Editor’s note: Nicholas Karol-Chik was sentenced to 45 years in prison. Read more in this story.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Thursday morning, the first of three friends will be sentenced in the killing of 20-year-old Alexa Bartell.
Nicholas Karol-Chik agreed to testify against his friend Joseph Koenig after accepting a plea bargain. According to Karol-Chik, Koenig was responsible for throwing a rock through the windshield of Bartell’s car, resulting in her death.
Zachary Kwak was also in the car and he took a plea deal as well.
Karol-chik pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, committing a crime of violence and attempted first-degree murder.
The plea deal reduced his original charge of first-degree murder, and required him to testify against Koenig during his trial, which ended last week.
Christopher Decker, a legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, explained that the plea deal allowed Karol-Chik to avoid a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder. This arrangement provides the young defendant with a chance to potentially serve the sentence and be released from prison before the end of his natural life.
Decker noted that in cases involving a group committing a heinous crime, it is common for prosecutors to offer a deal to the least culpable member of the group. This approach helps strengthen the prosecution’s case against the main perpetrator.
Crime
Alexa Bartell death: Man convicted of murder in JeffCo rock-throwing case
“His lawyers will stand up and will argue that while he was a participant of this horrific set of crimes, that after he participated in it, he made the right decision to admit his responsibility assist the prosecution in convicting the individual who was arguably more culpable, and in that fashion, assisted the prosecution in obtaining the conviction that they got a week or so ago,” said Decker.”
Karol-Chik did admit to throwing rocks at at least nine other cars
His sentencing will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Prosecutors are expecting seven people to speak
Kwak is slated to be sentenced Friday. He faces 20-32 years in prison.
