Second Teen Pleads Guilty in Rock-Throwing Murder After Getting Deal

Another of the three teenage defendants in the rock-throwing murder case of Alexa Bartell out of Jefferson County has agreed to a plea deal that will send him to prison for a minimum of 35 years, making him the second suspect to roll over and get a reduced sentence this month.

Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, now nineteen, pleaded guilty today, May 15, to felony charges of second-degree murder and an added count of criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder, for which he is facing between eight and 24 years, in addition to the 35 to 48 years he's now facing for the updated murder charge — leading to a possible maximum sentence of 72 years behind bars.

The young man was looking at life if convicted, as were the other defendants, after being originally charged with first-degree murder for Bartell's death.

Suspect Zachary Kwak, also nineteen, pleaded guilty on May 10 to three felony charges of first-degree assault, second-degree assault and criminal attempt to commit second-degree assault as part of a plea agreement. He's facing twenty to 32 years in prison.

Prosecutors will now take aim at Joseph Koenig, the third teenage defendant, who has been accused by both Kwak and Karol-Chik of throwing the rock that killed Bartell, as well as other rock-throwing incidents that he allegedly committed months prior to the trio's April 19, 2023, spree.

Koenig appears to be the only suspect who hasn't been offered a plea deal. He's scheduled to go on trial this summer, with jury selection beginning on June 7.

Kwak, Koenig and Karol-Chik were all initially charged in connection with a series of attacks on April 19, 2023, in which they allegedly hurled rocks at oncoming cars from a moving vehicle. Police say at least seven cars were targeted by the teens, who were all eighteen at the time. Bartell was killed after a four-to-six-inch rock was thrown through her windshield while the teens were traveling at a speed of 80 miles per hour, according to investigators.
Last week, Koenig was charged for attempted murder in a separate rock-throwing case after First Judicial District Judge Christopher Zenisek ruled there was probable cause to charge him.

For that case, Koenig is accused of throwing rocks and a stolen statue head at motorists in two separate incidents on April 1 and February 25, 2023. It wasn't until after the April 19 spree that police found out about the other incidents, when additional victims came forward reporting similar attacks on the road.

Karol-Chik was facing a total of fifteen charges before taking the plea agreement from the Jefferson County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday. A crime-of-violence sentence enhancer was tacked on to his updated counts of second-degree murder and criminal attempt to commit murder.

With a sentencing date set for September 10, Karol-Chik will now have to wait and see if his punishments are handed down consecutively or concurrently, meaning the sentences would either be lumped together as one or served out separately.

"If the court were persuaded to sentence consecutively, that would ultimately mean that your sentence, if consecutive...would ultimately reach 72 years," Zenisek informed Karol-Chik. "The ultimate range, at the end of the day here with the agreement, would be a sentence to the Department of Corrections...and would be for a term of somewhere between 35 years and 72 years."

During the disposition hearing prosecutors laid out the accusations that Karol-Chik officially pleaded guilty to while providing a detailed summary of what he and investigators claim went down during the rock-throwing incidents in February and April 2023.

"On February 25, 2023, in Jefferson County, Colorado, defendant Nicholas Karol-Chik and co-defendant Joseph Koenig threw a rock and concrete from a truck co-defendant Koenig was driving, targeting oncoming drivers," said Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Brynn Chase, noting how Karol-Chik "threw one of the items" and Koenig did as well.

"On April 1, 2023...while defendant Karol-Chik was driving, co-defendant Koenig threw a statue head at an oncoming driver," Chase continued. "On April 19, 2023, in Jefferson and Boulder counties...defendant Karol-Chik and co-defendants Joseph Koenig and Zachary Kwak threw landscaping rocks from defendant Karol-Chik's moving Chevrolet Silverado targeting drivers of oncoming moving vehicles."

Chase detailed how it was allegedly Koenig who threw the rock that killed Bartell after it was handed to him by Karol-Chik, who was in the front passenger seat of the Silverado. 
"[Karol-Chik] provided co-defendant Koenig, who was driving, a large landscaping rock that co-defendant Koenig threw at Alexa Bartell, causing her death," Chase said. "Regarding all of these incidents, defendant Karol-Chik knowingly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death."

When Chase was done speaking, the judge asked Karol-Chik, "Is that what happened?"

To which he replied, "Yes, your honor."

Bartell's family was in the courtroom, sobbing at times, along with Karol-Chik's family.

Karol-Chik, Kwak and Koenig all appeared together in court on May 7 — for the very last time together — as they prepared to have three separate trials this summer.

During that appearance, Judge Zenisek made rulings on a number of different motions filed by the defense teams, including one in favor of suppressing a crucial accusation made by Karol-Chik during a "proffer" interview with police in January of this year, alleging that he and Koenig had thrown rocks at vehicles before on ten separate occasions.

Proffer interviews are typically arranged by a defense team when someone is trying to negotiate for a plea deal.

Zenisek ruled to suppress Karol-Chik's claim about the prior incidents, saying it would create the potential of "unfair prejudice" and "confusion" for a jury. Prosecutors had argued that Karol-Chik's admission to police that he and Koening had thrown rocks and objects at vehicles in the past would be proof that the two teenagers had a clear and direct understanding of the consequences of their actions.

In the months before his proffer interview, Karol-Chik had been telling police it was Kwak who threw the fatal rock — a claim he made during his first interview with investigators after his arrest. He went so far as to take a polygraph test provided by the First Judicial District Attorney's Office and passed, according to investigators.

He was given a second polygraph after his proffer interview, during which he claimed Koenig threw the rock that killed Bartell, and he was said to have passed that one, too.

Investigators, however, pointed out how there were two inconclusive results in Karol-Chik's first polygraph test, with the only "non-deceptive" result being a hand score. So it's not fair to say that he "passed" the test, according to prosecutors.

It was revealed in testimony on May 7 that Karol-Chik admitted to having told his attorneys between April and December last year that it was Koenig who threw the rock that killed Bartell.

"No deals or offers were made at that time," noted prosecutor Katherine Decker.

It's unclear what led to Karol-Chik and Kwak both being offered plea agreements.

According to the DA's Office, Bartell's family has been accepting of both offers and is said to agree with the terms. They are choosing not to comment until after Koenig's case is resolved.