Rock-throwing homicide suspects’ a davits paint grim portrait of April 19 events

Suspect

BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Arrest a davits — including statements from two of the three suspects — in the rock-throwing death of Alexa Bartell suggest that suspects Joseph Koenig, Nicholas “Mitch” Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak have a history of throwing projectiles at cars, photographed Bartell’s car after throwing a fatal rock through her windshield, and discussed plans to deny involvement in the crime. Koenig, Karol-Chik and Kwak — all 18-year-old residents of Arvada — were taken into custody by Je erson County sheri ’s deputies on the evening of April 25, almost a week after the murder of 20-year-old Bartell, who was one of seven motorists whose vehicles were hit by large landscaping rocks on the night of April 19.

While Koenig declined to be interviewed by investigators, Karol-Chik and Kwak gave somewhat con icting accounts that point to a repeated pattern of throwing projectiles at moving vehicles. Karol-Chik told investigators that he and Koenig had been involved in throwing objects — including a statue and other rocks — on “at least 10 separate days” since at least February.

e following account is based on the allegations in the a davits: On April 19, Karol-Chik and Koenig bought a “project” car, according to Karol-Chik, around 4 or 5 p.m., after which Karol-Chik moved the car to a friend’s house, drove to Kwak’s house to pick him up, and then continued to get Koenig.

Karol-Chik’s statement says that he and Kwak both collected landscaping rocks from the Walmart on 72nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard, loading them into the bed of KarolChik’s pickup, a Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

A fourth man said he was with the trio at the Walmart, but asked to be taken home when he suspected the group might be preparing for trouble. e fourth man said the group was loading up “as much (rocks) as they could carry” into the vehicle, and said Koenig frequently participates in disruptive behavior because he likes to cause “chaos.”

Investigators used cell phone data and crime reports to determine that the rock that killed Bartell was one of seven incidents of landscaping rocks being thrown at cars in a large, semi-circular area stretching from Highway 72 in the south, Highway 93 in the east, Highway 128 in the north and Indiana Street in the west.

Kwak’s statement claims that while the trio was traveling around, Koenig was driving the vehicle, Karol-Chik was riding in the front passenger seat, and Kwak was in the back row behind Karol-Chik. Kwak said KarolChik was using “marine terms” as the rocks were thrown, such as “contact left” before Koenig would throw a rock at a car to the left of theirs.

Kwak said Koenig threw the rock

Kwak took a picture of Bartell’s vehicle. He told investigators that he thought Karol-Chik or Koenig would want it as a memento.

Karol-Chik said all three suspects threw rocks at cars. He claimed that Kwak threw the rock that killed account that the trio turned back toward Bartell’s car so that Kwak could take a photo. Karol-Chik said that at this point in the night, he felt “a hint stated that they could never speak of the incident. Kwak also said that Koenig came to his house the next day to get their stories straight, speci cally to deny any involvement in the events of the previous night.

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Thursday

Evergreen Audubon meeting: Evergreen Audubon will meet at 7 p.m. ursday, May 4, at Evergreen Christian Church or via Zoom. om and Lisa Fisher, the driving research forces behind Escalante Resources Group, will present “ e Geology of Evergreen: e First 100 Million Years.” For program information, including location details or zoom access, visit www.EvergreenAudubon.org

Free legal clinic: A free legal clinic for people with no attorney will be from 2 to 5 p.m. ursday, May 4. Volunteer attorneys will answer questions, help ll out forms, and explain the process and procedure for all areas of civil litigation. Preregistration for individual 15-minute appointments is available by calling 303-235-5275.

Women in Business luncheon: e Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business luncheon will start at 11 a.m. May 4 at Mount Vernon Canyon Club. For