A Hawaii anesthesiologist is on trial facing charges he tried to kill his wife during what started as a birthday hike on Oahu.
Gerhardt Konig, 47, and Arielle Konig had been married since 2018 and lived in a $1.5 million home on Maui. They headed to the Pali Puka Trail near the Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout on March 24, 2024.
Prosecutors say Konig tried to push Arielle toward a cliff, then allegedly pulled out a syringe before smashing her head several times with a jagged rock. Two hikers heard her screaming “help, help, help me” and saw a man on top of her. She crawled away with blood on her face while he took off into the trees
Konig later FaceTimed his 19-year-old son Emile and said he had tried to kill Arielle because she cheated on him for several months. He told the teen he was at the end of his rope and planned to jump, police said. An eight-hour search ended when officers spotted him running out of the woods and arrested him after a short foot chase.
Konig has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder. His lawyer Thomas Otake told jurors during opening statements that Arielle hit her husband in the face with a rock first. Otake said Konig grabbed it and struck her only twice in reaction, arguing the injuries were not as severe as claimed and pushing for a lesser assault charge instead.
Prosecutor Joel Garner laid out the state’s version: Konig had researched the cliffside spot ahead of time, the couple had gone to counseling after her affair with a married coworker named Jeffrey Miller, and they thought things were back on track before the trip.
The trial, which started around last week, is expected to wrap up by mid-April.
