A Hawaii physician accused of making an attempt to kill his spouse months after she engaged in an “emotional affair” allegedly shouted “f–okay you, you’re executed” moments earlier than bashing her head with a rock on a birthday mountaineering journey.
Gerhardt Konig, 47, beforehand admitted to hanging his spouse, Arielle, with a rock whereas mountaineering in Oahu — however insisted he was performing in self-defense as he stands trial for her tried homicide.
Arielle, a famend nuclear engineer, testified in any other case on Tuesday — her birthday and the one-year anniversary of the harrowing assault.
The 37-year-old mom claimed that Konig lobbed insults at her whereas “straddling” her on the bottom and fishing for a syringe in his backpack containing an unidentified substance.
Konig allegedly sneered that she “was f–king executed” and ordered her to “shut the f–okay up,” taunting “nobody’s going to listen to you out right here, nobody’s going to save lots of you.”
By then, she stated she was clinging to roots within the floor for help and “batted” the syringe out of Konig’s hand.
“Your loved ones will probably be upset if I die, he can’t face our youngsters after this. And he did appear at that time to take a deep breath and relax,” Arielle recounted pleading along with her enraged husband in the course of the assault.
When Konig paused, Arielle tried to make a break for it, at which level Konig lunged for the rock and repeatedly bashed her within the head, based on Arielle.
Within the chaos, Arielle might recall biting Konig’s proper forearm and squeezing his testicles, however to no avail. She stated that Konig solely relented when two passersby overheard Arielle’s screams and referred to as the authorities.
Throughout the trial’s opening statements final Thursday, Konig’s protection lawyer claimed Arielle attacked the anesthesiologist when he tried to dump her over her confessed affair with a married colleague.
Arielle insisted that the “emotional affair” by no means progressed past since-deleted messages that “had been flirty in nature.”
Whereas coping with the fallout from the affair, Konig and Arielle began going to particular person and couple’s remedy. Arielle thought that they “had been beginning to flip a bit little bit of a nook” in February, only one month earlier than the assault.
Arielle stated that she was prohibited from having one-on-one interactions along with her colleague, and Konig grew extra controlling, and even started monitoring her work communications.
Konig additionally started to insist that they’ve intercourse “each different day,” which Arielle struggled with, noting they hadn’t really had intercourse since Dec. 24, 2024.
“Gerhardt actually needed contact, bodily contact, a variety of cuddling, and any refusal of that may be me withdrawing,” Arielle defined his rationale in court docket.
When Arielle would hesitate, she stated Konig would query “how might you do that to us” and dredge up her affair.
Arielle beforehand accused Konig of sexually assaulting and abusing her for months earlier than the alleged assault.
Konig has pleaded not responsible to the fees.
