Wife testifies in attempted murder trial, describes alleged cliffside attack in Hawaii

A woman took the stand in a Hawaii courtroom, delivering emotional testimony against her husband in his attempted murder trial.

(NBC)- A woman took the stand in a Hawaii courtroom, delivering emotional testimony against her husband in his attempted murder trial, recounting what she says was a brutal attack during a hike on Oahu.

Arielle Konig testified that her husband, anesthesiologist Dr. Gerhardt Konig, turned violent during the outing — an encounter she says nearly cost her life.

“I’m screaming, and he’s telling me, ‘shut the [bleep] up. Nobody’s gonna hear you out here. Nobody’s coming to save you,’” Konig told the court.

Her testimony was at times harrowing, as she described being overpowered and assaulted.

“I was screaming, and he’s covering my mouth,” she said. “Then he takes a deep breath, and he just starts hitting my face and my head with a rock.”

Konig says the incident happened exactly one year ago — on her birthday — when she and her husband were hiking in Oahu. She testified that his behavior suddenly shifted before the alleged attack escalated.

“He’s on top of me. He had a syringe in his hand, and he says, ‘Hold still,’” she said.

Konig told jurors she managed to swat the syringe away, as nearby hikers witnessed the incident and called 911.

“There’s a man trying to kill her — she has blood all over her face,” a caller told emergency dispatchers.

One of those witnesses, Sarah Buchsbaum, also testified, describing what she saw in the defendant.

“It was like a cold, emotionless stare,” Buchsbaum said.

Defense attorneys pushed back on Konig’s account, suggesting the altercation stemmed from tensions in the couple’s relationship. They claim Konig had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with a coworker — something she described as “flirty text messages.”

Attorneys for Dr. Konig argued that Arielle was the aggressor.

“She attacked him, and they ended up in a scuffle on the ground. He never tried to throw her off the cliff,” defense attorney Thomas Otake said.

Konig faced intense cross-examination about her relationship and the events leading up to the incident — questioning that is expected to continue.