Body Of Teen Walgreens Employee Found In Breakroom, Co-Worker Arrested

A teenage Walgreens employee was found dead in the breakroom of her Colorado Springs store last week.

Credit: B Christopher / Alamy

Riley Whitelaw was just 17 years old when her manager discovered her body on June 11.

Another of her colleagues - Joshua Johnson, 28 - has been arrested in connection with her death and charged with first-degree murder, per a report by MailOnline.

According to arrest documents obtained by CBS Denver, Whitelaw had complained about Johnson last year, when she told store managers that he was making advances toward her and she was uncomfortable.

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Walgreens Manager Justin Zunino - who found Whitelaw's body - reported to police that Johnson had been told to leave her alone when she made the complaint against him in 2021.

Before Whitelaw's body was discovered in the breakroom, arrest records suggest that Johnson stacked boxes up in front of the camera so that the incident would not be caught on tape. The windows in the breakroom had also been covered, and a "restrooms close" had been placed in the area to keep people away.

Riley Whitelaw, 17, who was killed in a Walgreens employee break room, had previously complained that her coworker made her feel uncomfortable. https://t.co/jttvq17yne

— BuzzFeed is a Chris Evans stan account (@BuzzFeed) June 18, 2022

When Zunino did stumble upon Whitelaw, she was reportedly surrounded by a significant amount of blood, which was spattered on the floor, cabinets, and counter. There was also trauma to her neck area.

Police were called and arrived at Walgreens shortly before 7:00PM. They pronounced the teenager dead at the scene.

A day later on June 12, Johnson was arrested about 100 miles outside of the city with cuts and bruises on his body. He claimed he had been attacked at Walgreens, but the police took him into custody. He has since been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond at the El Paso County jail.

A teenager killed at a Colorado Springs Walgreens allegedly expressed concerns for a year about the man accused in her death. https://t.co/q8iXSCi74U

— WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) June 15, 2022

Whitelaw was a student at the local Air Academy High School. She was reportedly a straight-A student, a volunteer at the Human Society, and a member of the AAHS Colorguard.

In the wake of her death, Senior Director for Walgreens Fraser Engerman said the company was "saddened" by the loss.

"The safety of our customers and team members is top priority, and we are working with local authorities in their investigation," he said in a statement to BuzzFeed news.

"We are making counseling and other resources available to our store team members at this location," he added.

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