The son of Hawaii doctor Gerhardt Konig testified against him in court this week, claiming that his father confessed to trying to kill his stepmother during a vacation they went on approximately one year ago.
Gerhardt, 47, has been charged with second-degree attempted murder after he was accused of beating his wife, Arielle Konig, with a rock on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu on March 24, 2025. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The doctor’s son, Emile Konig, took the stand on Tuesday, March 31, and said his father video called him and confessed to the attack just minutes after it happened, according to ABC 7 Chicago.
“What did the defendant tell you during that call, as close to word-for-word as you can remember?” prosecutor Joel Garner asked, per the outlet.
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.
Prosecutors claimed that Gerhardt first tried to push Arielle, 36, 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 didn’t stop until a pair of hikers heard Arielle screaming and found the couple.
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.”
Also during the hearing, Gerhardt’s defense team claimed Arielle attacked him first after he confronted her about an emotional affair. They also alleged that he hit her with the rock in self-defense.
During Emile’s cross examination, the defense pointed out that he didn’t remember certain parts of the call.
Garner later asked Emile if he had “any doubt in your mind about the defendant telling you he tried to kill Ariel,” and Emile responded, “No.”
Emile took the stand one week after Arielle testified during the trial on March 24.
She told the judge that she only survived the alleged attack because of the hikers who heard her screaming and called 911.
Arielle also recalled the beginning of their hike, saying she grew nervous over how steep the edge was. She said she walked toward her husband, and he grabbed her by her arms and said, “I’m so f**king done with this s**t” and “get back over there.”
Gerhardt then allegedly got on top of her and pulled out the syringe. “F**k you, you’re done,” Gerhardt allegedly said as he held her down. “I’m so sick of your s**t.”
