Court documents filed Thursday reveal Arielle Konig, the wife of a 46-year-old Maui anesthesiologist, told police he struck her about 10 times in the head and tried to inject her with a syringe filled with an unknown liquid while on a hike Monday.
Gerhardt Konig made his initial appearance Thursday in Honolulu District Court on the charge of second- degree attempted murder of his 36-year-old wife.
Judge Kristine Yoo confirmed his bail at $5 million, and ordered him to appear Monday afternoon for his preliminary hearing.
Konig’s private defense attorneys, Thomas Otake and Manta Dircks, were in court to represent him and objected to media presence.
Emergency Medical Services transported Arielle Konig to a hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition with multiple facial and head injuries.
On Monday morning the couple was hiking the Pali Puka Trail when Gerhardt Konig, standing close to the edge, asked his wife to take a selfie with him, police said in probable-cause documents supporting his warrantless arrest.
When she said she did not feel comfortable doing so, she began to walk back.
Arielle Konig told police her husband yelled at her to come back and pushed her into the bushes, where they struggled.
She said he picked up a rock and struck her on her head about 10 times while grabbing the back of her head by the hair and smashing her face into the ground.
“Arielle observed Gerhardt take out two syringes from his bag and attempt to use them on her,” the court document says.
She yelled for help and managed to get away, crawling toward two hikers who called 911.
Police responded at about 10:30 a.m. to the 911 call.
A woman identified as Amanda said she heard a woman repeatedly screaming, “Help! Help me!”
Amanda told police she saw the woman lying on her back in the grass with a man, holding a rock in his hand, on top of her.
Amanda related that the woman, later identified as Konig, said, “He is trying to kill me. He is hitting me in the head with a rock.”
Once the 36-year-old woman moved toward Amanda and away from her husband, the husband moved up the trail toward the “Puka.”
Amanda said Konig maintained consciousness while talking to her and her hiking companion.
Amanda said she would be able to identify Gerhardt Konig, who eluded police, Department of Land and Natural Resources personnel and the Fire Department for the remainder of the day.
Police found and arrested Konig at 6:45 p.m. near Nuuanu Pali Drive after a brief foot chase.
“I hope that he’s not able to post bail,” said Christina Ferguson, who set up a GoFundMe page for Arielle Konig, whom she counts as a friend. “I hope nobody lets people like that out.”
Upon hearing about the syringes, Ferguson said, “That’s premeditated. Why would you have syringes?”
Ferguson, who owns a cleaning business, said the Konigs are clients of hers. She said the couple went to Oahu to celebrate Arielle Konig’s birthday.
Their two sons, ages 4 and 3, remained at their Kahului home with a nanny, Ferguson said. Gerhardt Konig’s eldest son from a previous marriage is a high school graduate, and recently flew to the mainland to be with his mother, she said.
Ferguson said Arielle Konig works from home for a mainland company.
Her LinkedIn page says she has a background in nuclear engineering, project management and product management, and for the past 2-1/2 years has worked for TerraPower, a nuclear innovation company, as a project manager.
Ferguson said she was at the couple’s home and could see Konig was excited to go to Oahu for her birthday. “There was no sign this was coming.”
“In dealings with them, while cleaning their home, there was nothing but love, kindness and laughter,” she said.
“He was a doting dad, attentive to her. … I still don’t understand why this happened, what was going through his mind,” Ferguson said.
“He was polite and kind with me,” she said, on the few occasions she interacted with Gerhardt Konig. “I never felt an uneasy vibe.”
She said Arielle Konig is “so kind. Never saw her cross, never saw any yelling.”
Ferguson said they were the kind of couple where you would say, “I’d like to be them. They’re just a wonderful family.”
Ferguson said she is in contact with the Konigs’ nanny, who said Konig’s mother flew from the mainland to be with her.
The Konigs moved from Pittsburgh to Kahului in 2023, Ferguson said.
According to online information, the house was sold in December 2022.
Maui Health said Gerhardt Konig works for an independent entity contracted to provide medical services at various medical facilities on Maui, including Maui Memorial Medical Center.
His staff privileges at Maui Memorial were suspended pending investigation, Maui Health said.
Konig’s LinkedIn page says he was an assistant professor and clinical instructor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for nearly seven years and had been a staff anesthesiologist before that at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Ferguson has organized a GoFundMe to get Arielle Konig legal help, and is turning to help from above with a prayer group.
HELP FOR ARIELLE KONIG
A GoFundMe account has been set up for Arielle Konig, who is recovering from injuries allegedly caused by her husband, Gerhardt Konig. To donate to the fund, visit: 808ne.ws/4iSMavO.
