Category: Cases

GOLDEN, Colo. (Jan 21, 2026) – Today, Stephen Robert Geer, the driver responsible for the crash that killed Golden Police Officer Evan Dunn and injured three others, has been sentenced to 13 years in the Department of Corrections.

GOLDEN, Colo. (Oct. 13, 2025) – The two men responsible for the 2023 murder and robbery of Wheat Ridge jewelry store owner Peter Arguello have now both been convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

GOLDEN, Colo. (June 18, 2025) – The First Judicial District’s eighth Fresh Start warrant event, held on June 7 at the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility, cleared 99 low-level warrants and connected dozens of participants to community resources. The Fresh Start initiative provides individuals with an opportunity to resolve outstanding warrants without the fear of arrest, while also easing strain on the justice system by allowing law enforcement and court resources to focus on higher-risk cases. Powered by court staff, attorneys, and community partners who volunteer their time, the program continues to deliver relief to hundreds of individuals and measurable savings to taxpayers.

GOLDEN, Colo. (Jun. 3, 2025) – Mckinley Slone Hernandez was sentenced to 18 years in the Department of Corrections (DOC) for the injuries sustained by a two-year-old boy while in her care. In April, following a seven-day trial, a Jefferson County jury found Hernandez guilty of one count of Child Abuse - Recklessly Causing Serious Bodily Injury. As a result of the conviction, Hernandez faced a prison sentence ranging from 10 to 32 years.

GOLDEN, Colo. (Jun. 3, 2025) – Joseph Edwin Koenig was sentenced to life in prison plus sixty years this morning for the murder of Alexa Bartell and the series of rock throwing attacks between Feb. 25, 2023, and Apr. 19, 2023. On April 25, 2025, Koenig was convicted by a Jefferson County jury on all 19 counts, including Extreme Indifference Murder in the First Degree, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

GOLDEN, Colo. (May 5, 2025) – Brenda Renee Hamilton has been sentenced to 3 years of probation for the crimes she committed between July 2019 and November 2023, while Hamilton served as Town Clerk for the Town of Lakeside. Hamilton previously pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $26,088.00 in restitution to the Town. As a result of her plea, she faced up to three years in prison.

GOLDEN, Colo. (May 2, 2025) – Zachary Hiestand Kwak was sentenced to 32 years in the Department of Corrections for his role in a series of rock-throwing attacks on the night of April 19, 2023. Kwak previously pleaded guilty to three charges and agreed to testify in the trial against his co-defendant, Joseph Koenig. As a result of his plea, he faced a minimum of 20 years and up to 32 years in prison.

GOLDEN, Colo. (May 1, 2025) – Nicholas James Karol-Chik was sentenced to 45 years in the Department of Corrections for his role in a series of rock-throwing attacks between February 25, 2023, and April 19, 2023. Karol-Chik previously pleaded guilty to two substantive charges and a sentence enhancer and agreed to testify in the trial against his co-defendant, Joseph Koenig. As a result of his plea, he faced a minimum of 35 years and up to 72 years in prison, upon satisfying its terms.

GOLDEN, Colo. (March 12, 2025) – District Attorney Alexis King is pleased to announce the launch of a new Proof of Insurance (POI) program which allows individuals who have been charged with driving without insurance to submit a copy of their insurance directly to the District Attorney’s Office through a dedicated online portal. This initiative aims to streamline the process for individuals charged with no proof of insurance, allowing community members to resolve their summons without the need to appear in court, and promoting safer, insured driving while improving the efficiency of our court system.