“HIS DENIAL ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE.” The Man at the Center Speaks—But Doubts Keep Growing

A Hawaii jury has convicted Gerhardt Konig of attempted manslaughter based upon extreme mental or emotional disturbance

A Hawaii jury has ruled anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig is guilty of trying to push his wife off a cliff in March 2025.

Konig was convicted of attempted manslaughter based upon extreme mental or emotional disturbance, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Konig was convicted on Wednesday, April 8, more than a year after his wife Arielle Konig alleged he tried to kill her. Gerhardt had testified he attacked Arielle in self-defense.

“I want to thank the jurors, the survivor, the independent witnesses at the scene who helped her, the investigators of the Honolulu Police Department, and the determined, thorough, and at all times professional work by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joel Garner. It’s a good day for the good guys,” said Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

The high-profile trial included testimonies from Arielle, a 37-year-old nuclear engineer, her stepson and Gerhardt’s son Emile Konig, a responding officer and a hiker who witnessed the attack.

Gerhardt Konig in court (left); and Arielle Konig in court.AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, Pool; Court TV

In her testimony on March 24, 2026, Arielle claimed Gerhardt tried to pull her to the edge of a steep cliff before trying to inject her with an unknown substance and eventually bashing her head with a rock.

Gerhardt fled the scene when two hikers who heard Arielle’s screams for help called 911.

Emile testified against his own father on March 31, and told the jury that Gerhardt called him immediately after the attack and said he had “tried to kill” Arielle and that he was going to jump off a cliff.

Gerhardt also told Emile that Arielle had “gotten away” after he attacked her, Emile told the jury, referring to his father throughout as “the defendant.”

Konig is awaiting sentencing and will continue to be held until then at Oʻahu Community Correctional Center.

PEOPLE have reached out to Arielle’s lawyer for comment.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Gerhardt Konig was on trial in March 2026, a year after he attempted to push his wife while on a hike

Gerhardt Konig; Arielle Konig.Credit : Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP; Court TV

What started as a celebratory hike for Gerhardt Konig and his wife, Arielle Konig, ended in attempted murder.

In March 2025, the couple went on an outdoor excursion in Hawaii for Arielle’s birthday. The hike turned violent when Gerhardt attacked Arielle and tried to inject her with a syringe before trying to push her off a cliff.

A year later, in March 2026, Arielle testified against Gerhardt in court, recalling the incident and what led to the physical assault.

Here’s what to know about the shocking case of Gerhardt Konig, and why he attempted to murder his wife while on a hike in Oahu, Hawaii.

Gerhardt and Arielle moved to Hawaii in 2022

Gerhardt Konig appears in court before closing arguments on April 7, 2026, in Honolulu.AP Photo/Mengshin Lin, Pool

Gerhardt, a Hawaii-based anesthesiologist, lived on Maui with his wife, Arielle, a nuclear engineer.

At the time of the attack on their hike, the pair had been married for more than six years.

According to CNN, Gerhardt and Arielle were married in 2018, and share two sons together, Olin and Viggo. Gerhardt also has two children from a previous marriage.

They moved to Maui for work in 2022.

Arielle claimed that Gerhardt tried to push her off a cliff in March 2025

Arielle Konig.Court TV

Gerhardt and Arielle went on a hike on March 24, 2025, to celebrate Arielle’s 36th birthday.

The outing took a dark turn when Gerhardt attempted to throw Arielle off a steep cliff on the Pali Puka Trail in Oʻahu.

At the trial a year later, in March 2026, Arielle recalled how her husband tried to drag her toward an edge. Gerhardt then attempted to inject her with a syringe, before bashing her head with a rock.

In her testimony, Arielle told the court that during the alleged attack Gerhardt told her, “Nobody’s gonna hear you out here. Nobody’s coming to save you.”

She fought back by biting him and squeezing his testicles, per CNN. Arielle also brought up their kids, to which he told her, “You’re done, we don’t need you anymore.”

But Gerhardt briefly paused when she said, “You can’t face our kids after this.”

“He did seem to calm down a little bit,” Arielle continued. “He took a breath and then he just started hitting me with rocks.”

Gerhardt and Arielle had been going through marital problems

Gerhardt Konig and Arielle Konig.Gerhardt Konig/Facebook

At the time of the alleged attack, Gerhardt and Arielle had been married for over six years, but they were experiencing marital problems.

In Arielle’s testimony, she recounted that Gerhardt had discovered she was having an “emotional affair” with a male co-worker. He started becoming suspicious after she went on a business trip with him, according to CNN.

Gerhardt then started reading their messages to each other. “She was obviously deleting things and trying to hide things,” Gerhardt said at the trial, per CNN. “I just wanted to understand what was going on.”

Arielle confirmed that she would delete their “flirty texts” but stated that her relationship with the make co-worker never became physical.

Gerhardt said he was “devastated,” but they decided to stay together and try to repair their marriage through counseling.

Since the hiking incident, Arielle has filed for divorce, according to the Associated Press.

Arielle was saved by two hikers who heard her screams for help

Arielle Konig and witnesses; Arielle Konig in court.Court TV (2)

According to an affidavit, while she was being attacked, Arielle cried, “Help! Help me!”

A hiker heard her and came to the scene to find Gerhardt with a rock in his hand. “He is trying to kill me. He is hitting me in the head with a rock,” Arielle reportedly said at the time.

Gerhardt left the scene, while the hiker and their friend called 911.

Bodycam footage from the responding officer showed a bloodied Arielle being helped down the trail by the two hikers.

Gerhardt was arrested hours after the attack

Gerhardt Konig in court; Mugshot for Gerhardt Konig.Court TV; Honolulu Police Department

Emile Konig, Gerhardt’s son and Arielle’s stepson, testified in court, telling the jury that his dad FaceTimed him after the alleged assault. According to Emile, on the call, Gerhardt said he had “tried to kill” Arielle.

“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,’ ” recalled Emile, according to ABC7 Chicago.

Gerhardt also indicated he was planning on jumping off of a cliff, and reportedly told Emile to take care of his younger brothers.

Per the Associated Press, Gerhardt hid on the mountain for eight hours. After he descended, Gerhardt was eventually arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder. His bail was set at $5 million.

Immediately following the incident, Arielle filed a temporary petition, accusing Gerhardt of being driven by “extreme jealousy.” She also said he was attempting to control her, and had been sexually abusing her.

In April 2026, he was convicted of attempted manslaughter

Gerhardt Konig reacts after the verdict is read on April 8, 2026, in Honolulu.Jamm Aquino/Honolulu Star-Advertiser via AP, Pool

In March 2026, a year after the alleged attack, Gerhardt’s trial took place.

Gerhardt said he attacked Arielle out of self-defense, but on April 8, the jury found him guilty of trying to push her off a cliff.

In an unanimous verdict, he was convicted of attempted manslaughter based upon extreme mental or emotional disturbance, per NBC News.

According to ABC News, Gerhardt was not convicted of the more serious charge of second-degree attempted murder.

His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 13, where he faces the maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.