9-Pound Rock Thrown From Car Killed 20-Year-Old Woman
In a courtroom in Colorado, a young man named Joseph Edwin Koenig delivered a chilling testimony. Koenig, who was 18 at the time of the incident, is facing charges of “extreme indifference” murder related to the death of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell on April 19, 2023. Koenig, along with two of his friends, is accused of causing Bartell’s death by hurling a large landscaping rock at her car, which led to a fatal crash.
The incident took place on a secluded stretch of road in Jefferson County. The rock, thrown with considerable force, shattered the windshield of Bartell’s Chevy Spark, causing the vehicle to swerve off the road. The aftermath of Bartell’s death was gruesome, with prosecutors revealing that her brain was discovered in the backseat of the car.
In May 2024, two co-defendants in the case, Nicholas “Mitch” James Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and agreed to testify against Koenig during his trial in Jefferson County District Court. Both co-defendants played significant roles in the rock-throwing incident, with Karol-Chik confessing to participating in similar attacks in February and early April 2023.
Karol-Chik’s testimony provided a disturbing account of the night of Bartell’s death. He described Koenig’s excitement as Bartell’s car drove off the road and through a fence near the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. According to Karol-Chik, Koenig had a big smile on his face and let out a whoop of excitement.
On the night of the incident, several rocks were thrown at other cars, both moving and parked. Kwak, however, claimed he did not throw any rocks but only collected them from parking lots and handed them to the front-seat passengers. The speedometer in the teenagers’ vehicle read 103 mph just before the fatal rock was thrown, according to Kwak. Both men testified that Koenig accelerated before the final attack.
The defendants were initially charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, second-degree assault, and attempted second-degree assault. Kwak and Karol-Chik took plea deals, with Kwak pleading guilty to three assault charges and Karol-Chik to second-degree murder. Despite their plea deals, both face decades in prison.
Koenig’s defense team argues that he should only be convicted of manslaughter, as none of the rock-throwers intended to kill or harm anyone. They also point to inconsistencies in Karol-Chik’s statements, who initially told prosecutors that Kwak was the one who threw the fatal rock.
Karol-Chik eventually admitted during a plea deal interview that Koenig was responsible for Bartell’s death. He and Koenig were best friends and had agreed to pin the crime on Kwak. However, during cross-examination, Karol-Chik stated he had long believed Kwak had thrown the rock.
The trial continues this week, with jurors tasked with deciding who and what to believe. Closing arguments are expected to conclude by April 21.
