Gerhardt Konig has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder.

A Hawaii doctor who is accused of trying to murder his wife while on a Hawaii hiking trail last year took the stand in his trial on Wednesday — denying that he tried to kill her while contending that he was trying to defend himself.

Dr. Gerhardt Konig, 47, is accused of beating his wife, Arielle Konig, with a rock on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu on March 24, 2025. The anesthesiologist has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder.

His wife testified last week in the Honolulu trial that the two had traveled to Oahu from their home in Maui to celebrate her birthday. She said the couple, who have two young sons together, had been working on repairing their marriage after her husband found what she characterized as “flirty” WhatsApp messages between her and a colleague in December 2024 in what was an “emotional affair.”

 

She testified that during the hike, her husband pushed her toward the edge of the cliff and, as they wrestled on the ground, produced a syringe and vial. She said he proceeded to beat her with a rock as many as 10 times, leaving her head and face bloodied, and that she believed he was trying to knock her unconscious to drag her over the edge.

Gerhardt Konig took to the stand in his own defense on Wednesday, offering a far different account from what his wife testified happened on the hike last year.

Gerhardt Konig testifies during his attempted murder trial in Honolulu, April 1, 2026.
Pool via ABC News

He testified that his wife pushed him first after they got into an argument about from the affair.

“I felt, like, a shove, and I was almost pushed over the edge,” he said.

Gerhardt Konig testified that they then struggled on the ground and she hit him with a rock first. He said he then took the rock from her and struck her with it twice.

He denied having any syringes or trying to pull her toward the edge of the cliff, and said he never planned on hurting her that day. After bystanders came to Arielle Konig’s aid, Gerhardt Konig left the scene.

In the aftermath, he said he felt suicidal.

“I just felt hopeless at that point in terms of everything,” he said. “I felt horrified about what I did to her, that I had caused this to her, that I had resorted to violence against my wife, the person who I love the most in the world. And I just kind of felt hopeless in terms of our relationship, too.”

Shortly after the incident, he said he made a FaceTime call to his 20-year-old son from a prior marriage, Emile Konig, in that moment to say goodbye.

His son testified about the FaceTime call on Tuesday. Asked by the prosecutor to recount what his father said during the call, Emile Konig responded, “That he would not be making it back to Maui and to take good care of the younger kids, and that Ari, my stepmom, had been cheating on him, and that he tried to kill her.”

“During that call, the next plan that he said was to jump off the cliff,” Emile Konig testified, adding that his father said he was “at the end of his rope.”

Gerhardt Konig pushed back against his son’s testimony and denied making any confession. He told the court that what he said during the call was, “She said I tried to kill her.”

Gerhardt Konig’s testimony is set to continue on Thursday when he is cross-examined by prosecutors.

Arielle Konig testifies during her husband’s attempted murder trial in Honolulu, March 24, 2026.
Pool via ABC News

Two women came upon the couple during the incident, with one telling a 911 operator, “Someone’s currently being attacked on the top of Pali Puka. There’s a man trying to kill her,” according to audio of the call played in court.

Gerhardt Konig was arrested following an hourslong manhunt, prosecutors said.

Arielle Konig testified she was treated at a hospital for “severe complex scalp lacerations” and showed the court scarring on her scalp.

Arielle Konig filed for divorce in May 2025, seeking full custody of the couple’s two children.

Gerhardt Konig, who worked as an anesthesiologist on Maui, has been in jail since his arrest. Following his arrest, Maui Health said his medical staff privileges at Maui Memorial Medical Center have been suspended pending investigation.