In the depths of night, when darkness envelops the world, there is a certain allure to the open road. Its vastness and solitude can grant drivers a soothing tranquility, especially when the path ahead is illuminated by the soft glow of street lamps and the shining beams of headlights. The peaceful and serene highway holds secrets unknown to unsuspecting travelers. It is within this enigmatic setting that our tale unfolds. Our story revolves around a young woman heading home on an ordinary night, unaware of impending danger on the road ahead. This road will forever alter the course of her life. According to the 2020 census, Jefferson County was home to 582,910 people, making it the fourth largest county in Colorado in terms of population. Known by locals as "Jeffco," the county slogan is "The Gateway to the Rocky Mountains." Among Jeffco's treasures is the city of Arvada. once a bustling goldrush destination in the 1850s and now the eighth most populous city in Colorado. With its small town charm, agricultural heritage, rich history and awe inspiring scenery. Arvada is a place where dreams find a home. But on the evening of April 19th, 2023, horror disguised as mischief, silently infiltrated the peaceful streets of Jefferson County. Born November 23rd, 2002, Alexa Lee Bartell blossomed into a remarkable young woman. She was nurtured by her devoted parents, Greg and Kelly Bartell, who witnessed Alexa grow into a position of responsibility as the scheduling and safety coordinator at Commercial Flooring Services in Denver, the same company where her mother served as a senior accountant and secretary/treasurer. Outside of work, Alexa was a young woman who poured her energy into her love for basketball and music. These pursuits were more than hobbies. They mirrored her infectious enthusiasm and zest for life. Alexa was recognized by those close to her as a vibrant, faithful and compassionate individual, a woman whose energy and smile were as constant as they were contagious. Amid all the positive aspects of her life, one thing stood out - her love life. In fact, Alexa's bliss was on full display in the New Year's Day 2022 TikTok Post entitled "Met the Love of My Life last Year. Now I get to go into 2022 with her. I love you, Baby J." As Alexa drove home on the evening of April 19th, 2023, she was in good spirits. She was young and in love, blessed with the support of caring individuals, and a job she looked forward to going to. Alexa seemed to be living her best life. Yet, on this evening, there was cruelty in the air, and malevolence shows no favoritism. It was a chilly 30 degrees with light fog and passing clouds in Jefferson County at around 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023. Uber and Lyft driver Nathan Tipton was carrying out his routine shift. He was heading southbound on Highway 93 and it seemed like just another ordinary evening until an unforeseen incident disrupted the normalcy. [Nathan] - It had me in a bit of a shock. [Reporter] - Six days later, Nathan Tipton says he still can't quite believe it happened. [Nathan] - It's definitely one of those situations that feels very surreal. [Reporter] - It was right around 1015. Nathan was driving southbound on Highway 93 near the Jefferson County Boulder County border. [Nathan] - As I was coming up on a concrete plant there, coming uphill, I saw two vehicles going northbound, but all I could see was the headlights. It was a dark road and then a large shatter, it sounded like a shotgun blast. Scared the heck out of me. [Reporter] - Nathan says he pulled over right away and saw that both driver's side windows of his minivan had been shattered. [Nathan] - So then I made a report with the Jefferson County Police. Roughly 30 minutes later, a Jefferson County woman was driving home while chatting with a friend over the phone. As their voices were weaving through the airwaves, the sounds of joyful banter were quickly replaced by a thunderous crash, followed by a deafening silence. The friend received no further response from the driver. At 11:05 p.m., when the friend's work shift ended, she used the "Find My iPhone" app to track the driver's location. The digital breadcrumbs led her to a field in Golden, Colorado, just south of State Highway 128, in Jefferson County. The sight of an abandoned cell phone hinted at the horrifying discovery to come. The friend soon came upon a yellow Chevy Spark off the roadway in a field. The car belonged to Alexa Bartell. The shattered windshield and the sight of Alexa's lifeless form slumped over the driver's seat, unveiled a heart-wrenching scene. Beset by shock and grief, the friend conveyed the tragic news to Alexa's mother before making an urgent call to 911. Broomfield police were the first to arrive at the scene. An officer observed Alexa with a severe head wound, lying motionless and pulseless. There was a hole in the front windshield and the interior of the driver's side door was coated in scarlet red. On Alexa's lap gathered a pool of blood, a haunting testament to the brutality she had endured. Alexa was pronounced dead at the scene by the North Metro Fire Department, her fate sealed by an unknown assailant. The Colorado State Patrol arrived and concluded that the