JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — The cases against three men accused of a killing a young woman with a landscaping rock in April will move to trial after a preliminary hearing held Wednesday.
Zachary Kwak, Joseph Koenig and Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik are accused of throwing a rock while they drove on Indiana Street near the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge on April 19 that struck 20-year-old Alexa Bartell. Bartell was driving in the opposite direction.
At Wednesday's preliminary hearing, it was revealed in testimony that Bartell was on her phone with her girlfriend Jenna Griggs when she was hit by the rock. Griggs tracked Bartell's phone down and drove to the location on Indiana Street to find her dead inside her car.
Bartell's autopsy showed that she had suffered "massive trauma to the head."
On the night of Bartell's death, there were six other rock-throwing instances reported to law enforcement. Bartell was the last driver targeted, according to testimony from the lead investigator on the case, Deputy Daniel Manka with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Manka testified that investigators collected cellphone data from the area around where Bartell was hit. One phone number pinged at four of the rock-throwing locations. The phone number was determined to be Koenig's.
Cellphone data showed that the suspects returned to where Bartell was hit and then drove away. Kwak said the group went back to take a photo in case they wanted it for "memory's sake," according to court testimony.
Manka testified that Karol-Chik told investigators he felt a "hint of guilt" after they returned to where Bartell's car had stopped. He also told investigators that he and Koenig had thrown objects at cars 10 previous times dating back to February, according to court testimony.
Karol-Chik told investigators that they targeted drivers and would cheer when a car was hit. Karol-Chik told detectives that Koenig told the group they were "blood brothers and no one could talk," according to court testimony.
When Kwak talked to sheriff's office investigators, he blamed Koenig for throwing the rock that killed Bartell, Manka testified.
During cross-examination, defense attorneys argued that investigators do not have evidence to prove who threw the rock that killed Bartell or hit the seven other victims. Manka testified that they may never know who threw rocks that night.
The 1st Judicial District Attorney's Office charged each of the suspects with:
- One count first-degree murder - extreme indifference
- Six counts of attempted murder - extreme indifference
- Three counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon - causing injury
- Three counts of attempted second-degree assault with a deadly weapon
Koenig and Karol-Chik had an additional attempted murder charge and second-degree assault charge filed against them from a separate incident that occurred April 1. In that case, the pair is accused of throwing a statue head from a moving car in the area of 82nd Avenue and Alkire Street in northwest Arvada.
Defense attorneys said they plan to file motions to sever the cases, meaning it's possible the three suspects may not be tried together.
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