Jury finds Maui doctor guilty of attempted manslaughter

An Oahu Circuit Court jury today found a 47-year-old Maui anesthesiologist guilty of attempted manslaughter in the attack of his wife on a Nuuanu trail last year.

Gerhardt Konig was accused of attempted murder for allegedly trying to push his wife, Arielle, off a cliff on the Pali Puka Trail, trying to use a syringe to inject her with an unknown substance, and striking her head multiple times with a rock. The attack occurred on March 24, 2025, Arielle’s 36th birthday.

After a three-week trial, the jury began deliberations early Tuesday afternoon and, at 2:18 p.m. today, reached a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter based on extreme mental or emotional disturbance.

The state attributed Konig’s actions to his obsession with the “emotional affair” his wife was having with a co-worker.

Konig’s son, Emile Konig, 20, testified that his father called him shortly after the attack, admitted that he tried to kill Arielle, now 37, and claiming that she cheated on him. He told his son that he had to go because police were after him and that he wouldn’t be returning to Maui, Emile Konig testified.

The defense claimed self-defense. They alleged that Arielle Konig, a nuclear engineer, pushed Gerhardt Konig first, and that while she was on the ground, grabbed his testicles and hit him first. The defense also said her alleged motive was to collect his $1.5 million insurance policy.

The Honolulu prosecutor’s office said attempted manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and that Gerhardt Konig will continue to be held at the Oahu Community Correctional Center pending sentencing.