A Hawaii anesthesiologist has been found guilty of attempted manslaughter after a jury determined he attacked his wife during what was supposed to be a birthday celebration hike on the island of Oahu.
A Honolulu jury deliberated for one day before returning a verdict against Gerhardt Konig on April 8, 2026. Gerhardt, 47, was convicted of attempted manslaughter based on extreme mental or emotional disturbance.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place on August 13, and he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Here is everything to know about the guilty verdict, as well as the case and trial.
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How the Jury Made the Decision to Convict Gerhardt Konig
Jury foreperson Makalapua Atkins said deliberations focused on what was discussed during the trial. The jurors examined the testimony of those who were at the scene, as well as discussed the similarities and inconsistencies in their stories.
“At the end of the day when it comes down to it, she was hit in the head. And a head injury can be serious. And that’s a very deadly part of the body,” Atkins told reporters, per the Associated Press.
Jurors ultimately believed that Gerhardt’s wife Arielle Konig’s relationship with her coworker was sufficient to cause “an emotional disturbance,” which Atkins said impacted the verdict.
Gerhardt Konig Plans to Appeal His Guilty Verdict
After the verdict was revealed, Gerhardt’s defense attorney, Thomas Otake, said he planned to appeal. However, he also said that the defense respected the jury’s decision.
“We are thankful that they did not convict him of attempted murder, which would have been life in prison,” Otake said, according to the Associated Press. “We look forward to an appeal related to some of the judge’s rulings throughout the case.”
Gerhardt Konig’s Attack on the Pali Puka Trail
Gerhardt was charged with second-degree attempted murder after he was accused of beating Arielle, 37, with a rock on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu on March 24, 2025. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Prosecutors said that Gerhardt attempted to kill Arielle during a weekend trip to Honolulu to celebrate her birthday, which took place after he learned that she had an inappropriate relationship with a coworker.
According to prosecutors, Gerhardt first tried to push Arielle off a Hawaiian cliffside when they were on a hike, as well as attempted to inject her with a syringe. He also allegedly smashed her head with a jagged rock several times.
The attack did not stop until a pair of hikers heard Arielle screaming and found the couple. Gerhardt was arrested one day after the incident.
Meanwhile, Gerhardt’s defense team claimed Arielle attacked him first after he confronted her about an emotional affair with her coworker. They also alleged that he hit her with the rock in self-defense.
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Arielle Konig Recalled the Attack in Her Testimony
Arielle took the stand before a jury on March 24, 2026, to testify against her husband. She told the judge that she survived the alleged attack after hikers nearby heard her screaming for help and called 911.
“I felt hopeful that this was a turning point for us in our marriage, and that this was going to be a nice trip and kind of started the next chapter for us,” Arielle told the courtroom about the trip.
Arielle said that Gerhardt took her on a hike on a steep cliff. During the hike, she said she refused to go up an elevation because she was scared of how steep it was. She later took a photo with Gerhardt against a steep cliff, which she said made her feel uneasy. She then asked Gerhardt to step aside so she could move away from the edge.
As she began to walk toward her husband, Arielle claimed that Gerhardt grabbed her by her arms and said, “I’m so f***ing done with this s***” and “get back over there.”
Arielle explained that she tried to stop Gerhardt by talking about their children. “Our kids will be orphans,” she recalled telling him. “You’ll go to jail and I’ll be dead; our kids need us.”
She then claimed that Gerhardt said, “You’re done. We don’t need you anymore.”
Gerhardt allegedly stopped hitting her after two hikers nearby heard Arielle’s calls for help and reported the disturbance to 911.
Graphic Evidence of Arielle Konig’s Injuries Were Shown to Jury
An evidence specialist and responding officers testified on the fourth day of Gerhardt’s trial on March 25, 2026. They walked jurors through the alleged attack and the immediate aftermath, which included a video that captured Arielle appearing disoriented while covered in blood.
Throughout the video, people were seen helping Arielle as she had blood dripping down her face and a bandage on her head following the alleged attack. Jurors were also shown the rock that Gerhardt allegedly used to hit her as he attempted to push her off a cliff.
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Son Testified That Gerhardt Konig Confessed
Gerhardt’s son, Emile Konig, took the stand on March 31, 2026, and said his father video called him and confessed to the attack just minutes after it happened.
“What did the defendant tell you during that call, as close to word-for-word as you can remember?” prosecutor Joel Garner asked.
Emile responded, “That he would not be making it back to Maui and to take good care of the younger kids and that he had — that Ari, my stepmom, had been cheating on him and that he tried to kill her.”
“I asked what was on his shirt, ‘cause it looked like I saw splatters of something on his shirt, and he said, ‘Oh, it’s just her,’ meaning Ari’s, blood,” Emile testified.
One hour after the first call, Emile said he received another video call from his father.
“He asked me if I had told anybody and I said ‘Yes’ and I told him who I had told, and then — he said that he was just gonna jump and said that a couple times,” Emile said.
Emile added that his father ended the second call by saying, “I’m gonna go before the police catch me.”
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Gerhardt Konig Testified That the Attack Was Self-Defense
While testifying during the trial, Gerhardt claimed that Arielle hit him with the rock first and he responded by attacking her in self-defense.
Gerhardt also denied telling his son on the video call that he’d tried to kill Arielle. He acknowledged the word “kill” might have come up in the conversation, though he said it wasn’t a confession.