Riley Whitelaw, the kid slain in a June shooting at a Colorado Springs Walgreens, died of “multiple sharp force injuries,” according to an autopsy report released Tuesday by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office.
The conclusions of the coroner were the first official determination of the cause of death and weapon used. According to the investigation, a single-edged knife caused 42 wounds.
Whitelaw, a 17-year-old Air Academy High School student, worked at Walgreens near the intersection of Centennial Boulevard and Vindicator Drive in the city’s northwest.
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On June 11, at about 5:30 p.m., one of Whitelaw’s bosses discovered she hadn’t returned from her lunch break and started looking for her.
According to an arrest affidavit and earlier reporting by The Gazette, when the manager checked security footage, he discovered Johnson stacking bins in an attempt to hide the view of the camera.
The manager informed police that someone had also taped paper over the breakroom windows and erected a “restroom closed” sign in the area to “keep people out,” which he said was unusual during work hours.
The store manager entered the breakroom around 7 p.m. and discovered Whitelaw’s body with neck injuries and blood on the floor.
Near her feet were her employee badge and a radio earpiece. The coroner’s office discovered blunt injuries to the head, body, and extremities in addition to the stab wounds.
According to the affidavit, Whitelaw had grown more uneasy with Johnson and his actions. She had complained to her management about Johnson’s “advances toward her,” which had made her feel uneasy.
Whitelaw asked for alternate hours so she wouldn’t have to work with Johnson. Despite her altered hours, her request for more hours meant she would have to work with Johnson. Johnson has a preliminary hearing scheduled.
