Second suspect in Colorado rock-throwing death pleads guilty, third suspect awaits trial
The second of the three suspects arrested and accused in last year's rock-throwing death of Alexa Bartell appeared in Jefferson County Court on Wednesday. Nicholas "Mitch" James Karol-Chik pleaded guilty to three new charges, including second-degree murder, in an agreement reached with the prosecution.
Karol-Chik, 19, pleaded guilty to his role in a series of rock-throwing attacks between Feb. 25, 2023 and April 19, 2023. In that agreement, the prosecution dismissed the original charges and added three new charges including second-degree murder, criminal attempt to commit murder in the first degree, and crime of violence.
According to the plea agreement, prosecutors said Karol-Chik would serve a minimum of 35 years and up to 72 years in the Department of Corrections. The judge said the deal did not allow for sentencing in the youth offender program.
As with the first suspect to reach a plea deal, Bartell's family was in the courtroom. Prosecutors told the court that Bartell's family did agree to the plea deal.
Last week, Zachary Kwak pleaded guilty to three new charges, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and criminal attempt to commit assault, in an agreement reached with the prosecution. As a result of that agreement, the prosecution dismissed the original 13 charges, including murder and attempted murder.
Kwak and the other two defendants appeared in court just last month where they all pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges.
Twenty-year-old Bartell was struck and killed late at night on April 19, 2023, when she was struck by a rock that was thrown into her windshield. Several others were injured in similar incidents with what authorities described as "large landscaping rocks," concrete, and in one case, a statue.
Joseph Koenig, Karol-Chik and Kwak were arrested and charged in connection with the rock-throwing attacks that killed Alexa Bartell and injured several others early last year.
Investigators believe there were a total of 10 vehicles involved in at least three different incidents regarding the suspects.
Koenig's trial is scheduled for July 19, 22-26, July 30 through Aug. 1.
Sentencing for Karol-Chik has been delayed until the resolution of the other two cases involving Koenig and Kwak. The sentencing for Karol-Chik is scheduled for Sept. 10.
RELATED: Timeline: A look at the Colorado rock-throwing attacks
The 1st Judicial District Attorney presented the following in court for the plea agreement with Karol-Chik:
On Feb. 25, 2023, Karol-Chik and Co-Defendant Koenig threw a rock and concrete from the truck Koenig was driving, targeting oncoming drivers. Karol-Chik threw one of the objects, and Koenig threw one of the objects.
On Apr. 1, 2023, while Karol-Chik was driving, Koenig threw a statue head at an oncoming driver.
On Apr. 19, 2023, Karol-Chik, Koenig, and Kwak threw landscaping rocks from Karol-Chik's moving Chevrolet Silverado, targeting drivers of oncoming moving vehicles. They caused damage to all seven vehicles they struck, caused injury to three drivers, and killed Alexa Bartell. Specifically, Karol-Chik, who was in the front passenger's seat, provided Koenig, who was driving, the large landscaping rock that Koenig threw at Alexa Bartell, causing her death.
Regarding all of these incidents, Defendant Karol-Chik knowingly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death, under circumstances evidencing an attitude of universal malice manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.