Man Who Threw Rocks at Random Cars Guilty of Murder

A night of rock-throwing in suburban Denver has led to a first-degree murder conviction for the final member of a group of three friends. Jurors had to unravel shifting stories and plea deals before finding Joseph Koenig guilty in the killing of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell, the AP reports. Bartell died after a rock was thrown through her car's windshield on April 19, 2023. Two other defendants, Nicholas Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, took plea deals to lesser charges before Koenig's trial and cooperated with prosecutors. All three were 18 years old at the time of the crime.

The teens drove around suburban Denver throwing rocks at random cars. According to the prosecution, the damage to Bartell's vehicle was consistent with the left-handed Koenig, who was driving, throwing the fatal rock shotput-style out his window. Both Karol-Chik and Kwak testified that Koenig threw the rock that killed Bartell. Koenig maintained that one of the others threw it. During Koenig's two-week trial, defense attorneys tried to cast doubt on the testimony of the other two men. They also argued that a conviction for manslaughter, not murder, would be more appropriate because Koenig had not intended to kill Bartell, CPR News reports. "In his mind, they weren't targeting drivers, they were targeting cars," said defense attorney Thomas Ward.

Testimony revealed that after Bartell's car left the road upon being struck, the three friends circled back several times but did not check on her or call for help. Kwak took a photo as a memento. Bartell's body was discovered later by her girlfriend, Jenna Griggs, who tracked her phone to the field after their call abruptly ended.

story continues below

Kwak was the first to agree to a plea deal in May 2024. He pleaded guilty to first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and attempted second-degree assault related to rocks thrown earlier that night. Kwak faces 20 to 32 years in prison. About a week later, Karol-Chik pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, committing a crime of violence, and attempted first-degree murder for throwing rocks at nine people that night and earlier in 2023. Karol-Chik could be sentenced to 35 to 72 years in prison. All three men will be sentenced in early May, CPR News reports. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)