Judge rejects reduced prison sentence for participant in Colorado rock-throwing spree

Alexa Bartell Provided by Jefferson County Sheriff's Department A Jefferson County judge refused to reduce the prison sentence for one of the men convicted in the killing of -year-old Alexa Bartell during a spree of rock-throwing attacks more than two years ago Nicholas Mitch Karol-Chik was sentenced in May to years in prison for Bartell s death She was killed in April when Karol-Chik and two other teenagers threw a -pound rock through her windshield as she drove on Indiana Street near the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge The rock struck Bartell in the head In September Karol-Chik sought to knock years off his sentence through a post-sentencing review citing his good behavior in prison He noted that he d applied for a -year prison training scheme through which he expects to receive a bachelor s degree in Christian studies and then work in chaplains offices across the prison system First Judicial District Court Judge Christopher Zenisek who presided over Karol-Chik s situation and imposed the original -year prison sentence opted against holding a hearing to listen to arguments about sentence reduction and instead denied Karol-Chik s request in a brief Oct order Related Articles Participant in Colorado rock-throwing spree seeks reduced prison sentence Judge sentences man to years in prison in Colorado rock-throwing spree that killed Alexa Bartell Teen whooped with excitement after throwing fatal rock in Jeffco spree second accomplice testifies Teens drove mph before fatal throw in Jeffco rock-throwing spree accomplice testifies Rock-throwing accused turned back to take photo of fatal crash as memento Jeffco affidavit says The court in its discretion determines that the sentence is appropriate as originally imposed due to the severity of the offense and society safety concerns Zenisek wrote Karol-Chik was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Bartell s killing He faced between and years in prison under the terms of his plea agreement The two other participants in the attack are also serving decades-long prison sentences Joseph Koenig was convicted of first-degree murder in a jury trial and sentenced to life in prison Zachary Kwak was convicted of assault and attempted assault and sentenced to years in prison the maximum manageable sentence All three men were at the time of the rock-throwing spree They rode together in a truck and egged each other on as they threw rocks first at parked cars and then at passing cars as the night went on The driver of the truck sped up before the attacks and Koenig whooped with excitement after Bartell was killed and her car drifted off the road testimony at trial revealed Prosecutors argued during Koenig s jury trial that he threw the rock that killed Bartell his defense attorneys argued that Kwak threw it Both sides acknowledged that all three teenagers could be convicted in Bartell s killing regardless of who threw the rock Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day