Walgreens employee allegedly killed coworker in break room for refusing his romantic advances

A Colorado man is being accused of killing his coworker at Walgreens after she refused his romantic advances, according to a report. Her body was found in the break room. 

Joshua Johnson, 28, was charged with first-degree murder on Saturday after killing his 17-year-old coworker, Riley Whitelaw, KKTV reported. 

According to one of the store managers, Riley had gone on break and never returned. 

“[The manager] ... reviewed surveillance video. [He] stated in the surveillance video he observed an employee named Joshua Johnson stacking bins in front of a surveillance camera til it blocked the view of the camera,” reads the affidavit. 

“[The manager] stated someone had taped paper over windows in the area of the break room. The ‘restroom closed’ sign was in the area to keep people out, which typically does not occur til near the end of business,” it continues. 

The Walgreens store manager found Whitelaw’s body in the break room at around 7 p.m. Her I.D. badge and radio earpiece were found near her feet. 

The victim “had suffered significant trauma to her neck area,” said the arrest affidavit. “Officers observed no signs of life,” the arrest affidavit stated.

Johnson was walking along Interstate 25 nearly 100 miles outside the city when state troopers stopped him. Officials said he had scratches on his face and hands. However, he told the police that he had been attacked at a Walgreens in Colorado Springs.

When the police checked with the Colorado Springs Police Department, they learned that he was the suspect in the murder. He was arrested. 

According to store employees, Whitelaw had recently requested a schedule change to avoid working with Johnson. She had allegedly expressed concerns about her coworker for over a year, telling managers that Johnson was making advances towards her. She said he made her uncomfortable. 

The suspect “admitted at one time he had a crush on Riley. He stated he no longer had a crush on her because he was intimate” with one of the store managers.