A man charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old coworker in Colorado Springs has entered a not guilty plea in the case.
Joshua Johnson, 28, entered the plea on Wednesday in El Paso County District Court. His next scheduled court appearance is for a motions hearing on Jan. 27.
On June 11, Johnson allegedly stabbed Riley Whitelaw 42 times inside a Walgreens store where they both worked. She died at the scene. Whitelaw, before the incident, had reported Johnson to management, saying he made her feel uncomfortable and that he’d made unwanted advances toward her, according to an arrest affidavit. She had requested a work schedule to avoid Johnson, but their schedules overlapped when Whitelaw requested to work more hours.
Whitelaw’s family started a GoFundMe page to fund an in her name, possibly to benefit students who study genetic research, “something Riley enjoyed studying,” her family said. As of Thursday afternoon, 539 people had donated more than $58,000 to the fund.