damage to Alexa's car was inconsistent with a motor vehicle accident. Instead, it seemed that an object had pierced the windshield, hitting Alexa in the head. At the scene they found an alarming piece of evidence. A 3 to 5-pound river rock, slightly larger than a softball, which initial tests returned a presumptive positive for blood. This rock, along with emergency calls and hospital reports, painted a grim picture. Alexa was not the only victim. Seven vehicles had been targeted with large rocks deliberately thrown at them over a span of 2 hours and 20 minutes. Of these, two drivers suffered minor injuries and six vehicles had broken windows, including five front windshields. The incident involving Alexa's car was the last and most severe. A wide range of emotions overcame the local community members, victims, their families and authorities in the aftermath of the horrific events. Who would commit such a random, heinous act and why? It was not long before shock turned into anger and determination. People wanted answers and they demanded justice. The public's help literally could be everything for us. On Friday, investigators tightened the timeline of the crime spree, saying all five rock throwing incidents happened within 40 minutes, with the final one leading to Bartell's death at the scene. Tire Marks show where she left the road. And a new photo shows the damage the rock did to her windshield. At the time, the 20-year-old was on the phone with a friend. It's unbelievable that somebody would mess with that kind of dangerous situation, if it were a prank or a joke, and even maybe more so if it's a targeted crime. The sheriff's office is now asking Tesla drivers near the five incidents to share video from their cars in hopes it will break open the case. There's also a reward on the table, $2,000 from Crime Stoppers and 15,000 from Commercial Flooring Services where Bartell worked. There's no stone unturned and if we can add money to that reward and that compels somebody, then great. Investigators say even the smallest bit of information can help track down those responsible for a life lost far too soon. This is a homicide investigation and we plan to charge the people who are responsible. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, with support from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office, Arvada Police and Westminster Police, responded swiftly. Initially, they secured a geofence warrant, enabling them to ask mobile providers for a list of cell phone numbers that connected to a nearby cell tower, including their location information. After that, they sent these records to an external party for further analysis. On April 24th, the company tasked with analyzing the phone data completed its work identifying 11 phone numbers that had interacted with local cell towers. Among these one specific cell phone drew the investigator's attention as it moved within the area while the rock throwing incidents occurred. In addition to cell phone data, investigators obtained security camera footage that showed two vehicles heading south, hitting their brakes and then turning their hazard lights on. Only one other car was on the road at that time, driving north and appearing to be speeding. An affidavit states that, according to the footage, the speeding vehicle appeared to be a dark colored pickup truck and investigators sent images of that vehicle's tail lights to a local Chevrolet dealer, which confirmed the car was a 2014 to 2016 Chevrolet Silverado. As investigators continued to identify, collect and process the evidence, They received information that cracked the case wide open. According to an arrest affidavit on April 25th, around midday, an investigator received a phone call from the Westminster Police Department about a man called Joseph Bopp. The affidavit discloses that Mr. Bopp claimed to possess information about the rock throwing incidents. Bopp informed the investigators that on April 19th, at around 6:30 p.m., his former colleague, Joseph Koenig, had invited him to his house. Upon arrival, Bopp was greeted by Koenig along with two other men, Mitch and Zack, who had come in Mitch's black Chevy Silverado pickup truck. Bopp did not know Zach well. The four drove around for a while and ended up at a Walmart parking lot when Bopp returned from using the restroom. he observed the three individuals picking up landscaping rocks from the edge of the parking lot and placing them in the backseat of the truck's cab. When asked how many rocks, Bopp replied, "As many as they could carry." Bopp told investigators that he knew something terrible would happen that night, adding that one of the individuals, Koenig, had a history of engaging in destructive behavior and seemed to revel in causing chaos. Bopp asked to be taken home, and the group obliged. He positively identified the three individuals and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office conducted a press briefing the following day. So the sheriff's office is incredibly grateful this morning to report that we have three suspects in custody for their involvement in Alexa Bartell's death. These are three 18-year-old males. They're all from Arvada and they're all seniors in high