Joseph Koenig, 20, is the latest of three teens convicted in connection with the 2023 death of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell. Koenig, alongside Zachary Kwak and Nicholas Karol-Chik, were hurling rocks at passing cars in Denver, Colorado. One of those rocks smashed through Bartell's driver's side window, injuring her head. The teenagers then allegedly snapped photos of the crime scene "as a memento," according to court documents.
Videos by Wide Open Country
As reported by NBC News, Bartell was on the phone with a friend of hers on April 19, 2023, at around 10:45 p.m. However, at one point, Bartell stopped answering, worrying her friend, Jenna Griggs. By using Find My iPhone, Griggs found Bartell unconscious in her car, having suffered a serious injury to her head.
After calling Bartell's mother and 911, police arrived to find "biological matter" in the car and a rock on the side of the road, as per an affidavit obtained by the outlet. The responding police officer found no pulse on Bartell.
Investigators eventually concluded that three teenagers, Joseph Koenig, Zachary Kwak, and Nicholas Karol-Chik, were hurling rocks at passing cars in the 10600 block of Indiana Street, as per The Denver Gazette. It was Koenig who threw the rock toward Bartell's vehicle, as per testimonies given by Kwak and Karol-Chik.
Moreover, Karol-Chik said that Koenig was "excited" and smiled at him and Kwak after striking oncoming vehicles. After hurling the rock at Bartell, fatally striking her, an affidavit reveals that Kwak snapped a picture of the gruesome scene because "he thought Joseph or Mitch would want it as a memento."
Found Guilty
As part of plea deals with prosecutors, Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak managed to dismiss the first-degree murder charges against them in 2024. Karol-Chick pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder, as per 9News. Kwak pleaded guilty to first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and attempted second-degree assault.
On Friday, April 25, as per PEOPLE, Joseph Koenig was convicted of first-degree murder - extreme indifference -, alongside 18 other charges, including six counts of attempted murder.
Alexa Bartell's mother, Kelly, talked with the Denver Gazette following Koenig's conviction.
"It's hard to be happy or feel satisfied that justice was served today," Kelly said. "It doesn't fill what amazing life was lost. And three others were also lost and impacted."
Zachary Kwak could face 20 to 32 years in prison. Karol-Chik could be sentenced to 35 to 72 years. Finally, as per 9News, Koenig's first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole. The first two teens will be sentenced in May, with Koenig sentencing scheduled on June 3.
