Alexa Bartell's mom reacts to Colorado rock-throw guilty verdict: "We strongly believe these three knew what they were doing"

After a jury's guilty verdict was announced in the deadly Colorado rock-throwing trial on Friday, friends and relatives of victim Alexa Bartell who were in the courtroom broke out in tears. Soon afterwards, Bartell's mother spoke outside the Jefferson County courtroom and said the family feels that they now have some justice.

Kelly Bartell said she was carrying her daughter's memory with her as she sat through the trial of the teen who threw the rock that crashed into Alexa's car and killed the 20 year old two years ago. That included wearing blue clothes, and a blue pin.

"Blue was one of her favorite colors, and she's our angel now watching over us," Bartell said.

While Bartell said justice was served with the jury's verdict, she said her family finds no joy in that.

"It's hard to be happy or feel satisfied that justice was served today because I feel one amazing life was lost ... and three others are also lost and impacted, and I don't want to celebrate that," she said. "But I do think justice was served."

As Bartell sat through the trial, she and her family heard in depth, horrifying descriptions about the night of April 19, 2023. Her daughter was driving on a two lane road in Jefferson County near the Boulder County line. Joseph Koening was behind the wheel of a speeding Chevy Silverado going the opposite direction when he and two friends made the decision to launch a softball size rock out of their window, hitting Alexa Bartell's vehicle, killing her instantly.

"(I feel) just mixed feelings. We had to listen to a lot of stuff during that trial and you're fearful that excuses and things that were used could go either way," she said.

Koening wound up getting convicted on a first degree murder charge and 18 other charges, for the numerous other drivers he helped target. Some other drivers were hurt, and there was much damage done to vehicles.

"We strongly believe that these three knew what they were doing, and so for it to come through? It was a relief," Bartell said.

Bartell said the verdict doesn't make her or her family feel whole.

"It doesn't bring Alexa back and that's horrible, but we don't ever want this to happen again to anybody else," she said.

Co-defendants Zachary Kwak and Nicholas Karol-Chik accepted plea deals in exchange for testifying again Koenig in the trial. They are set to be sentenced for their roles in the rock throwing next week. That's expected to be yet another emotional day in court for the families involved. Koenig's sentencing is scheduled for early June.