school. [Reporter] - Can you tell us what high school they go to? Three different schools ... Do we know the one is Pomona? I don't know. Okay. I can find out for you. But they are three different schools. [Reporter] - How did you find them? This was a great team effort. Some of this came from some supporting information from our public. But it really is as a result of some forensic evidence that came through cell tower information. I'd like to clean up that statement. I wrote a sentence that kind of clears that up. Okay. So this really came as a result of cell phone device forensics and and then supporting information from our public. So it was a lot of work. Days in, days out, a lot of work from our investigators. Literally, some of our investigators had very little sleep over the last week. And incredible pursuit after these possible suspects and this information led us directly to them. [Reporter] - I know you said cell tower data really helped you get there. Was there any specific tips that came in that also kind of led you there as well? Not specifically. Not that we can identify yet. I can tell you that we don't need additional tips from the public. How much we truly appreciate all of those tips. It really showed us the the level of interest from this community, the involvement that they wanted to have in this case. So that was really valuable. But it really was about the forensic side of things that got us to the place that we are today with this case. [Reporter] - So, rock throwing, is that some sort of social media challenge? Are we seeing that on Tik Tok? Why are they throwing rocks?. Not that we can find. We have not seen any evidence this is related to a TikTok challenge at all. We've been asked that question through the week and there's no evidence to support that. [Reporter] - Have they said why at all they were doing this? Those interviews happened last night. I don't know really how successful those interviews went. They were arrested in their homes. They were brought to the sheriff's office for questioning, and then they were booked into our jail. The mug shots will be available. And I don't know how valuable those conversations with our suspects actually were last night. [Reporter] - Can you tell us about Alexa's family, how they're doing this morning, When and how you guys gave them the news? We were able to call them in the middle of the night. Once we had secured the suspects and brought them to the station. And those calls were made. And they're just so grateful. You know, they're still suffering from the greatest loss possible. But this is the beginning of the journey that they'll be on next. And they're incredibly grateful that these suspects are at least identified and brought to justice for what they've done. [Reporter] - So in terms of the possible charges, as you said, first-degree murder with extreme indifference. So I guess I'm just curious. Do we know the individual who threw this rock at Alexa, like, are all of the three suspects facing these same charges? They are. All three suspects are facing the same charge this morning. They're all in custody for the very same thing, which is first degree murder with extreme indifference. And we have determined. Let me back up. All three of these suspects are in custody for the same charge. It's not been easy for us to determine who was in the driver's seat, who was throwing the rocks, but we think they were all involved in this criminal episode. [Reporter] - Did they know somebody died from their actions or ... Well, they certainly know now. You had to live in a cave to not know what was happening over the last week and the way that we were covering this story with the media. We are asking for the public's help. We are asking for anyone to come forward with any information about the death of Alexis Bartell. I think it was pretty evident through the week that that their actions were probably associated with a death. [Reporter] - Ever seen a crime like this before? Not that I can think of. I mean, we've seen it in Colorado. Bricks or rocks thrown from overpasses or bridges, but nothing like this in Jeffco, No crime series where, you know, these suspects went from place to place to place to place, throwing large rocks through windshields of moving vehicles. We've not seen it before. The three 18-year-old suspects were questioned by detectives prior to booking. Mitch Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak chose to cooperate and provide statements. However, Joseph Koenig opted not to participate. According to an arrest affidavit, Mitch Karol-Chik admitted that he and Koenig had gathered rocks and hurled them at moving vehicles on at least ten occasions since February 2023. However, he implicated Kwak as the one who threw the rock resulting in Alexa's death. An interesting detail from the affidavit was that Karol-Chik used Marine lingo, such as "contact left" to guide their focus toward other vehicles on the road. Karol-Chik acknowledged that upon witnessing Alexa's car, he felt a "hint of guilt." Zachary Kwak told detectives he decided to join Karol-Chik and Koenig after hearing about their plans. Although Kwak admitted that he participated in rock throwing, he accused Koenig of flinging the rock