JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — A murder trial starts Friday for one of the three defendants accused of throwing large rocks at several cars west of Denver and killing young driver Alexa Bartell.
Jury selection in the trial for Joseph Edwin Koenig, 20, occurred on Friday. Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Monday, April 14 at 9 a.m.
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.
The plea deals require both Kwak and Karol-Chik to testify against Koenig. Stan Garnett, a former Boulder County District Attorney, told Denver7 in 2024 that the plea deal also offered both Karol-Chik's and Kwak the ability "to maximize the case against the one they think is the most responsible.
This case started on the evening of April 19, 2023. Alexa Bartell, 20, of Arvada, had been driving northbound on Indiana Street, just south of State Highway 128, in Jefferson County when a large landscaping rock crashed through her windshield, killing her. She was on the phone with her friend at the time, who was worried when the line went silent and used the Find My iPhone app to find her friend. That friend drove out to her and when she saw Bartell's serious injuries, she called Bartell's mother and 911. Medical personnel at the scene pronounced Bartell deceased.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said there were similar attacks over the previous few days, and asked the public for help identifying anybody who was involved.
About a week later, three teenagers were arrested in connection with Bartell's death. They were also accused of throwing rocks at multiple other cars.
According to their arrest affidavits, the three then-18-year-olds drove by Bartell's crashed car to take a photo as a momento.
Watch Denver7's breaking news report on these arrests in the spring of 2023.
Here are the exact charges that were filed against each defendant:
- Koenig: First-degree murder with extreme indifference, nine counts of attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference, three counts of second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon), and six counts of attempted second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon)
- Kwak: First-degree murder with extreme indifference, six counts of attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference, three counts of second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon), and three counts of attempted second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon)
- Karol-Chik: First-degree murder with extreme indifference, seven counts of attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference, three counts of second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon) and four counts of attempted second-degree assault (causing injury with a deadly weapon)
Their bonds were set at $2 million cash-only.
Initially, Kwak, Karol-Chik and Koenig all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. They were expected to have separate trials.
But that changed in May 2024.
On May 10, 2024, Kwak accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and criminal attempt to commit second-degree assault. He could face 20 to 32 years in prison and his sentencing is scheduled for May 2.
A few days later on May 15, 2024, Karol-Chik also took a plea deal, where he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and a crime of violence sentence enhancer. He faces a maximum of 72 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 1.
One year after Bartell's death, Denver7 was invited to join her family as they gathered at the crash site to honor her memory and lean on each other for support.
"She was always there for all of her friends," her mother Kelly Bartell told us. "She was the one you go to to talk about your problems. She loved helping other people... She was on the right track. She was happy and she was proud of who she was."
Watch Denver7's exclusive interview with her family as they grapple with what's next while celebrating Bartell's life.
Koenig's trial is scheduled to last 11 days. This may change as the trial progresses.
