JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The three defendants accused of throwing a rock at a car and killing a young driver in 2023 pleaded not guilty to the crime on Monday afternoon.
Zachary Kwak, Nicholas Karol-Chik and Joseph Koenig were all present in court for their arraignments on Monday. One by one, their defense teams said they were entering a not guilty plea on all charges.
The three defendants are accused of killing 20-year-old Alexa Bartell from Arvada on April 19, 2023. She was driving northbound on Indiana Street in Jefferson County when a rock crashed through her windshield. According to their arrest affidavits, they drove by her crashed car to take a photo as a momento. The defendants, all 18 years old at the time and seniors in high school, were arrested about a week after Bartell's death.
All three defendants face charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, second-degree assault and attempted second-degree assault.
They are also suspected of throwing rocks at others cars around the same time.
Along with the incident that killed Bartell, there were multiple additional rock-throwing instances with some injuries reported. Investigators said using cell phone data, they found 11 phone numbers in common with several locations. From there, they were able to isolate a single phone number that was later connected to suspect Koenig’s mother.
Landscaping rocks from several of the crime scenes were collected by investigators. However, the defense pointed to the fact that no DNA was found linking the rocks to the suspects.
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Affidavit: Rock-throwing suspects returned to JeffCo fatal crash to take photo
During a search, investigators determined a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado truck was registered to a person believed to be Karol-Chik's mother and they later drove to the home and located the truck, according to the affidavit. After a search warrant was executed and the truck was seized, investigators said a landscaping rock was discovered in the back seat of the truck.
On Monday afternoon, the defense for Koenig requested a preliminary hearing for four counts related to a different rock-throwing incident from February 2023. These are new charges connected with two new victims, the district attorney's office said. The two victims were driving cars in Arvada when the rocks were thrown at them.
After their arrests, the defendants were charged. Their bonds were set at $2 million cash-only. The exact charges against each defendant are:
- Koenig has been charged with 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 has been charged with 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 has been charged with 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 trials will happen separately, starting with Karol-Chik's on June 7, then Kwak's starting on June 24, and Koenig's starting on July 19. If convicted, they all face a punishment of life without parole.
