A Hawaii anesthesiologist accused of trying to murder his wife during a cliffside hike has been found guilty of attempted manslaughter, a lesser charge. Gerhardt Konig, 47, was convicted by a Honolulu jury on Wednesday after a day of deliberations.
Prosecutors alleged that Konig planned to kill his wife, Arielle Konig, during a birthday trip to Honolulu in March 2025. They said he tried to push her off a cliff, stab her with a syringe, and then struck her with a rock before two hikers interrupted the attack. Deputy prosecutor Joel Garner told jurors that Konig had multiple backup plans, all ending in Arielle's death.
Konig testified in his own defence, claiming his wife attacked him first with a rock and that he acted in self-defence. His lawyer, Thomas Otake, argued that the prosecution's narrative made no sense, suggesting that if Konig had intended to kill his wife, he would have used the syringe first. Otake described Konig as a man struggling with infidelity rather than a would-be murderer.
The trial, livestreamed by Court TV, revealed the couple's marital problems. Arielle admitted to an emotional affair with a co-worker, which Konig discovered by unlocking her phone. During the hike, Konig allegedly grabbed her and moved her toward the cliff edge, but she threw herself to the ground. She said he straddled her with a syringe, but she batted it away and bit his arm.
Konig denied having a syringe and said he wrestled the rock from his wife and struck her in self-defence. After the attack, he hid on the mountain for eight hours and called his adult son, who told authorities his father said he 'tried to kill your stepmom.' Konig denied making that confession. He attempted to flee when confronted by police.
