321: Riley Whitelaw

resort destination. In eighteen seventy one, he founded Colorado Springs, and it wasn't long before British settlers arrived in droves, earning the city its early nickname of Little London, and its growth didn't stop there. With the expansion of the railroads and the rush of the nearby mining booms, Colorado Springs grew rapidly. By the turn of the century, it was no longer a vacation destination. It was a real city. Today, Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County.

Many people who live here are drawn to the lower cost of living on the slower pace. Many come for the mountain views for the safety and the sense of community. But even in the most serene of places, darkness confined its corners. It was a typical June evening in Colorado's Springs in twenty twenty two inside a Walgreens store. Business was moving as usual. Behind the counter, staff organized prescriptions, a few customers browsed the isles. One of the employees

on duty that evening was a teenage girl. It was just another shift. She clocked in, stocked shelves, worked on the till then she went on her break. After some time, her coworkers realized she hadn't come back. Colorado Springs was home to seventeen year old Riley Whitelaw. She lived at home with her mother, Courtney, and her mother's longtime partner, Chris Johnson. Those who loved Riley said that she had that rare kind of spirit, wise beyond her years, yet

still brimming with tea age wonder. You could talk to her like she was an adult. Conversations with Riley weren't filled with eye rolls or one word answers. She listened, she asked questions, and she genuinely cared. But Riley also had a silly, carefree side and could goof around with people her own age. She was that rare blend of mature, grounded, and full of joy. At Air Academy High School, Riley was known not just for her intelligence. She was a straight a studing, but she was said to have a

warmth about her. She didn't need to be the loudest person in the room, and yet her presence was still the loudest in all the best ways. Her classmates called her Smiley Riley. She had a long list of passions and commitments. She was active in her school's Color Guard and Winter Guard programs, and was said to be named Section leader, a role she'd earned through hard work. Riley

also loved animals, especially her dog Judy. She worked part time as a pet sitter when she wasn't at her other job while Green's on Centenius Boulevard, and if that wasn't enough, Riley volunteered her spare time in the Humane Society of the Pike's Peak Region. That was Riley in a nutshell, always doing, always giving, always smiling. She also

had a deep love for the arts. She could often be found with a sketch pad in hand, filling it with pencil drawings and paintings, and then there was the guitar, another creative outlet that she'd fallen in love with. It was like Riley lived in full color. Everything she did was with intention. Her mother, Courtney said to CBS, anything Riley ever has taken on, she's always got both feet. In the eleventh of June twenty twenty two began like

any other day for seventeen year old Riley Whitelaw. It was a Sunday, and Riley was scheduled to work her usual shift at Walgreens. Her mother dropped her off that morning, just like always, and told her she'd be there to pick her up eight PM. It was part of their weekend routine. Riley got to work, She stopped shelves, graded customers, and quietly went about her day. Something about Riley seemed different. Her co worker, Rita Beverly Crider noticed right away. Riley,

who was typically bright and chatty, seemed withdrawn. She was quieter than normal, like something was weighing heavily on her. Later that afternoon, Riley approached Rita with an unusual request. She asked if she could work with her in the beauty department. Then, around five thirty PM, a co worker, twenty eight year old Joshua Johnson, came over to Rita. He said that it was time for Riley's break. Rida a grade and Riley walked off, leaving Rida to take

over the register. But Riley never came back. This evening war on, the store began to fill with the buzz of post workshoppers. Riley's manager, Crystal Ishmael, noticed the absence. She thought maybe Riley had left early, but that was unlike her. She rang another manager, Justin's uniow, and mentioned that Riley hadn't returned from her break. Cristel decided to step outside to check for her. She had it towards the dumpster area, and that's when she noticed something strange.

