Colorado teens accused of taking ‘memento’ photo after rock-throwing death set to appear in court

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Three teenagers accused of murder in connection with the tragic death of a 20-year-old Colorado driver, Alexa Bartell, who was fatally struck by a rock hurled through her windshield, are scheduled to appear in court for an evidentiary hearing to assess whether their case merits proceeding to trial.

The three individuals in question, Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak, were apprehended several days following the incident that occurred on April 19 near Denver. Bartell, while conversing with a friend over the phone, was struck by a rock, resulting in her untimely demise. Subsequently, her friend used a mobile app to trace Bartell’s location, discovering her lifeless body in a field after her car had crashed.

Investigators have asserted that Bartell’s cause of death was the rock impact, not the ensuing vehicular collision. Court documents indicate that the teenagers, all 18 years old at the time, revisited the scene to capture a photograph of the wrecked vehicle as a macabre “memento.”

It was reported by investigators at the time that this attack was potentially connected to a series of similar incidents in which rocks ranging from 4 to 6 inches in diameter and weighing 3 to 5 pounds were launched at vehicles within the vicinity on the night of Bartell’s tragic demise.

These attacks commenced shortly after 10 p.m. and involved no fewer than seven vehicles. Alongside Bartell’s fatality, three individuals sustained minor injuries. All three teenagers are suspected of being involved in these rock-throwing incidents.

Karol-Chik informed investigators that Koenig had slowed down their vehicle so that Kwak could capture an image of Bartell’s car, as revealed in the arrest affidavits. Furthermore, Karol-Chik admitted that they experienced a sense of excitement each time they successfully hit a vehicle with a rock that fateful night. Nevertheless, he conceded to feeling a “hint of guilt” as they passed by Bartell’s car, according to the legal documents.

Kwak, on the other hand, claimed that he took the photograph because he believed Karol-Chik or Koenig would desire a “memento” of the event. Koenig remained silent and did not cooperate with investigators following his arrest.

Despite attempts to contact them, attorneys representing the three teenagers did not immediately respond to voice messages seeking comment.

The teens were taken into custody at their residences in suburban Denver after being identified as suspects, with the assistance of cellphone tower data and another friend who had spent time with them earlier on the day of the incident.

This friend disclosed to investigators that Koenig frequently engaged in “destructive behavior” because he relished causing “chaos.” He recounted requesting to be taken home after witnessing the three individuals collecting landscaping rocks from a Walmart parking lot and loading them into Karol-Chik’s pickup truck. This decision was made due to his premonition that something ominous was about to transpire, as outlined in the legal documents.

All three teenagers face charges of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, second-degree assault, and attempted second-degree assault. In addition, Koenig and Karol-Chik are confronted with additional charges related to a prior incident in which they allegedly threw a statue head at a moving vehicle in Arvada, including attempted first-degree murder and attempted second-degree assault charges.

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More about Colorado rock-throwing death

• Teenagers Charged with Murder in Rock-Throwing Death
• Details of the Alexa Bartell Tragedy
• Charges Filed Against Colorado Teens
• Investigation into Rock-Throwing Incidents
• Statements from Karol-Chik and Kwak
• Legal Representation for the Teenagers