Gerhardt Konig’s son took the stand on Tuesday in the Trouble in Paradise attempted murder trial, testifying that his father confessed to the crime while out on a hike. The 47-year-old anesthesiologist pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder for the alleged assault on his wife, Arielle Konig, while at the Pali Lookout on March 24, 2025, in Hawaii. 

Konig’s son, Emile, is from a previous relationship and acknowledges Arielle as his stepmother. He was called to the stand as one of the prosecution’s final witnesses and provided extremely incriminating evidence about the events that transpired after the alleged incident.

Attempted Murder 

Arielle previously testified that her husband tried to kill her by pushing her off a cliff. She said he asked her to take a selfie near the edge of the cliff while they were hiking the trail, but that she did not feel comfortable. When she started to walk away, Konig began yelling at her and pushed her into the bushes.

When his initial attempt failed, and she tried to escape, he picked up a rock and hit her in the head at least 10 times. Two people passing by became eyewitnesses to the attempted murder and called 911 after hearing her cry out for help. They escorted her back down the trail where first responders tended to her injuries.

Prosecutors say that during the time his wife was seeking help for her injuries, Konig stayed back on the trail, hiding. At the time of the incident, Emile was at home with his younger brothers. During the trial, he referred to his father as “the defendant” and explained the moments after the incident. 

Emile Konig’s Testimony

Emile received a FaceTime call at 10:42 a.m. on March 24, 2025, and testified that his father told him “he would not be making it back to Maui, and to take good care of the younger kids, and that Ari, my stepmom, had been cheating on him; and that he tried to kill her.”

Emile noticed something red on his father’s shirt and said, “I asked what was on his shirt, because it looked like I saw splatters of something on his shirt, and he said, ‘Oh, it’s just her blood.’” Konig did not offer further explanation on the call, but said he planned to jump off the cliff to avoid repercussions.

After the call, Emile said he walked to Arielle’s parents’ home to tell them what happened. At 11:46 a.m., Konig FaceTimed his son for the second time, panicking about his next moves. “He asked me if I had told anybody, and I said yes, and I told him who I had told,” Emile Konig testified.

“And then, he said that he was just going to jump and said that a couple of times,” Emile continued. Before ending the call, Konig allegedly said the police were looking for him and “he was at the end of his rope” because “he didn’t want to be found.”

Where They Stand

Emile says he has not spoken to his father since the alleged attempted murder last year and that he has been living with his stepmother and two other brothers.

Arielle Konig says she filed for divorce after the attack and got a restraining order against her soon-to-be ex-husband. In her petition for divorce, Arielle claimed her husband accused her of cheating and that he had previously assaulted and sexually abused her.

Defense To Start Calling Witnesses

Prosecutors rested their case in chief following Emile’s testimony, and the defense is set to begin calling their witnesses today.  Konig’s defense attorney opened their side by accusing Ariella of attacking the defendant first, and that he simply defended himself during the incident.