The smell of bleach was thick in the air. She tried the door nearby, but was met with a voice behind it. A man said that he was changing. Crystal glimpsed a pair of feet beneath the door. Thinking little of it, she turned around and went back to work. About half an hour later, Justin arrived to begin his shift. Riley was still missing at this stage, when Cristel told him about the bleach and the man changing outside Justin's instincts kicked in. Something wasn't right. He stepped outside to

check it out for himself. The man was gone now, but there on the ground was an empty bottle of bleach. Justin couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. Riley would never just disappear midshift without saying a word. When the store quieted, he decided to check the security footage. What he saw left him uneasy. Just before Riley's break, the footage showed Joshua Johnson, her co worker, stacking bins in front of the surveillance camera. It looked as though

he was deliberately blocking its view. Justin made his way towards the shared breakroom. As he approached, he noticed that paper had been taped over the windows. Somebody had also placed a restroom clothes signed near by, something usually only done at closing time, not during the rush. He opened the breakroom door and froze inside. The scene was unimaginable. Blood was everywhere. It was splattered on cabinets, streaked across the counters, but most of it had pulled across the

floor and in the center of it lay Riley. She had been stabbed forty two times. The wounds were all over her face, neck, and chest. Her arms and hands had been slashed. It was clear she had fought with everything she had. Blunt force trauma was also found on her head, torso and limbs. Her employee badge and radio earpiece lay near her feet. Beside them lay a gerb or Milty tool with its knife extension extended and slick with blood. Justin stood frozen for a moment, then quickly

pulled out his phone and called nine one one. Officers arrived within minutes. He led them to the break room. There was nothing anybody could do. Riley Whitelaw was dead. As the crime scene was being uncovered, Riley's mother, Courtney, was on her way to pick her up. She was completely unaware that her world was about to shatter. But before she could even pull into the parking lot, Courtney was met with the nightmare. Flashing red and blue lights

slid up the front of Walgreens. Police vehicles lined the curb. She immediately tried calling her daughter, but the phone just rang and rang. Panic said In. Courtney threw her car into park and rushed towards one of the officers outside. Her voice trembled as she asked if her daughter was okay. The officer looked at her solemnly and then delivered the words that no parent should ever hear her daughter, Riley was dead. Inside the store, manager justin's Niew was speaking

with the detectives. He told them what he'd seen on the surveillance footage, how Joshua Johnson had deliberately stacked bins to block the camera's view shortly before Riley disappeared. Johnson had also been working that evening, but now he was missing. Riley was dead, and suspicion was quickly narrowing in on him. In a nearby storage area just off the break room,

detective spotted something lang discarded on the floor. It was Joshua Johnson's name tag, his radio in a face mask ol of it seemed to have been left behind in a hurry. Justin and Crystel told detectives about the smell of bleach near the dumpsters and the man who said that he was changing. They wondered could it have been

Johnson attempting to clean up after killing Riley. While detectives gathered statements from its staff, they were approached by a customer, Elisa Schwink she had been shopping in the store earlier that evening and what she heard had been bothering her. She explained that around five forty five p m. She was in the deodorant aisle when she suddenly heard screaming. She said it was a female voice, followed by what

sounded like a metal stall door slamming shut. At the time, she thought she might have been imagining it, so she finished her shopping and left, But when she drove past later and saw the store swarming with police, her heart sank. She knew she had to go back and report what she had heard. As the investigation progressed, detectives learned that employees kept their belongings in a secure staff area, one that customers couldn't reach, they decided to search Joshua Johnson's locker. Inside,

they found something chilling. There on a single sheet of paper were Riley's personal details, including her address, her phone number, her social Security number, and her locker combination. But it didn't end there. He had the same details for Riley's boyfriend, and then tucked into the locker, they found something else, a sheath for a Gerber multitool, the very same kind of tool found blood covered beside Riley's body. The evidence was stacking up. Joshua Johnson wasn't just missing, he was

now the prime suspect in a brutal targeted killing. Once detectives had colected witness statements and processed the crime scene, they issued it beyond the lookout for Joshua Johnson. It didn't take long. Just ours later, an officer patrolling Interstate twenty five near Trinidad, over one hundred miles from Colorado Springs, spotted a man walking alone along the side of the highway. Something about him looked familiar. The man resembled Joshua Johnson,

but something was off. His hair had been crudely and incompetently shaved. The sides were buzzed short, while tufts of longer hair remained clinging to the top of his scalp. It looked as though he had tried to alter his appearance and then stopped halfway. Even more ominous were the scratches. There were several visible marks across his face and scalp,

especially noticeable where the hair had been removed. It looked like he either started shaving and realized the wounds were now exposed, or somebody had torn out chunks of his hair in a struggle. The officer pulled over and approached him. When he got closer, there was no doubt that it was indeed Joshua Johnson. He was placed under arrest. As the officer slipped the handcut on to his wrists, he

