Colo. man killed teen co-worker after she rejected him: cops

A Colorado man killed his teenage co-worker after she rebuffed his romantic advances, police said.

Joshua Johnson, 28, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Riley Whitelaw, according to arrest papers obtained Tuesday by Colorado Springs CBS affiliate KKTV.

Whitelaw was found dead Saturday on the floor of the break room in a Walgreens in northern Colorado Springs where both she and Johnson worked, police said.

Last year, Whitelaw reported to her manager that Johnson made her uncomfortable and “made advances toward her,” according to the cops. Whitelaw asked to work different hours than Johnson, and the managers allowed it.

More recently, Whitelaw had asked for more hours. Her bosses warned her that would mean working with Johnson, but she agreed, the managers told police.

Additionally, the same Walgreens hired Whitelaw’s boyfriend about three months ago. A manager told police that Johnson appeared to be jealous of the boyfriend.

On June 11, the day of the killing, Johnson was caught on surveillance video stacking boxes to block a camera in the break room, police said. Shortly before 7 p.m., Whitelaw’s body was found in a gruesome scene on the floor of that same room. Witnesses said there was “blood everywhere.”

Whitelaw’s official cause of death has not been determined, but police said she “suffered significant trauma to her neck area.”

Johnson was found walking along Interstate 25. In an interview with police, he told the cops he “fell in the blood” and went home to change. He didn’t mention why he never alerted police that there was a dead girl in the break room.

Johnson is due back in court June 21.