

0:34:38.321 --> 0:34:40.280
<v Speaker 2>can reach out to us at our Helen Gone Murder

0:34:40.321 --> 0:34:43.960
<v Speaker 2>line at six seven eight seven four four six' one four.

0:34:44.040 --> 0:34:48.361
<v Speaker 2>Five that's six seven eight seven four four six one four.

0:34:48.440 --> 0:34:56.081
<v Speaker 1>Five school Of humans h