A Walgreens employee reportedly murdered his co-worker after she rejected him and complained to supervisors that he made her feel uncomfortable.
Riley Whitelaw, 17, was found by a manager in the break room at a Walgreens in Colorado Springs on June 11 after the teenager failed to return from her break around 7 p.m. According to Mercury News, she was reported gone for at least 90 minutes before anyone searched for her.
Her colleague Joshua Johnson, 28, has now been arrested in connection with her death, Buzzfeed News reported.
Johnson was arrested about 100 miles from Colorado Springs on June 12 and charged with first-degree murder.
Police arrived at the scene just before 7pm on June 11 and found Whitelaw’s body inside and pronounced her dead at the scene. She was reportedly surrounded by a significant amount of blood and had trauma to the neck area.
Her blood was splattered on the floor, cabinets and counter in the break room, Buzzfeed News reported.
Walgreens manager Justin Zunino, who found her body, told police Johnson was ordered about a year ago to leave Whitelaw alone after she complained that he had made advances on her and that she was uncomfortable it says in the affidavit.
Riley Whitelaw, 17, was found by a manager in the break room at a Walgreens in Colorado Springs on June 11 after the teenager failed to return from her break around 7 p.m. It was reported that she was gone for at least 90 minutes before anyone searched for her
Her colleague Joshua Johnson, 28, has now been arrested in connection with her death. He admitted getting into a fight at Walgreens and being in the break room, and was seen on security footage trying to obscure the security camera view
Another manager, Crystal Ishmael, told police that Whitelaw’s boyfriend, who joined the Walgreens team as a clerk, didn’t deter Johnson’s “jealousy.”
Weeks before her death, she had asked to work opposite shifts as Johnson, but when she asked for overtime she was told some of the shifts would clash.
On the day of her death, Johnson was seen on surveillance footage piling bins in front of the cameras – which he later denied had obstructed her. And one customer said he heard a woman scream around 5.45pm and stopped by the store again to call police when she saw police cars outside.
One of the managers also noted on surveillance footage that paper had been taped over the windows and a sign saying the bathroom was closed was on the door.
As Ishmael searched for her missing employee, she followed the stench of bleach to the dumpster area, but as she was about to open the doors, a male voice told her he was changing and she left him alone, Buzzfeed News said.
Johnson admitted to authorities that he was the person in the dumpster area and that he was also in the break room and had fallen into her blood upon his arrival.
When cops found the 28-year-old on the freeway with scratches on his hands and face, he told them he was assaulted at Walgreens.
After his arrest, he told police he was no longer interested in Whitelaw and was involved with Ishmael, but the manager did not tell authorities she was in a relationship with the employee.
The teen was a straight-A student, according to her obituary, and loved art and music
She worked at the Walgreens on Centennial Boulevard (pictured)
Whitelaw’s funeral will be held next week as the investigation is still ongoing.
Said to be able to “pick you up” on a bad day, the teen was an A-student at Air Academy High School.
“Riley is taller than any obituary can encompass, with a smile that attracted every person she met,” her obituary read.
The teenager was also interested in art and music, and she also volunteered with the local Humane Society and animal welfare.
“Riley inspired others through her art, eclectic taste in music and bright personality,” the obituary reads. “Riley will be deeply missed.”
A GoFundMe has also been set up in her honor, which will focus on genetics research, a subject Whitelaw “enjoyed studying”.
It has passed its $10,000 and raised more than $12,000 by Saturday afternoon.
Walgreens executive director Fraser Engerman said the company was “sad” at the loss and said store safety was “the number one priority”.
The company has also offered “consultation.” [services] and other resources’ to the Centennial Boulevard Store Location Team.
Her death is the 24th homicide in Colorado Springs in 2022, up from the 18th in the same period last year, police reported.