noticed more scratches, this time across Johnson's hands. When asked where they had come from, Johnson claimed that he had been attacked at Walgreens. Johnson was transported back to Colorado Springs and brought into custody. His clothing was seized for evidence. Officers noted burizing across his arms and torso as if he had recently been in a physical fight. He was led into the interrogation room, where he immediately admitted that he knew that Riley was dead, but the story he

told was one that nobody could quite believe. Johnson then claimed that he had witnessed Riley's murder, not committed it. According to him, he had been working that day when he heard a scream coming from the break room. He said he rushed in and found a man in a black mask stabbing Riley. He described the attacker as having blue eyes with a gray tint. He said that the man turned on him, scratched him, and that he slipped

in Riley's blood while trying to defend himself. But instead of calling for help or learning anybody, Johnson said that he ran. He explained he had run away because the man had told him his name and address, and he was scared that the man would come after him. It was a strange and elaborate story, one with no evidence to support it. Detectives listened quietly and then began presenting

what they had. They told him that they had seen the surveillance footage the way he had deliberately obscured the camera by stacking bins in front of it before Riley went missing. They asked him about it directly. Johnson denied it. He said he wasn't trying to hide anything. He then admitted that, yes, he was the man outside by the dumpster, the one who told Cristel he was changing. He said he was trying to leave the store because he was afraid,

but his story continued to unravel. Detectives obtained a search warrant for Johnson's home. Inside the bathroom, on the floor, they found a pile of crumpled clothing, all of it soaked with blood. With Riley dead and the lead suspect behind bars, detectives turned their focus to understanding why this had happened. What could have led a seemingly ordinary shift at Walgreens to end in such a gruesome way. They began interviewing Riley's co workers, and soon enough a motive

started to come to focus. Nearly a year before the murder, Riley had approached her manager Justin with a concern. She said that Joshua Johnson had been making her uncomfortable with repeated and unwanted advances. There was one comment that especially unsettled her. Johnson had said something to Riley, a seventeen year old girl, about how she wanted to be dominated in a sexual context. Justin warred Johnson to remain professional.

He said that kind of talk had no place at work, and for a while it seemed like the issue had been dealt with. Justin did his best to make sure Johnson and Riley weren't scheduled on the shame shifts. But a few months later Riley asked for more ours. Justin told her that would mean working with Johnson. She hesitated, but eventually she said it was fine. Only it wasn't fine. Just a week before Riley was killed, she made another complaint.

She said Johnson was still making her feel uncomfortable and asked to be scheduled on different shifts. Again, she didn't want to work with him any more. Riley's boyfriend, Jacob Leacock, had recently started working at the store. Their other manager, Crystal, noticed that Johnson seemed visibly unhappy about this. In fact, he seemed jealous. His behavior changed. He became cold, short,

and snappy, especially when Riley and Jacob were together. It wasn't just the managers who are aware of Johnson's behavior. Riley had confided in several of her friends that Johnson had made for sexual advances, the kind that made her dread going to work. It wasn't just lude comments either. Riley told her mother, Courtney, that Johnson had once touched her bottom. To her friend Jordan Swayne, she said, bluntly, he made gross comments and did gross things to me.

The picture that emerged was clear. Riley had tried to speak up. She had gone to her managers, She had voiced her discomfort more than once, and still she was scheduled to work with the man She feared. When these facts became public, outrage followed online. The hashtag justice for Riley Whitelaw began trending. People across the country were appalled by Walgren's handling of the situation. One person waited directly

at the company. Sheame on you for allowing a culture of harassment, for ignoring an employee's mental health, for not taking a minor employee safety seriously, for grossly mishandling and hr situation, and telling the world women are not safe in your store. Many others echoed the same sentiment that Riley had been let down, not just by her killer, but by the very people who were supposed to protect her.

She had done everything right, she had reported Johnson's behavior, she'd asked for help, she made it known that she felt unsafe, and yet nothing meaningful was done. Johnson was told to keep a professional and that was that. Even Crystal, the manager who had noticed Johnson's jealous behavior, didn't intervene beyond noting the change in attitude. But workplace harassment isn't just about uncomfortable conversations or off call, it remarks, It's

about poor and fear. It's about young women like Riley being forced to endure inappropriate and threatening behavior just to keep a job, and when employers failed to take decisive action, when they downplay reports or avoid confrontation, it sounds a very dangerous message that safety can be compromised in the name of convenience. For Riley, that failure cost her life.

