A judge sentenced 20-year-old Joseph Koenig to life in prison Tuesday morning for the death of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell, over two years after her death.

Bartell’s family packed court benches — as they’ve done at every hearing since Bartell’s death on April 19, 2023. Many cried, bracing each other as seven family members shared their love and grief at the stand.

Greg Bartell, the victim’s father, stood trembling in front of a portrait of his daughter he placed on the stand.

He said his daughter’s life had been “stolen by this low-life piece of garbage sitting over here who considers a fun night out throwing rocks at other cars before he finally finished his ultimate goal — the life of my daughter.”

Koenig sat throughout the two-hour hearing with his head down, appearing solemn as he did throughout the two-week murder trial that began on April 14 and came to a conclusion on April 25. 

“His actions didn’t just take Alexa’s life, they shattered countless others in the process,” Erin Miller, Bartell’s cousin, said to the court.

Ultimately, Koenig was found guilty of all 19 charges against him, including:

• Five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder for other incidents in which rocks or other objects were thrown at oncoming cars on Feb. 25, 2023, April 1, 2023, and April 23, 2023 — the night Bartell died.
• Three counts of third-degree assault for injuries suffered by three of those whose vehicles were hit by thrown objects and six counts of attempted third-degree assault.
• One count of reckless endangerment and two counts of attempted reckless manslaughter for other attacks in which the victims weren’t injured.

First Judicial District Judge Christopher Zenisek officially sentenced Koenig to 60 years running consecutively with a mandatory life in prison sentence following his first-degree murder conviction. The other sentences on the misdemeanor charges will run at the same time as the life sentence. 

“It is unspeakable the depth and gravity of sadness, anger and tragedy felt by Alexa Bartell’s family, friends and community,” Zenisek said. “There is no positive that comes out of this series of events and tragedies. The world needed more people like Alexa Bartell, not fewer.”

Earlier in May, Koenig’s co-defendants — 20-year-old Zachary Kwak and 20-year-old Nicholas Karol-Chik — were both sentenced in the same courtroom for Bartell’s death.

Kwak was sentenced to 32 years for first-degree assault, second-degree assault and attempt to commit second-degree assault.

Karol-Chik was sentenced to 45 years for second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

“What’s taken is taken. No amount of words or ‘I’m sorrys’ or ‘please forgive mes’ is going to fix that,” Jenna Griggs, Bartell’s girlfriend, said.

Griggs was the first to arrive on the scene, even before emergency responders, finding a harrowing scene that she says still haunts her.

Bartell was driving to her girlfriend’s home after being at a friend’s house around 11 p.m. when a landscaping rock smashed through her driver’s side window, immediately killing her and then exiting the rear window.

The incident happened near the 10600 block of Indiana Street near Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge.

Karol-Chik had handed Koenig a 9-pound landscaping rock. Koenig sped up to at least 80 mph and threw the rock from the driver’s side window, striking and killing Bartell.

“It’s so unfortunate that someone felt that my cousin’s life was only worth a cheap throw and a 9-pound rock,” Chelsea Bartell, Bartell’s cousin, said.

Chelsea Bartell added that when Alexa Bartell was 15, they passed by a car crash and she showed her empathy by worrying if the driver was OK.

“She bowed her head and prayed for complete strangers,” Bartell said, adding to the countless statements that described the victim as empathetic, compassionate, kind, beautiful and a “shining light.”

The incident that killed Bartell was not the first time the trio had thrown rocks at moving cars.

According to the prosecution, led by Chief Deputy District Attorney Katharine Decker, Koenig and Karol-Chik threw rocks at 10 moving cars on three dates between February and January. All nine of the other victims testified during the trial — some suffering just vehicle damage, others hurt by flying debris from the rocks. 

Kwak had joined the duo for the first time on April 19 after meeting them a few weeks prior, though Karol-Chik claimed he had thrown rocks with them before.

According to the co-defendants, the trio would whoop and cheer after striking the oncoming vehicles.

The three were arrested six days after the death. Both Kwak and Karol-Chik eventually claimed that Koenig was the one who threw the rock, taking plea deals for lesser charges.

Koenig’s defense attorney, Martin Stuart, claimed on Tuesday that Koenig agreed to testify and take a polygraph test, as well, but the district attorney’s office denied the attempt, forcing the case to trial.

Throughout the trial, the defense tried to convince jurors that Koenig never attempted to hurt anyone when he threw the rocks. Instead, the trio was just pulling pranks they deemed harmless.

The defense attorneys also brought in psychologists to talk about how adolescent brains aren’t developed enough yet, and that causes them to make rash decisions without fully thinking through consequences.

The three were 18 at the time of Bartell’s death.

“Every day since she has died it is the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think of when I go to sleep,” Koenig said to the court. “She must have been a very special person, and I know the world is a worst place without her in it.”

Koenig admitted that looking back on it now, it seems obvious that people were going to get hurt and he deserves his punishment.

“We do plan to do things that will carry her legacy,” Kelly Bartell, Alexa Bartell’s mother, said after the sentencing. “She was amazing and she loved everybody. She believed in forgiveness and being kind. We’ll carry that.”

Kelly Bartell thanked the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for its help and said they are prepared for Koenig and his attorneys appealing the sentence.

“I pray for them that they have a change,” she said of the three men sentenced.