Indicted Hawaii doctor's wife details alleged hiking trail attack in restraining order petition

HONOLULU (AP) -- An anesthesiologist named Gerhardt Konig has been indicted on attempted murder charges after allegedly attacking his wife during a hiking trip in Hawaii. The couple was in Oahu celebrating her birthday, leaving their two young children at home on Maui. According to a petition for a temporary restraining order filed by his wife, Konig reportedly became violent while they were on a precarious trail, grabbing her by the arms and pushing her toward a cliff before attempting to inject her with a syringe.

The petition outlines a troubling pattern of behavior, citing that Konig had accused his wife of infidelity in December, leading to extreme jealousy on his part. As a result, they had been undergoing therapy and counseling. Following the incident, a judge issued a restraining order mandating that Konig stay away from both his wife and their children.

During the hike, his wife expressed discomfort and asked to turn back. While taking a photo, she asked Konig to move away from the cliff’s edge, feeling dizzy. However, the situation escalated when he grabbed her and attempted to push her over the edge, leading her to fear for her life. She described initially thinking it was a joke but soon realized he was serious.

Their struggle became physical, and she noted that he brandished a syringe during the altercation. While the contents of the syringe were unknown, Konig's medical background as an anesthesiologist raised concerning implications about what he had access to. Amid the struggle, she bit him in self-defense, and the violence escalated further when he allegedly began hitting her with a rock.

Eventually, two women on the trail intervened, calling for help and assisting her down the path. Konig reportedly fled in another direction and was later arrested. Following the incident, his employer, Maui Health, announced his suspension pending an investigation, clarifying that he was not directly employed but contracted to provide medical services. Kaiser Permanente, which has affiliations with Maui Health, has similarly suspended his credentials.