Spokane man gets 19 years in prison for killing girlfriend; judge notes speedy guilty plea at sentencing

Spokane County Superior Court Judge John Cooney agreed with the family and friends of Alicia Johnson – the 24-year-old slain the day after Christmas by her boyfriend, Joshua M. Forester, 27 – that the prearranged sentence of just over 19 years in prison was too light a punishment for her killer.

But at Forrester’s sentencing Wednesday afternoon, Cooney also noted that Forrester’s guilty plea during his first hearing in Superior Court in January was an unusual action that potentially saved the court and Johnson’s loved ones from years of proceedings. And Cooney said he felt compelled by the agreement reached between Forrester’s defense attorney and county prosecutors, who act as a surrogate for the community.

“He wanted to take responsibility,” said Jeff Leslie, Forrester’s appointed public defender. Leslie also said Forrester repeatedly told him he felt “he really deserves to die.”

After a fight in which Johnson, who also went by the name Alianna, said she wanted to break up with Forrester, he retrieved his gun in the middle of the night, hesitated for a few hours, then shot Johnson multiple times in her sleep in their apartment in Hillyard, according to court documents. The couple’s infant son was unharmed in another room.

Johnson’s mother, brother, best friend and former foster mother spoke at Forrester’s sentencing, and a county victim’s advocate read a statement from Johnson’s estranged father, who was attempting to build a relationship with her.

Aaron Johnson, the victim’s brother, said he blamed himself for witnessing Johnson’s fights with Forrester and knowing the latter had access to a gun that had been seized by police before.

“You don’t know what you have done. All I have been feeling is pain,” Aaron Johnson said through tears while turning to address Forrester. “There is nothing I can do to bring her back.”

Johnson’s mother, Virginia Kelly, said losing her daughter had destroyed her in many ways.

“Alianna and I were getting close again after being in foster care,” Kelly said.

Kelly said she recently had begged Johnson to end the relationship with Forrester after he swore at Kelly while trying to break up a fight between the couple over the holidays.

“I don’t believe the 19 1/2 years Mr. Forrester is getting is enough for murdering an innocent girl,” Kelly said.

Leslie noted mental health issues may have played a factor in the killing. He claimed Forrester had not been taking his antipsychotic medication for six months and jail staff told him Forrester had been acting “fairly psychotic” when he was booked on a first-degree murder charge.

After his arrest, Forrester told police he “woke up and something took over,” according to court records. Forrester later admitted he shot Johnson “because I couldn’t let her go” and said he had no excuse for what he had done.

Leslie said Forrester’s mental health stabilized in jail after he began taking medication again. Forrester had no prior criminal record before pleading guilty to second-degree murder last month. He did not make a statement in court when given the opportunity .

Deputy county prosecutor Tom Treppiedi said he thought the agreement on Forrester’s sentence, which is in the midrange of sentencing guidelines, was “in the best interest of justice.”