'I hope that you suffer': Family lashes out at 'monster' who brutally killed 17-year-old Walgreens co-worker after she rejected his advances

A 29-year-old man in Colorado will spend the rest of his days behind bars for brutally killing a 17-year-old girl who rejected his advances, beating and stabbing her 42 times in the break room of the Walgreens where they both worked. Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Eric Bentley on Wednesday sentenced Joshua Taylor Johnson to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2022 slaying of Riley Whitelaw, authorities announced.

The state-mandated life sentence was handed down immediately after a 12-person jury in Colorado Springs found Johnson guilty of first-degree murder after deliberating for only about one hour.

Prior to Johnson being formally sentenced, nine people read victim impact statements in court, beginning with Jacob Leacock, Whitelaw's boyfriend at the time of her death, Pueblo, Colorado NBC affiliate KOAA reported.

"There are no words for how much I hate you. You have taken so much from so many people," Leacock reportedly said, speaking directly to Johnson. "Riley was going to do so many things."

Whitelaw's aunt, Kelly Whitelaw, also launched an invective at Johnson.

"You are a monster, I cannot even speak your name," she reportedly said. "If I could swear at you I would, but out of respect for the court, our family, Riley, I will not, but I have no respect for you. I hope that you suffer. You are a disgusting person of a human being, actually you are not a human being, you are a monster."

Others who spoke reportedly included Whitelaw's father, stepfather, former nanny, cousin, and mother, who refused to say Johnson's name, reportedly only referring to him as a "monster."

Whitelaw in June 2022 was found dead in the break room of a Colorado Springs Walgreens location – just north of Ute Valley Park – where she worked and had recently requested extra hours. The store manager who placed the 911 call, told the emergency dispatcher there was "blood everywhere."

Colorado Springs Police would confirm that blood was found on the floor, cabinets, and counters of the employee space.

"There was a large amount of blood on the floor around the head of the victim," an affidavit noted. "Officers observed no sign of life."

The Walgreens manager told police that the store had contacted him at approximately 5:30 p.m. that day because Whitelaw had never returned from her break. The manager returned to the store at approximately 6 p.m. to review surveillance footage which showed Johnson behaving oddly in the moments before Whitelaw went missing.

The video showed Johnson "stacking bins in front of a surveillance camera" until the camera was completely blocked. Someone then taped paper over the windows in the employee break room and put up a "restroom closed" sign to keep people out.

After watching the footage, the store manager went to the break room area and found Whitelaw's body.

A short while after police arrived, investigators learned that Whitelaw had previously filed complaints against Johnson for "advances" he made towards her while they were at work, per the affidavit.

"[The manager] stated Riley had complained about Joshua [Johnson] about a year ago because he had made advances toward her, and it made her feel uncomfortable. [The manager] stated he had warmed Joshua [Johnson] to keep things professional and Joshua [Johnson] appeared to be receptive," the affidavit said.

Another manager told police that Whitelaw's boyfriend visited her at the store approximately three months ago. During that time, the manager said "Joshua [Johnson] appeared to be acting jealous."

The manager told police that after an initial human resource-like discussion, Johnson seemed to take the criticism to heart – at least until a few weeks before the slaying.

"Several weeks ago, Riley had requested to work a different schedule because Joshua [Johnson] made her feel uncomfortable. When she made another request for additional hours, she was told it would require working with Joshua [Johnson]."

She took the extra shift and eventually lost her life.

A subsequent autopsy determined that Whitelaw was beaten, strangled and stabbed at least 42 times with a Gerber multi-tool and had wounds covering her chest, face, chin, hands, arms, and neck.

An autopsy report determined that Whitelaw's likely cause of death was "multiple sharp force injuries of the neck," with the medical examiner also noting that "an asphyxial component cannot be excluded as a contributory cause of death."

Johnson was arrested some 100 miles due south on U.S. Interstate Highway 25 without incident by Colorado State Patrol troopers the day after Whitelaw was killed.

Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen held a news conference following the sentencing hearing during which he thanked Whitelaw's family and law enforcement for helping bring Johnson to justice.

"They worked hard to find the truth so that the wicked can be punished according to the law," Allen said. "Today, that punishment arrived with a guilty verdict and a life in prison sentence for the brutal and senseless murder of Riley. Riley's light continues to burn bright, and her loved ones, friends and Riley's mom have dedicated themselves to guarding that flame. Riley is not forgotten, and today she received the justice that Colorado law can provide."