Man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend in Hillyard

Just weeks after shooting his girlfriend at the home they shared in Hillyard, Joshua Forrester pleaded guilty Tuesday to second degree murder of Alicia Marie Johnson.

“He wanted to accept responsibility which is why we got a very quick resolution,” said Jeff Leslie, Forrester’s public defender.

The day after Christmas, the 24-year-old Johnson had a fight with Forrester, where she told him she wanted to break up before going to sleep on a mattress on the floor of their living room, according to court documents.

In the middle of the night, Forrester, 27, retrieved his gun, hesitated for a few hours, then shot Johnson multiple times in her sleep, court documents show.

Spokane police arrested him that night on suspicion of murder and he was held on a $1 million dollar bond until he was charged with second degree murder in superior court on Friday.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement on Tuesday with a joint sentencing recommendation of 231.5 months total time or 19 years, Leslie said.

In interviews with police, Forrester claimed he “woke up and something took over,” court records indicate.

When asked by detectives what happened, Forrester told investigators “There is no excuse … I can’t explain it.”

“There are big mental health issues in this case and with this he has taken responsibility and we are hoping to get him some help with mental health,” Leslie said.

The couple’s 22-month-old son was left alive and unharmed in another room of the apartment.

“It is a very, very sad case,” Leslie said.

Prosecutor Tom Treppiedi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Forrester has no criminal history and his sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.