Gerhardt Konig: Doctor discovered responsible of making an attempt to kill spouse on scenic hike in Hawaii | EUROtoday

A Hawaii anesthesiologist has been convicted of the lesser offense of tried manslaughter for allegedly making an attempt to kill his spouse on a cliffside hike final yr.

Gerhardt Konig, 47, was discovered responsible after a Honolulu jury deliberated for a day. The cost, tied to excessive psychological or emotional disturbance, carries a most sentence of 20 years.

Prosecutors mentioned Konig deliberate to kill his spouse, Arielle, throughout a birthday journey in March 2025, trying to push her off a cliff, stab her with a syringe and strike her with a rock earlier than two hikers who heard her cries for assist intervened.

His lawyer, Thomas Otake, confirmed plans to enchantment.

The defendant testified that it was his spouse who first hit him with a rock, and he hit her again in self-defense.

Konig had a plan and backup plans for murdering his spouse, Arielle Konig, throughout a weekend journey to Honolulu for her birthday in March 2025, deputy prosecutor Joel Garner advised jurors in a closing assertion Tuesday. Konig tried to push her off a cliff, and when that didn’t work, he tried to stab her with a syringe stuffed with an unknown substance.

And when that didn’t work, he grabbed the rock, Garner mentioned.

“Every backup plan ends in Arielle’s death,” Garner mentioned, displaying the rock and photographs of her accidents.

The physician’s lawyer advised jurors Tuesday there have been no such plans, and he repeatedly sought to solid doubt on Arielle Konig’s account. Gerhardt Konig has pleaded not responsible to tried homicide, and he insists he was defending himself from his spouse, who he says attacked him with the rock first.

If Gerhardt Konig had wished to kill his spouse and had entry to a syringe in a distant space, lawyer Thomas Otake urged, wouldn’t he have drugged her after which thrown her from the cliff, reasonably than having began a scuffle earlier than trying to fill the syringe as he was wrestling together with her?

“You would use the syringe first,” Otake mentioned. “It makes no sense.”

The trial began final month, practically a yr after Gerhadt and Arielle Konig went on a hike on the Pali Puka path in Honolulu that ended together with her bloodied and screaming that he had tried to kill her.

Their two younger sons stayed residence on Maui whereas the Konigs have been on the journey. Near a lookout providing sweeping views, Gerhardt Konig — upset about his spouse’s relationship with a coworker — attacked her, Garner mentioned. It was solely as a result of two different hikers interrupted the assault that he stopped, Garner mentioned.

The trial, with testimony livestreamed by Court TV, has aired the couple’s marital issues main as much as the hike, together with their variations of what occurred on the path.

Gerhardt Konig testified that his spouse was having an affair, which he confirmed by unlocking her cellphone whereas she slept. The relationship, which Arielle Konig characterised as an “emotional affair” involving flirty messages with a coworker, got here up through the hike.

Arielle Konig testified that her husband grabbed her and moved her towards the cliff’s edge, however she threw herself on the bottom in an try to carry on. He straddled her and had a syringe in his hand, she mentioned, however she batted it away. She bit his forearm and squeezed his testicles in an try and get him off her, she mentioned.

Her husband denied pushing her towards the sting and testified that she hit him with a rock on the facet of his face. He wrestled the rock away and hit her with it twice in self-defense, he mentioned.

Gerhardt Konig additionally denied having any syringes on the mountain or making an attempt to stab his spouse. His protection lawyer mentioned no syringe was discovered on the scene as a result of he by no means had one.

Otake mentioned Gerhardt Konig was not somebody who would attempt to commit homicide, however somebody who was combating infidelity and making an attempt to do his finest. Otake quoted from a heart-shaped birthday card Gerhardt Konig had written to his spouse, calling her “the heart of our family” and saying, “The kids and I hit the jackpot with you.”

Gerhardt Konig testified that as he watched his spouse crawl away, he believed his marriage and profession have been over, and he determined to leap to his loss of life. But first, he known as his grownup son from a earlier marriage. The son advised authorities that his father mentioned he “tried to kill your stepmom” — a confession Gerhardt Konig denied having made.

Konig testified that he known as his son to say goodbye.

During that decision, the defendant made no reference to having struck his spouse in self-defense, Garner mentioned.

He spent about eight hours hiding on the mountain earlier than deciding to return down, and even then, he tried to flee when confronted by police, Garner mentioned.

His spouse has since filed for divorce.

The nationwide home abuse helpline presents help for ladies on 0808 2000 247, or you may go to the Refuge web site. There is a devoted males’s recommendation line on 0808 8010 327. Those within the US can name the home violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other worldwide helplines will be discovered by way of www.befrienders.org