A Hawaii doctor found guilty of attempting to kill his wife on a hiking trail has been denied a new trial, a judge ruled Friday. Dr. Gerhardt Konig was convicted of attempted manslaughter in April 2026, following an altercation on the Pali Puka Trail on Oahu.

Defense attorneys for Konig had sought a new trial, citing concerns about potential outside influence on the jury. Their motion highlighted an anonymous comment on a livestream of the trial, which suggested a juror was communicating with someone watching the proceedings and indicated the jury was leaning towards a guilty verdict on attempted manslaughter.

In response to the defense's claims, Judge Paul B.K. Wong recalled all jurors to court. Over two days, he questioned each juror individually about any awareness of deliberations or verdicts being discussed with external parties. All jurors testified that they had not engaged in such discussions, leading the judge to conclude there was no evidence of outside influence.

"There is no evidence that the jury was subjected to outside influence," Wong stated in his decision. "Accordingly, the verdict in this case was unanimous and impartial." The judge formally denied the motion for a new trial based on these findings.

The defense also argued that the jury may have misunderstood the court's instructions, referencing media interviews with two jurors, including the foreperson. However, Judge Wong cited Hawaii case law prohibiting juror testimony regarding the internal mental processes of other jurors. He reiterated that each juror had affirmed their agreement with the verdict when it was read in court.

Konig, an anesthesiologist, was accused by prosecutors of attacking his wife, Arielle Konig, near a cliff on her birthday in March 2025. The prosecution alleged he pushed her toward the edge and then struck her with a rock. Konig had pleaded not guilty to the charge of second-degree attempted murder.

Following several hours of deliberation, the jury convicted Konig of the lesser charge of attempted manslaughter, based on extreme mental or emotional disturbance. The jury was instructed to consider this charge, along with various assault charges, if they could not reach a guilty verdict on the attempted murder charge.

Konig's sentencing, originally scheduled for August 2026, was postponed pending the resolution of the new trial motion. His sentencing is now set for January 8, 2027. The charge of attempted manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.