that led to Alexis demise. He described hearing a loud noise that sounded like a railgun shooting a block of concrete when the rock smashed Alexa's window. After seeing the car run off the road, Kwak allegedly said to the others, "We have to go back and see that." Subsequently, they drove back toward the crash scene and took a photo of Alexa's car. Kwak explained to detectives that he took the photo of the car "as a memento" for his friends. Joseph Koenig, on the other hand, declined to speak with the police and remained resolutely silent. An affidavit reveals that Koenig was behind the wheel of the truck when the rock was thrown at Alexa's car. Meanwhile, unsettling elements from Koenig's online history began to surface, adding another layer of darkness to the case. Several individuals purporting to be close to Koenig shared with authorities an image from his December 2022 Facebook post. The image showed a motorcycle with a sticker bearing the message, "Just killed a woman ... feeling good." This phrase gained popularity within the gaming community after being used by the influential YouTuber "Tommyinnitt" during a Minecraft gameplay on his channel. The chilling coincidence was not lost on officers. It was alarming enough to warrant a probe, with investigators saying they are currently working to determine the photo's relevance to the case. The arrest affidavits also revealed a pact between Koenig and Karol-Chik. They proclaimed themselves blood brothers and swore never to speak of the incident again. Moreover, it came to light that the day after Alexa's death, Koenig and Kwak met to get their stories in order, specifically to discuss how to best deny any involvement. The three teens were held in custody at the Jefferson County Jail without bond pending trial. A hearing was scheduled for May 2023. In the interim, community members reacted to the news of the arrests. Having it link to somebody that is in your general neighborhood, in your school. It's heartbreaking. [Reporter] - A neighbor who asked not to be identified told us she was not surprised to learn the boy down the street, Joseph Koenig, was involved. [Neighbor] - Unfortunately, it wasn't a shock when we found out that Joe was one of the people accused of this incident. There had been discussions and concerns in the neighborhood for actions that he had taken in his past. [Reporter] - According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office all three are high school seniors, one at Stanley Lake, another online, and another at Ralston Valley. On social media, students commented about being in class with Koenig, saying, "Two days ago was like any other day." And Zachary Kwak reportedly attended prom over the weekend. Posting on his Instagram just before being arrested. On May 23rd, 2023, the three suspects, hands bound at their waists, appeared before a judge. Accused of horrific crimes, the gravity of their alleged actions created a palpable tension. Each one was confronted with an intimidating slate of charges - a single count of first-degree murder demonstrating extreme indifference. Six counts of attempted first degree murder, three counts of second degree assault, and three counts of attempted second degree assault. To shed light on the gravity of the charge of extreme indifference, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley explained that it referred to an attitude or behavior displaying a callous disregard for human life. Essentially, it's when you willingly do something that may hurt or kill someone and you don't care who. Throughout the hearing, the suspects maintained a stoic facade, fixating their gaze forward, providing brief and monotonous responses of "Yes, Your Honor," when questioned by the judge. Karol-Chik appeared alert, yet visibly shaken as he exited the courtroom. Kwak, on the other hand, displayed a reserved demeanor, occasionally drifting into distant contemplation. In stark contrast, Koenig smirked several times after talking to his lawyer, his eyes locked straight ahead. A status conference, a meeting between the judge and the lawyers to determine how a case is progressing, is scheduled for June 21st, 2023, at 10 a.m. A combined preliminary hearing is set for July 5th at 8:30 a.m. In the quiet corners of our lives, we often forget the perils that may lurk within the shadows of innocence. An open road at night. A drive home from work. A simple conversation with a friend. None of these activities should ever hint at impending doom. And yet, for Alexa Bartell, these ordinary aspects of daily life served as the backdrop for an unthinkable tragedy that will forever mark Jefferson County's history. The horrifying events that unfolded on the night of April 19th, 2023, serve as an appalling reflection of the dark potential that lurks within humanity. Yet the relentless pursuit of justice for Alexa Martell by an entire community serves as a beacon of hope, a tribute to the power of collective resilience and a commitment to ensuring that such reckless disregard for life does not go unanswered. As the defendants await their day in court, facing a possible life sentence if convicted of first-degree murder, the community and the nation watch on, hoping that justice prevails.