Jury finds Joseph Koenig guilty of murder in deadly rock-throwing trial

Colorado assemblage finds Joseph Koenig blameworthy of first-degree execution successful deadly rock-throwing proceedings

Colorado assemblage finds Joseph Koenig blameworthy of first-degree execution successful deadly rock-throwing trial 10:05

Jurors person delivered a blameworthy verdict for first-degree execution for Joseph Koenig, the Colorado antheral accused of throwing a stone done the windshield of Alexa Bartell's moving vehicle, sidesplitting her. Deliberations began Thursday, with the assemblage returning the verdict little than 2 hours aft returning to deliberate connected Friday morning. 

  Joseph Koenig Jefferson County

Koenig was charged with first-degree execution successful Bartell's death, arsenic good arsenic 9 further transgression counts of attempted first-degree execution for allegedly throwing rocks astatine different vehicles. There were besides 3 counts of second-degree battle and six counts of attempted second-degree battle for a full of 19 counts. 

The assemblage returned blameworthy verdicts connected each charges, though immoderate were downgraded to lesser charges, including 1 number of attempted first-degree execution that was downgraded to attempted second-degree murder. Two counts of attempted first-degree execution were downgraded to attempted reckless manslaughter, and different number was downgraded to reckless endangerment. 

All counts of second-degree battle were downgraded to third-degree assault. Some of the counts of attempted second-degree battle were downgraded to attempted third-degree assault.

Witnesses testified past week, sharing their experiences that nighttime arsenic they became victims of the rock-throwing attacks.

CBS

Two co-defendants, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik and Zachary Kwak, pleaded guilty last twelvemonth for their roles successful the 2023 attack. Last week, some men testified against Koenig arsenic portion of their plea agreements. Both claimed that it was Koenig who threw the rock that killed Bartell. The defence questioned Karol-Chik's testimony, pointing to erstwhile interviews wherever helium claimed Kwak had thrown the past stone of the night.

Koenig did not testify. Instead, his defence called behavioral wellness researcher and Temple University prof Laurence Steinberg to the stand. The defence stressed that Koenig wasn't afloat alert of the consequences of his actions. Steinberg was cross-examined for respective hours arsenic District Attorney Katharine Decker sought to found that adolescents are susceptible of impulse power and logical reasoning.

Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik (left) and Zachary Kwak (right) CBS

Koenig's trial, initially scheduled to statesman past summer, was delayed for a court-ordered valuation aft his attorneys raised concerns astir an ADHD diagnosis.

Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning. The defence asserted that what Koenig did was manslaughter, not murder.

"Did helium marque a batch of atrocious decisions? Yes. Knowingly and intentionally," 1 authoritative said.

Koenig's defence didn't reason that helium didn't perpetrate a transgression but pleaded that the assemblage find him blameworthy of a reckless manslaughter charge.

"You're right. What Joe Koenig did was a crime. He is guilty. We're asking you to find him blameworthy of what helium did."

FILE - Defendant Joseph Koenig listens listens to territory tribunal justice Christopher C. Zenisek during an arraignment successful Jefferson County territory tribunal connected Wednesday, May 3, 2023, successful Golden, Colo.  AAron Ontiveroz / AP

Sentencing for Koenig has been scheduled for 8:30 a.m. connected June 3. Victims and their families are expected to talk astatine the sentencing. 

Sentencing hearings for Karol-Chik and Kwak person been scheduled for adjacent week, May 1 and May 2, respectively, aft the verdict successful Koenig's trial.