Colorado Politics: Nearly one year ago, 17-year-old Riley Whitelaw was killed in the break room of the Colorado Springs Walgreens where she worked. The horrific details of the crime, allegedly committed by an adult co-worker who Riley had previously complained against, quickly consumed state and national news. 

In a matter of days, many of Riley’s relatives, friends and classmates heard about her death from the news — before Riley’s family had the chance to reach out themselves. 

“My family and I had no time to grieve in private,” said Courtenay Whitelaw, Riley’s mother, while testifying to the state legislature. “The children didn’t deserve to find out such horrors from news or social media. … Riley preferred to stay out of the limelight. Yet, here we are after her death. Overexposed in headline news, not for the human she is, but for the crime against her.” 

On Friday, Colorado lawmakers unanimously passed Senate Bill 75 in an attempt to prevent this situation from happening again. 

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