Criminalist testifies on DNA testing of lava rock prosecutors say was used to strike victim on Pali Puka Trail
Jurors in the attempted murder trial of a Maui doctor accused of trying to kill his wife examined the alleged weapon, a bloody rock.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Jurors in the attempted murder trial of a Maui doctor accused of trying to kill his wife examined the alleged weapon Friday: a bloody rock.
Michelle Amorin, a criminalist from the Honolulu Police Department, testified about DNA testing on a bloody lava rock found at the crime scene last March.
Prosecutors say Gerhardt Konig repeatedly struck his wife, Arielle, on the Pali Puka Trail last year with that rock.
DNA analysis: What testing showed
DNA swabs of the alleged attempted murder weapon were taken from the blood-stained side and from the unstained side of the rock.
“From the stained area at the bottom, how many contributors were there?” asked deputy prosecutor Joel Garner. In DNA testing, contributors means the number of people whose DNA is detected in a sample.
“There was one, female,” said Amorin.
“And from the unstained area of the rock, how many contributors were there?” asked Garner.
“There were two,” said Amorin.
Defense challenges evidence
The prosecution says Gerhardt Konig hit his wife multiple times with a rock, but the defense says she started the scuffle and that he hit her in self defense.
“Obviously DNA cannot tell us how the blood got there, correct?” asked Gerhardt Konig’s attorney, Thomas Otake.
“That is correct,” said Amorin.
“DNA cannot tell us how an altercation may have started, correct?” asked Otake.
“Yes,” said Amorin.
“DNA cannot tell us who may have started an altercation, correct?” asked Otake.
“Yes,” said Amorin.
Additional evidence examined
Evidence was also taken from Gerhardt’s blood soaked T-shirt. A big blood stain came from a female while his shorts had no human DNA.
Gerhardt’s 19-year-old son, Arielle’s stepson, is expected to testify on Tuesday. The jury will hear if Gerhardt confessed to the crime or if it was a desperate suicidal call.
News
Friend Speaks: A close friend of Lynette Hooker says Brian Hooker should “step up” the search in the Bahamas — but he responded by going out to a special place
(NewsNation) — After Brian Hooker left the Bahamas, where his wife, Lynette, vanished several days ago, friends of the couple have said he needs to “step up” in the search. Hooker’s attorneys said he flew back to the United States after learning his mother was seriously ill. As the search for Lynnette enters its 12th […]
Major Development: Authorities have arrested Brian Hooker in the U.S. linked to the Bahamas disappearance case
Brian Hooker Could Be Arrested In US Over Wife’s Disappearance—Attorney The husband of a woman who vanished at sea after reportedly falling off a boat in the Bahamas could face charges in the United States, a maritime attorney told Newsweek. Brian Hooker, 59, was released from police custody on Monday without charge after being questioned […]
Just In: Brian Hooker has been arrested in the U.S. in connection with the disappearance of his wife in the Bahamas
Brian Hooker Could Be Arrested In US Over Wife’s Disappearance—Attorney The husband of a woman who vanished at sea after reportedly falling off a boat in the Bahamas could face charges in the United States, a maritime attorney told Newsweek. Brian Hooker, 59, was released from police custody on Monday without charge after being questioned […]
Latest: Families of the 8 Shreveport v!ctims speak out in tears, saying the tragedy still feels impossible to believe
Suspect, father of 7 of the kids, fled to Bossier where he was shot dead SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office has now identified the eight children who were shot and killed in a domestic violence incident in Shreveport Sunday morning (April 19). Seven siblings and a cousin were shot and killed. […]
Heartbreaking: The families of the 8 v!ctims in the Shreveport tragedy have shared emotional letters through tears, saying they still cannot believe it happened
Suspect, father of 7 of the kids, fled to Bossier where he was shot dead SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) – The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office has now identified the eight children who were shot and killed in a domestic violence incident in Shreveport Sunday morning (April 19). Seven siblings and a cousin were shot and killed. […]
Latest: After returning to the family boat in the Bahamas, the daughter discovered a handwritten note from her missing mother inside a lower-deck drawer
In a Dateline exclusive, Karli Aylesworth visited the boat where her missing mother, Lynette Hooker, lived with her stepfather, Brian Hooker. For the first time since her mother’s disappearance, the daughter of a Michigan woman who went missing in the Bahamas is visiting a boat where her mother lived with her stepfather. In a Dateline […]
End of content
No more pages to load
