Colorado Man Convicted in Rock-Throwing Murder Case
Denver, CO – April 25, 2023 – Joseph Koenig, 20, has been convicted of first-degree murder-extreme indifference in the tragic death of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell, who was killed when a nine-pound rock crashed through her car window on April 19, 2023. The jury also found Koenig guilty on multiple counts, including criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder and second-degree assault related to several other rock-throwing incidents.
Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King expressed the grave implications of the case: "Despite a conviction of murder in the first degree — extreme indifference — none of this ever had to happen." The emotional impact of the verdict was echoed by Bartell’s mother, Kelly, who lamented, "It doesn’t fill what amazing life was lost."
On the night of the incident, Koenig, alongside his friends Zachary Kwak and Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, was involved in a reckless spree of hurling rocks at passing vehicles. Bartell was driving northbound while talking to a friend when the fatal rock struck her. Emergency responders arrived to find her critically injured with a large head wound, and she was pronounced dead shortly after.
Witnesses reported Koenig’s excited reaction immediately after the incident, with Karol-Chik recalling that Koenig turned around with a "big smile on his face." The trio returned to the scene for photographs and conspired about their actions, pledging secrecy. During the trial, Koenig attempted to shift blame, claiming it was Kwak who threw the fatal rock.
Koenig’s sentencing is scheduled for June 3, where he faces a potential life sentence. His co-defendants have already pleaded guilty, with sentences ranging from 20 to 72 years.
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