As Joshua Johnson was charged with the murder of Riley Whitelaw, the community she left behind tried to make sense of the loss that her high school students, teachers, and parents gathered to celebrate her life. One by one, her classmates stepped up to speak. There were those who had known her for years and those who had only met her recently, but all of them spoke of the same girl, somebody warm, creative, and kind. She wasn't just part of one social group.

Riley fit in everywhere. She was the type of person who would spot the new kid to make sure they never meat lunch alone. She shared her art, her music, her laughter. There were recurring memories about her gentle smile, her drawings, and her love of music. Once students said she made them feel sane when nobody else did. Another remembered her helping them study even when she had her own deadlines to meet john her memory, Riley's family announced

the creation of a scholarship fund and her name. A GoFundMe page was launched, and within ours it surpassed its goal of ten thousand dollars. The fundraiser read, in part, all funds will go towards the long term scholarship fund in Riley's name and genetic research projects we think she would appreciate. Then, on the twenty third of June twenty twenty two, Riley was led to rest during a funeral service at Woodman Valley Chapel. Hundreds of mourners filled the chapel,

wearing lilac and soft blue, Riley's favorite colors. But while Riley's loved ones tried to grieve, the criminal proceedings against her alleged killer were just getting underway. A preliminary hearing was held to determine whether there was enough evidence for Joshua Johnson to stand trial. Detective Stephen Olino was called to testify. He was asked directly by Prosecutor gioa, who do you believe was responsible for the death of Riley whitelaw.

He didn't hesitate and said Joshua Johnson. Prosecutors outlined the evidence they had collect from the surveillance footage Johnson tried to block to the bloody multi toll to the suspicious items found in his locker, including a shade of paper with Riley's personal details. Several people also testified about Johnson's bizarre claim that a masked man had entered the break

room and killed Riley. Detective Onlino revealed something chilling. He believed that Johnson had already been planning to blame somebody else before Riley was even killed. Earlier that day, Johnson had commented to co workers about a man that was in the store, someone who happened to be friends with the Walgreens manager. Johnson had said that the man looked suspicious. That same man would later become the one Johnson seemed to be describing when he told police his story about

the masked killer. But there was one major problem with that narrative. That man had an airtight alibi. Surveillance footage showed that he was at work at the time of the murder. There was no way he could have been at Walgreens. Had never directly named the man, but it was clear he had tried to plant the seed of suspicion in advance. It was premeditation, a cover story waiting in the wings. Judge Eric Bentley listened carefully to the

prosecution's case. In his ruling, he stated, the evidence presented in this case is sufficient to very easily clear the bar. The case would proceed to trial. That November, Johnson returned to court. He stood before the judge, looked up and pleaded not guilty. As the prosecution and defense prepared for Joshua Johnson's upcoming murder trial, charges were simultaneously unfolding in the state's legal system. These changes were driven in part

by Riley Whitelaw's case. In February of twenty twenty three, Colorado lawmakers introduced Senate Bill seventy five, a piece of legislation that aimed to protect the identities of minor victims and witnesses in public criminal justice records. If passed, the law would require the names of minor to be replaced with designations such as child victim or child witness, shielding them from public exposure, especially through media coverage or open

court documents. Riley's mother, Courtney, supported the billholeheartedly in the wake of Riley's murder, Many of her friends, even some family members, learned about what had happened from the news or social media before Courtney had the chance to tell them herself. It was a trauma compounded by public exposure. Courtney later said, my family and I had no time to grieve in private. The children didn't deserve to find

out such horrors from news or social media. Under Colorado's existing law at the time, the names of minor victims were only automatically redacted in certain cases, usually sexual assault, but for crimes I comicide there were no protections in place. Ironically, perpetrators who were miners often did have their names shielded unless charged as adults. Senator Tony ExHAM, a sponsor of the bill, said perpetrators are protected more than victims. That's

