JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The case against the man accused of killing a Jefferson County driver in 2023 by throwing a rock through her windshield is nearly in the hands of the jury.
Joseph Koenig is facing several charges for the 2023 incident in Jefferson County, including first-degree murder of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell.
All three defendants in this case — Koenig, Zachary Kwak, 20, and Nicholas Karol-Chik, 20 — were 18 years old at the time of the crimes, and were charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, second-degree assault and attempted second-degree assault.
Koenig pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, as well as multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder, second-degree assault and attempted second-degree assault in April 2024.
His two co-defendants both took plea deals. Kwak pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon) and criminal attempt to commit second-degree assault. Karol-Chik pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and a crime of violence sentence enhancer added to the second-degree murder charge. All other charges against the two men were dropped.
Read our previous coverage of the trial in the stories below
- Trial begins for Joseph Koenig, accused in Jeffco rock-throwing incident that killed Alexa Bartell
- Opening statements begin for trial of suspect in Jeffco rock-throwing incident that killed Alexa Bartell
- Prosecution expected to rest its case in Alexa Bartell murder trial by end of week
- Rock-throwing case: Co-defendant testifies against Joseph Koenig in Jeffco murder trial of Alexa Bartell
- Second co-defendant testifies against close friend on trial for murder of Alexa Bartell in Jeffco
- Jeffco rock-throwing case: Joseph Koenig declines to testify in his trial for Alexa Bartell's death
Prosecutors and the defense agree that the rock came from a truck carrying Koenig, Kwak and Karol Chik. The person who threw that rock has been up for debate.
Kwak and Karol Chick testified against their former friend, claiming Koenig was the one who threw the rock that killed her. However, much of their testimony directly contradicted each other.
During the trial, the defense attorneys questioned the credibility of Kwak and Karol-Chik since the men were offered plea deals from the prosecution in exchange for testifying.
The prosecution maintained that what happened to Bartell was murder, the acts were planned and the men knew of the risks.
The defense argued that Koenig never intended to hurt anyone. They called on experts who asserted that Koenig's 18-year-old brain was not fully developed at the time of the crime, and his mental health conditions contributed to the act.
Koenig's defense team wrapped up its evidence presentation on Wednesday. Jurors are expected to receive their instructions early Thursday morning ahead of closing arguments.
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