Second defendant sentenced to 32 years in Colorado prison in deadly rock-throwing case

The second of three defendants was sentenced in a Jefferson County courtroom to 32 years in a Colorado prison for his role in a deadly rock-throwing case. Zachary Kwak pleaded guilty to his role in Alexa Bartell's death and a series of rock-throwing attacks in an agreement reached with the prosecution last May.

On Friday, the judge sentenced Kwak to 27 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for the first-degree assault charge relating to Bartell's death, five years in the DOC to be served consecutively for a second-degree assault charge in the series of rock-throwing attacks and another sentence of eight years in the DOC to be served concurrently for another count of second-degree assault for a total of 32 years in prison with 738 days credit for time served.   

On Thursday, Nicholas "Mitch" James Karol-Chik was sentenced to 45 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors. Last May, he pleaded guilty to his role in a series of rock-throwing attacks between Feb. 25, 2023, and April 19, 2023.

Last week, the third defendant, Joseph Koenig, and the only suspect who didn't reach a plea agreement with prosecutors, was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and more than a dozen other charges in Bartell's death and a series of rock-throwing incidents. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. 

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.