The wife of a Hawaii anesthesiologist accused of trying to kill her on a popular Oahu hiking trail told jurors she screamed "He's trying to kill me" as she fought to survive the alleged attack.
On Tuesday, Arielle Konig testified in Honolulu that her husband, Dr. Gerhardt Konig, forced her toward the edge of the Pali Puka Trail, pinned her down, and struck her with a rock during a birthday hike on Mar. 24, 2025.
She said she yelled for help and hoped nearby hikers would hear her as she believed she was about to die. "I do think I was saying something like, 'Please help, he's trying to kill me,'" she told the court, according to ABC News.
Prosecutors say Konig tried to push his wife off the narrow cliffside trail, tried to inject her with a syringe, and then hit her repeatedly in the head with what investigators described as a lava rock.
In a restraining order petition filed days after the incident, Arielle alleged her husband grabbed her upper arms, shoved her toward the drop, and shouted that he was "so sick" of her. She has since filed for divorce.
Arielle testified that she initially thought her husband was joking when he ordered her closer to the edge, but realized he was serious when he grabbed her hard and began pushing. She said she threw herself to the ground to cling to trees and shrubs as they wrestled on the trail. Nearby hikers then responded after hearing her screams, CNN reported.
Two women who were on the trail that day previously told investigators they heard a woman yelling for help and that "he's going to kill me" before finding a man striking a woman in the head. One witness called 911 while the other tried to intervene, according to court and police records described in earlier hearings.
Konig, who worked as an anesthesiologist on Maui, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder.
His defense attorney has argued in opening statements that the doctor acted in self-defense, claiming Arielle tried to push him first and that he used the rock only to protect himself. The trial is continuing this week, with more witnesses expected to testify about the confrontation on the exposed ridge above Honolulu, as per NBC News.
Originally published on Lawyer Herald
