WARNING: Descriptions of crime scene imagery and injury to the victim may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — After two days of jury selection, opening statements were heard on Wednesday morning, Sept. 27, in the trial involving 29-year-old Joshua Johnson, who is accused of murdering his Walgreens co-worker, Riley Whitelaw, in June 2022.

Whitelaw was 17 years old at the time of her death. She was a student at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs and was a member of the Colorguard.

On Wednesday morning, Johnson arrived in the courtroom wearing a yellow shirt, suit and tie. Inside of the courtroom, several people were wearing the color purple, which was Riley’s favorite color.

After the jury was sworn in, opening statements were heard.

The prosecution began showing a picture of Riley Whitelaw on the screen and described to the jury details about her life—that she was going into her senior year of high school, that she was a talented artist, and she worked at Walgreens.

Jurors heard from the prosecution that Whitelaw had gone to management to request to work a different schedule than Johnson but in some cases that was not always possible.

The prosecution showed a floor plan of the Walgreens location, describing the layout of the store as well as where surveillance cameras are located. A surveillance video was shown of Johnson stacking several crates and then moving them to block one of the surveillance cameras.

The prosecution wrapped up opening statements by describing the forensic evidence found in the investigation, specifically Johnson’s DNA found on the handle of a multitool, his fingerprints on a mop bucket, and fingerprints found on the tape holding card stock over the window.

The defense began opening statements describing Johnson as an “easy target” and that he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The jury was informed of Johnson’s responsibilities in the store and a timeline of his actions that day. The defense said Johnson excused himself at 5:30 p.m., at which point he heard a cry for help from the break room. When he entered the break room, he was thrown to the ground and covered in blood that was not his own.

The defense used the word “ashamed” many times to describe Johnson’s emotions at the time to the jury. Specifically, the jury was told Johnson was ashamed to leave his co-worker after running from the break room.

The defense closed its opening statement by telling jurors this case is “not easy” and that “it is a parent’s worst nightmare.”

Several witnesses also took to the stand to describe their findings at the scene of the crime. Jurors were shown images of the Walgreens store following the 911 call.

A senior crime scene investigator went into detail about the inside of the Walgreens. She described findings in the dumpster, such as a pair of gloves and a bottle of bleach. She also detailed the blood stains found all throughout the break room.

Later in the afternoon, images were revealed to jurors of Whitelaw’s clothes from the day of the murder. The jury also heard from a forensic pathologist with the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, who described the wounds he examined and the immense force used.