A nuclear engineer whose doctor husband allegedly tried to kill her on a Hawaii hiking trail was visibly injured in her first public sighing since the attack.
Arielle Konig sported a visible stitch above her right eye as she attended husband Dr Gerhardt Konig’s hearing in Maui Friday, which saw her ask for a restraining order against her spouse to be extended.
Arielle, 36, wore a headscarf throughout the hearing. She was attacked with a rock and syringes by her husband who also tried to push her off a cliff, prosecutors say.
It is unclear if the headscarf was worn to hide injuries Arielle may have sustained or scars she has been left with as a result of surgeries following last month’s attack.
During Friday’s hearing, the court was told how Arielle had been accused of having an affair by her jealous husband. She said Konig had also sexually asaulted her.
Arielle remained calm and emotionless throughout Friday’s hearing and spoke only to say ‘Yes it is,’ when asked if the paperwork she’d submitted to the court was up to date.
Her husband is being held at a prison on the neighboring island of Oahu and appeared via video link, Hawaii News Now reported.
The request for a temporary restraining order was granted and means Konig must stay away from his wife and his two children if he later makes bail.
Arielle Konig appeared composed but visibly injured as she faced her husband, Dr. Gerhardt Konig, for the first time since his alleged attempt on her life
It was her first public appearance since the brutal March 2025 assault that left her hospitalized
Wearing a headscarf and a bandage above her right eye, she sat quietly in the Wailuku courtroom on Friday
Prosecutors say Konig struck Arielle with closed fists and a rock, tried to push her off a cliff, and attempted to inject her with unknown substances using syringes.
According to her restraining order filing, Arielle had previously been subjected to controlling behavior, accusations of infidelity, and sexual assault.
Police say the attack began after she refused to take a photo with him at the scenic lookout.
She was left critically injured, suffering head and facial trauma, and was hospitalized after hikers called 911 around 10:30 a.m. on the day of the alleged attack.
A six-hour manhunt followed before police caught up with Dr. Konig near Pali Highway after a brief foot chase.
‘HPD officers located Gerhardt Konig near Pali Highway and arrested him after a brief foot pursuit,’ Honolulu police said in a statement. ‘Charges are pending. Mahalo to the public for your assistance.’
‘Mr. Konig, I must make you aware that this is a civil proceeding,’ the judge cautioned. ‘Anything you testify to this morning can be used against you… Any questions, Mr. Konig?’
They were visiting Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout in Oahu (pictured) at the time of the attack on Monday. The beauty spot is located more than 1,000ft above the coastline and offers stunning views of the Koʻolau cliffs and Windward Coast
Konig was arrested following a short chase, and charges against him are now pending
‘No ma’am,’ he replied quietly.
Legal analyst Philip Dubé noted the emotional weight of Arielle’s presence in court.
‘That’s the heart of domestic violence,’ he said. ‘It takes an emotional and physical toll on the victim.’
While the courtroom offered few new details, the hearing underscored the personal devastation behind the legal drama. The TRO remains in effect.
The criminal case has been continued until May, with a trial expected in June.
Arielle is a project manager at TerraPower, a nuclear reactor design firm. She earned her degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State and holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
The couple had moved to Maui in 2022 for what Konig reportedly called his ‘dream job.’
It is unclear what drove the doctor with the seemingly picture-perfect life to allegedly commit a horrific act of violence against his high-achieving wife.
He previously served as an assistant professor of anesthesiology and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh before joining Maui Health through an independent staffing agency.
Gerhardt and Arielle Konig, pictured on their wedding day, have been married since 2018 and live in a $1.5million home in Maui
Arielle (pictured with Konig) worked as a nuclear engineer. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh
Those who knew the couple, pictured together, say they were shocked by the allegations that ‘friendly’ and ‘quiet’ Konig tried to kill Arielle
His medical license remains active, though he has been suspended by Maui Health pending an investigation.
‘Maui Health is committed to patient safety and upholding the highest standards of care,’ the medical system said in a statement. ‘Dr. Konig has been suspended from the Medical Staff pending investigation.’
Konig, who has at least one child from a previous marriage, shared a $1.5 million home in Maui with Arielle.
Friends and colleagues alike have expressed shock. Former neighbors in Pittsburgh described the couple as ‘friendly,’ and staff at Maui Memorial Medical Center said they were stunned by the allegations against the ‘quiet’ doctor.
But domestic violence advocates say the case illustrates how abuse can lurk beneath polished, professional lives.
‘When they say it doesn’t discriminate, it’s absolutely true,’ said Sanoe Ka’aihue, executive director of Women Helping Women. ‘If the intent is there to harm someone, it’ll happen.’
Ka’aihue added that recent partner violence cases on Maui have grown more premeditated—and more lethal. In just the past few months, at least two women have allegedly been killed by their partners.
‘High-income earners, doctors, engineers—it doesn’t matter,’ she said. ‘Domestic violence doesn’t care who you are.’
