Arielle Konig set off for a hike on Oahu with her anesthesiologist husband on March 24.
And after they had posed for a photo at the edge of the 1,000-foot Nu’anu Pali Lookout, which offers sweeping views of the windward side of the island, Dr. Gerhardt Konig tried to kill his wife, according to Honolulu prosecutors.
The 36-year-old mother of two was found along the Pali Puka trail near the lookout spot with multiple head and facial injuries, according to a March 28 news release announcing that a grand jury had indicted Gerhardt, 46, on a charge of attempted murder.
He is accused of hitting Arielle in the head with a rock multiple times after first trying to push her off a cliff, per the release. Gerhardt fled the scene but was arrested later that same night following a foot pursuit near Nuuanu Pali Drive, prosecutors said.
Defense attorney Thomas Otake told E! News that Gerhardt plans to plead not guilty to attempted murder at his arraignment scheduled for April 7 and had no further comment at this time.
Bail was initially set at $5 million but, in the wake of the indictment, Gerhardt was remanded and remains in custody at O’ahu Community Correctional Center, according to prosecutors.
In the meantime, Arielle has secured a temporary restraining order against her spouse of six years, with whom she shares two sons, ages 2 and 4.
In her March 27 TRO petition, obtained by E! News, Arielle accused Gerhardt of recent abusive behavior before the alleged attack:
Here is what to know about how this case has unfolded so far:
What Was Going On in Gerhardt Konig and Arielle Konig’s Marriage Before His Arrest?
“The respondent has sexually abused and assaulted me over the last few months,” Arielle Konig alleged in her TRO petition, which was granted March 28.
Husband Gerhardt Konig accused her of having an affair in December, Arielle said in the filing, and his “extreme jealousy” led to him attempting “to control and monitor all of my communications.”
She also noted in the petition that they had both been to individual therapy and couples counseling.
Arielle’s LinkedIn page details that she has been a project manager at TerraPower LLC, a nuclear energy company based in Bellevue, Wash., since September 2022, and previously worked at Westinghouse Electric in Pennsylvania.
She earned her MBA from University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business in 2021, the page notes.
Meanwhile, Gerhardt’s page on the networking site says he was a clinical instructor and then assistant professor at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (where he also got his MD) for six years before joining the Anesthesia Medical Group in Maui in 2023.
“Never saw this coming,” the Konigs’ housekeeper Christina Ferguson told NBC affiliate KHNL after her boss’ arrest. “Never in the million years would I think this would happen.”
She said she had seen Gerhardt the previous week and she didn’t sense any trouble.
“Always saw him loving with the kids and with her,” Christina said, “and seemed very family oriented.”
What Is Gerhardt Konig Accused of Doing to Wife Arielle Konig?
Arielle said in her TRO petition that Gerhardt had planned a weekend getaway to Oahu for her birthday, staying in a hotel in Waikiki, while their kids remained at home in Maui with their nanny.
On March 24, Gerhardt suggested they hike to the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, according to the petition. The trail had narrow sections with steep drop-offs on both sides, and during the hike she began to feel “uneasy,” Arielle said. She told Gerhardt she didn’t want to go any further, per the filing, and stayed put while he went on ahead for a bit, then came back.
Arielle climbed a tree and Gerhardt snapped a picture of her, the petition continued, after which he suggested they take a selfie “close to the edge” of a cliff. She told him she felt dizzy, Arielle said in the filing, and asked if they could move away from the edge.
When she got close to him, her petition continued, “Gerhardt grabbed me by my upper arms and started pushing me back towards the cliff edge. He was yelling something to the effect of, ‘Get back over there, I’m so f—ing sick of you!’ And continued to push me.”
“At first I thought he was joking,” she said in the petition, “but I quickly realized he was seriously trying to make me fall off the cliff.”
Arielle said in the filing that she threw herself to the ground and Gerhardt started wrestling with her. As they struggled, she alleged, “Gerhardt grabbed his bag and took out a syringe with an unknown substance, attempting to inject me with it.”
She managed to grab the syringe and throw it away from them, the petition said, but she saw he was still holding a vial of something and started looking in his bag. Arielle suspected he was looking for another syringe, she said in the filing, and it was then she believed she bit her husband’s forearm.
Gerhardt seemed to “calm down slightly,” Arielle alleged in the petition, but then he grabbed a rock and started “bashing” her in the head “repeatedly,” cutting her face and scalp.
Attempting to defend herself, Arielle said in the filing, she suffered a broken left thumb.
“I was screaming and pleading with him to stop, asking him to think about our children,” she continued in the filing. “If I had fallen off the cliff, I would have likely died.”
According to Honolulu Police, two witnesses called 911 to report a man beating a woman. By the time authorities arrived, Gerhardt was gone, and Arielle was transported by ambulance to a hospital in critical condition, police said.
Did Gerhardt Konig Tell His Son He Tried to Kill His Wife?
Arielle further alleged in her TRO filing that, once she was with the police, she found out that Gerhardt had FaceTimed his adult son from a previous relationship and told him he had attempted to kill his stepmom.
“Gerhardt was observed to be covered in blood,” she stated in the petition. “Gerhardt said, ‘I just tried to kill Ari but she got away.'”
Arielle alleged in the filing that Gerhardt—before he was arrested—also told his son that he wanted to jump off a cliff and kill himself.
Instead, Gerhardt was arrested later that same day at approximately 6:10 p.m, without incident but “after a brief foot pursuit,” according to a police bulletin.
Where Is Gerhardt Konig Now?
Gerhardt was indicted March 28 on a charge of attempted murder and is being held without bail.
“This indictment reflects the serious nature of crime that is alleged this case,” Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm said in a statement. “Domestic abuse cannot be tolerated. Our office is committed to ensuring that justice is served for the victim and that the defendant is held accountable. If you are a victim of domestic abuse or know of someone who is a victim, we urge you to reach out for help.”
Gerhardt’s attorney Thomas Otake told E! News that his client is scheduled to appear at his arraignment April 7 and will be entering a plea of not guilty to the charge of attempted murder.
A judge signed off on Arielle’s restraining order request March 28. It’s good for 180 days, during which Gerhardt is forbidden from contacting Arielle, their children, his aforementioned adult son and Arielle’s mother and stepfather, according to court documents reviewed by E!. He’s also been ordered to stay away from their Maui home.
“I am fearful that if Gerhardt is released from custody, he will return to Maui and attempt to harm or kill me,” Arielle’s TRO petition said, “as well as harm or kill our children or other family members.”
Another hearing on the petition is scheduled for April 11, according to NBC News.
Where Is Arielle Konig Now?
“Arielle is focusing on her recovery at home in Maui with the support of her family,” her attorney Brandon Segal said in an April 1 statement to NBC News. “She kindly asks that the media and the public respect their privacy during this time.”
Housekeeper Christina Ferguson set up a GoFundMe page for Arielle and her kids with a stated goal of $15,000.
“She is a special person and she didn’t deserve this,” Christina told NBC News. “Hard to fathom, it’s hard to grasp the severity of this tragic incident. I didn’t think that this was something he would ever do.”
