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Three high school seniors have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder with “extreme indifference.” They are the suspects in an alleged rock-throwing spree that killed 20-year-old Alexa Bartell. The crime took place outside Denver on April 19, 2022. 

The three named suspects are Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zacharythe  Kwak, who are all 18 years old. 

https://youtu.be/0rN_EhT0FHg

According to the Jefferson County Sheri’s Office, the three suspects threw large landscaping rocks at least seven vehicles. And hit an SUV and a minivan, damaging their windshields and driver’s side windows. Two drivers suffered only minor injuries.

Around 10:45 p.m., Bartell was driving along a road in Jefferson County when a large rock went through her front windshield, hitting and killing her, the sheriff’s office said. 

It’s unclear which of the men threw the rock that killed Bartell. But according to the sheriff’s office, all three participated in throwing rocks during the hourlong spree.

Bartell was on the phone with a friend who was worried when the line dropped. The friend then tracked her phone. And located Bartell in a field off the highway.

Deadly rock-throwing spree

Unsealed Thursday's affidavit revealed that the suspects turned around to take a photo of Bartell’s vehicle after hitting it with the rock as a “memento.” One of the suspects also mentioned being “blood brothers” and that they “could never speak of this incident.”

Authorities received a tip from a tire store worker who told police that a co-worker had recounted that he was with friends with a teen that loaded landscaping rocks from a Walmart parking lot into a pickup truck on April 19. 

The co-worker later told a detective that he asked his friends to take him home because he “did not want anything to do with what they were about to do,” according to the affidavit.

The suspects were taken into custody at their parents’ homes in Arvada, Colorado, on April 20, and were later charged with first-degree murder with “extreme indifference.” The suspects made an initial court appearance via video from jail on Thursday morning and are being held without bail. 

The next court hearing is May 3.