not right, that's not fair. Whilst Senate Bill seventy five, which was later renamed Riley's Law, made its way through the legislative process, Johnson's murder trial was facing its own delays. Judge Eric Bentley ordered a competency evaluation to determine whether Johnson was mentally fit to stand trial. Prosecutors argued that the request was nothing more than a stralling tactic by the defense. Still, the evaluation moved forward. In May of

two thousand and twenty three, Riley's Law passed unanimously. It was a landmark moment not only for Riley's family, but for future victims and witnesses across the state. Representative Brianna Tittone announced that it would officially carry Riley's name. She stated, this bill is about a mom who is fighting for her daughter and her friends. We thought it would be fitting that she's worked so hard for this bill that

we name it after her daughter. Just days after Riley's Law passed, Johnson was declared competent to stand trial, and with that, Judge Bentley said an official date the twenty fifth of September twenty twenty three. That would be the day that Joshua Johnson faced a jury and the day that Riley's family would take one more step towards justice. After two days of jury selection, twelve jurors were chosen and the murder trial of Joshua Johnson was ready to begin.

On the morning of the trial, Johnson was escorted into the courtroom dressed in an ill fitting black suit. He sat alongside as defense team at the front largely expressionless. The courtroom gradually filled with Riley's family, friends, teachers, and classmates, their presence forming a visible wall of support behind the prosecution. The other side of the gallery behind Johnson was sparse.

Most if the seats were occupied by members of the media and a few representatives from the Public Defender's office. During opening statements, the prosecution and defense laid out two very different versions of what happened to seventeen year old Riley Whitelaw prosecutor Anthony Gioa kept his remarks brief but pointed. He told the jury that not only did the state believe that Johnson killed Riley, they had overwhelming evidence to prove it. He alleged that Johnson had developed obsessive and

unwonted romantic feelings towards Riley. When she rejected him and began dating someone else, Johnson became increasingly hostile. The prosecutor said this was gruesome and meticulously planned by the defendant. He showed surveillance footage that captured Johnson's stacking bins in front of the break room camera, a clear attempt to

obstruct the lens. He pointed out that Johnson had also parked his car out of view of the store's external cameras, suggesting premeditation, and while defense attorney Jonathan Stafford painted a completely different picture. He said Johnson was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, an innocent bystander to a horrific murder. He stated, Joshua Johnson was the easy and convenient target for investigators in this case, wrong place

and the wrong time. He argued that Johnson had accidentally left a side door open, which allowed a mysterious man to enter the store. This was the same man, he said, who Johnson later claimed he saw attacking Riley. Stafford even suggested that Johnson had bad vibes about a friend of the manager who had visited earlier in the day. It was a vague attempt to cast out mister Johnson did not murder Riley whitelaw, he concluded. Testimony began with those

closest to Riley. Her friend Anna Shelton, testified that Riley had confided in her about Johnson's repeated sexual advances at work. She said that Riley felt uncomfortable and that she had reported the behadaviar to management, but in her words, not a lot was done. Ridley's mother, Courtney, also took to the stand and told the jury she got a weird vibe from him. Her impression was maybe he liked her. The prosecution played a video message that Riley had sent

to her friends before her death. In it, she referred to Johnson as Pedro Josh and described him as creepy, unprofessional, and disgusting. Other friends confirmed hearing similar concerns. However, under cross examination, they admitted that Riley had never explicitly said that she was afraid of Johnson, a detail that the

defense clung to. Walgreen's employees also gave compelling testimony. Crystal, one of the managers, said that in the days leading up to Riley's murderer, Johnson had grown noticeably distant and upset, especially after Riley's boyfriend, Jacob began working at the store. Rita and other employee said that on the day of the murderer, Riley was more nervous than usual. She wanted to work in the beauty department with her, possibly to

avoid Johnson, but he had also noted something strange. Johnson had told Riley when to take her break, even though he wasn't her manager. Justin another manager spoke about saying Johnson's stack creates in front of the surveillance camera. At the time, it seemed strange, but none of them imagined what it was foreshadowing. Then came a surprise witness, Johnson's mother,

