A police camera shows the wife covered in blood after the alleged attack
Jurors were shown body camera footage of the aftermath of the alleged attack, as Arielle Konig lay bloodied and disoriented on a hiking trail as bystanders tried to help and police searched the scene. (KHON-FOX)
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A Hawaii doctor accused of trying to kill his wife took action Wednesday, saying he attacked her first in a violent struggle on a Maui hiking trail.
Gerhardt Konig is charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to kill his wife on March 24, 2025. He testified on Wednesday that on the day of the alleged attack, the couple was out for a walk, something he said they often did together – as jurors were shown photos of the trip.
He told the court he chose the route because it “looked good” after researching the new route.
Konig said that after an argument over allegations that he was having an affair, he left, then came back to find his wife, Arielle, still on the road, and his situation suddenly changed.
FORMER HAWAII DOCTOR’S MANAGER SAYS AESTHESIOLOGIES HAVE KILLING BENEFITS AS WOMAN TESTIFIES OF FEMALE ATTACK.
Gerhardt Konig sits in court in Maui as he faces charges of attempted murder involving his wife. (KHON-FOX)
He told the judges he was sorry, said he didn’t want to waste the day, and suggested they work out their problems in therapy. The two even took selfies.
After a while, Konig said, everything changed.
He revealed that he was standing on the top, trying to process what had just happened, when he heard what he described as shuffling.
“When I turned around, I said, ‘What the f— was that?'” he told the court.
Konig said he went to his wife, asking why she was crying, and she said he grabbed her wrists and pulled her down.
He revealed that during the struggle he grabbed her genitals, adding that everything that followed happened very quickly.
FORMER HAWAII DOCTOR’S MANAGER SAYS AESTHESIOLOGIES HAVE KILLING BENEFITS AS WOMAN TESTIFIES OF FEMALE ATTACK.
Arielle Konig testified in court during the Maui attempted murder trial involving her estranged husband. (KHON-FOX)
Konig said he then hit him in the side of the face with a rock.
Jurors were shown a photo of Konig with visible marks on his face.
He revealed that he was able to fight the rock and admitted that he hit Arielle twice while she was still holding on to his private part, saying that he did it out of instinct to protect himself.
Konig testified that he didn’t mean to hurt her and said he was upset, appearing distraught.
“I felt terrible about what I did to him, that I started violence against my wife, the person I love the most,” he told the judges. “I also felt hopeless in our marriage.”
Konig said he believed his marriage and career were over and testified he heard his wife crying and saying she was trying to kill him.
He told jurors that he became suicidal after the incident, saying he felt “hopeless.”
THE DOCTOR’S WIFE WAS SEEN ON THE BODY DROPPED IN BLOOD AFTER SHOUTING FOR HELP FROM THE ALLEGED HUSBAND’S ATTACK.
Body camera footage shows Arielle Konig being helped by hikers after an alleged attack on a hiking trail in Hawaii. (KHON-FOX)
Konig revealed that he decided to jump and called his son, Emil, to say goodbye. Konig testified that he was not in a good state of mind when he made the call.
“He saved my life that day,” she said through tears.
Konig told jurors that he did not try to kill his wife that day – denying that he pushed her off a cliff or tried to kill her with injections.
Earlier in his testimony, Konig described what he said was a sudden breakdown in what he believed to be a “perfect” marriage.
He told jurors that the relationship was “good,” with no red flags, and that the couple planned to stay in Maui until their children graduated from high school.
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Hawaii doctor Gerhardt Konig appears before a judge via video during a trial after being charged with allegedly trying to kill his wife Monday, April 7, 2025, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
Konig said that he is in charge of the family’s finances, describing himself as a “careful person who knows how to follow everything,” and emphasized that everything they have is shared.
But he said things changed after his wife’s trip to South Africa, where he failed to check in overnight, something he described as unusual.
Konig testified that she became suspicious of her relationship with a co-worker, pointing to a different “tone,” increased phone use, and behavior she described as secretive.
He later said that he opened his phone while he was sleeping and found messages hidden on WhatsApp in a closed notification folder.
A closed sign marks the start of a hiking trail where Hawaiian doctor Gerhardt Konig is accused of trying to kill his wife at Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)
According to Konig, the messages show constant communication with the Maryland man, including pictures and song lyrics, before suddenly stopping after a trip to South Africa.
He said these messages later disappeared completely.
Konig testified that it was a major turning point – leading him to believe his wife was having an affair.
As he described the discovery, Konig became emotional.
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“I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I felt bad.”
Konig told jurors that he later confronted his wife during a visit to San Luis Obispo, where she admitted the relationship was “totally inappropriate.”
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Gerhardt Konig is facing a charge of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to kill his wife while they were on a hiking trip in Hawaii. Konig was arrested after an hours-long manhunt along Pali Highway. (Honolulu Police Department)
He said he had planned another trip with the man but canceled it and agreed to cut off communication except for work emails.
Konig also testified that he reached out to the man’s wife, telling jurors, “I felt that if I were in his shoes, I would want to know.”
Konig said she chose not to tell family or friends, saying she wanted to protect him.
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Defense attorney Thomas Otake also questioned Konig about his background, including his previous marriage when he was 20. The couple had two children, Ophelia and Emil.
Emil Konig testified last day that his father called him after the alleged attack and said he tried to kill Arielle, but got away – a claim at the heart of the prosecution’s case.
A general view of the hiking trail at Nuuanu Pali Lookout and park in Oahu, Hawaii. (Stock)
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Jurors also heard from additional witnesses.
Chuck Bussler, owner of Fête Restaurant, testified that Konig’s reservation was made through OpenTable for March 24, 2025, but was eventually marked as a no-show.
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The doctor of diseases affecting cases Dr. Jonathan Arden testified that the injuries to the victim’s head, although bloody, were not life-threatening and did not involve the skull or brain. He agreed that it did not meet the standard of serious injury and said that the injury was consistent with two to three impacts, not ten blows.
On cross-examination, prosecutors highlighted Arden’s role as a paid expert who often testified for the defense.
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Prosecutors say Konig attacked his wife on that mountain, hitting her multiple times in an attempted murder.
Konig pleaded not guilty.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicide and immigration crime. Send news tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
