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The son of a doctor from Hawaii recently took the stand to testify against his father, alleging that the latter admitted to attempting to murder his stepmother.
Gerhardt Konig, an anesthesiologist, faces charges of second-degree attempted murder. He is accused of attacking his wife, Arielle Konig, with a rock on the Pali Puka Trail in Oahu on March 24, 2025. Konig has entered a plea of not guilty.
On Tuesday, Emile Konig, Gerhardt’s son, recounted to the court a phone call he received just moments after the purported incident, during which his father allegedly confessed to the crime.
Prosecutor Joel Garner asked Emile, “Can you recall what the defendant said to you during that call, as precisely as possible?”
Emile responded, “He mentioned he wouldn’t be returning to Maui and instructed me to take care of the younger children. He also said Ari, my stepmother, had been unfaithful to him and that he tried to kill her.”
Prosecutors allege Dr. Konig first tried pushing his wife Arielle off a Hawaiian cliffside, and attempted injecting her with a syringe, before repeatedly smashing her head with a jagged rock.
“I asked what was on his shirt, ’cause it looked like I saw splatters of something on his shirt, and he said, oh it’s just her, meaning Ari’s, blood,” Emile Konig testified.
A pair of hikers say they found the couple- with Arielle covered in blood.
An hour later – Emile received another video call from his father- who in court Emile only referred to as “the defendant.”
“He asked me if I had told anybody and I said yes and I told him who I had told, and then – he said that he was just gonna jump and said that a couple times,” Emile Konig said.
He said the second call ended with his father saying: “I’m gonna go before the police catch me.”
Dr. Konig’s defense team says Arielle attacked him first after he confronted her about an emotional affair- and they say he hit her with the rock in self-defense.
During Emile’s cross examination, they pointed out there were some parts of the calls that he couldn’t remember.
Prosecutor Joel Garner then asked: “is there any doubt in your mind about the defendant telling you he tried to kill Ariel?”
Emile Konig responded: “no.”
The big question now is whether Dr. Konig will take the stand in his own defense.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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