Victoria Cox. Her testimony was brief and tense. She confirmed that Johnson came home around six pm the day that Riley was killed, only to leave five minutes later, claiming he needed to return to work. She described his behavior as abnormal. Next, the prosecution introduced forensic evidence, and it was damning. Donomanogue testified that Riley's blood was found on Johnson's body. DNA collected from underneath Riley's fingernails also matched Johnson,

suggesting a violent struggle. Jennifer Finelli testified the Johnson's fingerprints were discovered on a mop pocket covered in blood. Crucially, the prints were on top of the blood, meaning he had touched the bucket after the murder, not before. The jury was then showed Johnson's interrogation footage, where he spent an hour claiming he had witnessed the murder but hadn't committed it. It was a desperate and unconvincing attempt to

distance himself from the crime. When the prosecution rested, the defense presented a much shorter case. They called the detective to ask about Crystal's demeanor when she first reported the smell of bleach. He replied that she was hysterical, implying that her judgment might have been clouded. Then they called blame with there's a manager from another Walgreens. He was briefly questioned about an inventory tracking device before being dismissed,

and that was it. Including arguments, the prosecutor told the jury the evidence of deliberation is extensive and significant. He walked them through the timeline, the stacking of the create, the tampering with surveillance, the isolated break room, the attempt to frame a mysterious man. The defense argued that Riley never told anybody she feared Johnson and claimed there was still room for doubt. The jury didn't take long. After just one ar of deliberation, they returned with a verdict

guilty of first degree murder. The sentencing phase followed after the verdict. At the front of the courtroom, placed gently on a table sat three symbolic items, an empty glass phase, a bag of purple stones, and a small bundle of sunflowers. Riley's cousin, Jeremy Modle, stood before the jury to explain their meaning. He said that inside the bag were forty two purple stones, each one representing one of the forty

two stab wounds that Riley had suffered. As each person and delivered a victim impact statement, they would take a handful of those stones and place them in the vase, slowly filling it with a physical representation of grief, loss and remembrance. He stated, we want to fill it with kindness. It would be what she wanted. Kelly Whitelaw, Riley's aunt, turned to Johnson and said, you are a monster. I can't even speak your name. Riley mattered, her life mattered.

Chris Johnson, Riley's stepfather, was visibly emotional as he said, I was blessed enough to be a part of Riley's life for the past six years. Riley was the daughter I never had. Her grandparents, Robert and Pamela Whitelaw, shared their heartbreak over the loss of their only grandchild. There would be no college graduation, no wedding day, no more family dinners filled with Riley's laughter and with each statement.

The vase slowly filled purple stones clinking softly as they were dropped in the Last to spake was Riley's mother, Courtney. She wore an Heir Academy color guard jacket, a tribute to her daughter, who had proudly served as co captain. She referred to Johnson only as the monster, refusing to give him the dignity of a name. She said, I pray the vileness of your act haunts you for the rest of your life. How could you be so rage

filled by someone so kind? She spoke about the strength Riley had shown in life and in death, and about the kind of person she had grown to be. She said, I love Riley, and her death will not diminish that or take that away from me or from her. She concluded, I gave Riley her name because it means courage. She had so much courage, courage to speak out when something is wrong, courage to step up and quietly. Late. When

Courtney sat down, the room fell silent. Joshua Johnson was then sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But even in Deathley Whitelaw's legacy lives on in the wake of the tragedy, Riley's Law was passed, ensuring that juvenile victims and witnesses in criminal cases in Colorado can't be publicly identified in official records. Her family also funded a nonprofit in her honor, and Within Wakes raised over

sixty thousand dollars through gofund me. That same year, the Riley whitelaw Memorial Fund awarded its first round of scholarships and grants. In death, Riley held graduating students from Air Academy High School pursue their dreams, just like she should have been able to pursue hers. Well, Bessie's. That is it for this episode of Morbidology. As always, thank you so much for and I'd like to say a massive thank you to my newest Patreon supporters Miranda, Maya, Kim,

and Stephen. The link to Patreon is in the show notes if you'd like to join. I'd also like to thank my Patreon supporter Cullen for suggesting this case. If you'd like to support the show in another way, please consider leaving me a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you may be listening. I genuinely do appreciate the feedback that some of you may know. Morbidology is now up on YouTube, so if you'd like to head on over there and hit the subscribe button, I'd

be eternally grateful. Remember Jack is out at more biology dot com for more information about this episode and to read some True Grime articles. Until next time, take care of yourselves, stay safe, and have an amazing way