Hawaii doctor found guilty of trying to kill wife during hike denied new trial
A doctor who was found guilty of trying to kill his wife during an altercation on a Hawaii hiking trail was denied a new trial, after a judge found there was no evidence of outside influence on the jurors who convicted him of attempted manslaughter.
Defense attorneys for Dr. Gerhardt Konig had argued in their motion for a new trial that they had "significant concerns about the validity and integrity of that verdict," citing information from prosecutors "suggesting that a juror may have communicated during deliberations with an individual watching a livestream of the trial proceedings."
The anonymous comment on a livestream of the attempted murder trial stated, "I've been texting with one of the juror’s [sic] and they’re going for count 3 attempted manslaughter [shocked emoji]."
Judge Paul B.K. Wong called back all the jurors to court and, over two days this month, asked them if they were aware of any juror discussing the jury's deliberations or verdict with anyone outside the deliberation room. All jurors testified no.
"There is no evidence that the jury was subjected to outside influence," Wong said in court Friday while issuing his decision on the motion. "Accordingly, the verdict in this case was unanimous and impartial, and based on those findings of fact and conclusions of law, defendant's motion for a new trial is respectfully denied."
The defense had also argued that they believed the jury misunderstood the court's instructions, citing interviews that two jurors, including the foreperson, gave to the media.
Wong said Hawaii case law prohibits juror testimony on the internal mental processes of other jurors. He noted that after the verdict was reached in April, each juror affirmed that they agreed with the verdict read in court.
Konig was set to be sentenced in August, though the hearing was postponed after the defense filed a motion seeking a new trial.
His sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 8, 2027. The attempted manslaughter charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Prosecutors alleged that the anesthesiologist attacked his wife, Arielle Konig, near a cliff while on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu for her birthday on March 24, 2025, by pushing her near the edge and then beating her multiple times with a rock.
Gerhardt Konig pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder. The jury convicted him of a lesser charge -- attempted manslaughter based upon extreme mental or emotional disturbance -- following several hours of deliberations.
The jurors were instructed to consider the attempted manslaughter charge and various assault charges if they were unable to find Konig guilty of second-degree attempted murder.
Jurors heard nearly three weeks of testimony in the Honolulu trial. Both Gerhardt Konig and his wife took the stand, presenting widely differing accounts of what happened on the hike.
Arielle Konig testified that her husband pushed her toward the edge of the cliff before beating her with a rock as many as 10 times. She said she believed he was trying to knock her unconscious in order to drag her over the edge of the cliff.
While testifying in his own defense over two days, Gerhardt Konig maintained that he never intended to hurt his wife and acted in self-defense when he struck her with the rock.
Gerhardt Konig, who worked as an anesthesiologist on Maui, has been in custody since his arrest.
Arielle Konig filed for divorce in May 2025, seeking full custody of the couple's two young children.
