A successful doctor was arrested after being accused of attempting to kill his wife while they were hiking a trail in Hawaii.
Maui doctor arrested for attempted murder
Authorities arrested 46-year-old Gerhardt Konig on Monday following an alleged assault on his 36-year-old wife, Arielle Konig, at the Pali Lookout in Oahu.
Arielle told police that her doctor husband punched her multiple times and used a rock as a weapon before trying to force her off the hiking trail.
Investigators believe the attempted murder may have been premeditated, as Konig allegedly had two syringes filled with an unknown substance, which he used to jab Arielle during the attempt on her life.
Reports indicate that the incident began when Arielle declined to take a photograph with her husband at the scenic viewpoint.
Doctor arrested, wife in critical condition
Shortly after, she was transported to a hospital with severe facial and head trauma, where her condition remains critical, according reports.
Konig, an anesthesiologist, attempted to flee but was apprehended after an hours-long manhunt. Officers located him near the hiking trail and took him into custody.
“HPD officers located Gerhardt Konig near Pali Highway and arrested him after a brief foot pursuit. Charges are pending. Mahalo to the public for your assistance,” the Honolulu Police Department stated.
The couple, who have been married since 2018, reside in Maui. At the time of the incident, they were visiting the scenic area of Oahu.
College professor charged with slaying wife
In a separate case, a Colorado college professor has been charged with the brutal murder of his wife in what prosecutors describe as a “sustained, vicious attack.”
Authorities also discovered the couple’s infant daughter deceased in their home.
Nicholas Myklebust, 45, an English professor at Regis University in Denver, is accused of fatally beating his 44-year-old wife, Seorin Kim, in July at their home.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of death for their two-month-old daughter, who was found lifeless in the residence.
The deaths raise questions about the previous death of their nine-year-old son, who died from skull fractures, though no charges were ever filed.
During a preliminary hearing on March 21, prosecutors presented details of the crime, including a 911 call in which Myklebust claimed he had discovered Kim’s body.
He suggested that his wife may have fallen while carrying their infant in a front carrier, leading to the child’s suffocation.
“Wake up, babe, babe,” Myklebust was recorded saying in the emergency call, The Denver Post reported.
As he attempted to perform aid, he could also be heard counting, saying, “1, 2, 3, 4.”
“Ms. Kim was severely beaten over a period of time,” prosecutor Anthony Santos stated in court, adding that she suffered multiple broken ribs along with extensive head and facial injuries.
“Almost every inch of her body was affected,” Santos remarked. “This is a beating that was not impulsive, it was not something where this was one hit or even two hits. This was a sustained, vicious attack.”
Prosecutors further detailed how Myklebust allegedly laundered the couple’s bed sheets after the attack and tossed out a blood-stained white linen glove.
Authorities reportedly found five additional gloves in a dryer, along with traces of blood in both the washing machine and dryer.
“Mr. Myklebust cleaned up while Ms. Kim bled out,” Santos told the court.
However, Myklebust’s defense attorney, Sara Wafai, refuted those claims, arguing that her client contacted authorities as soon as he discovered his wife’s body.
She also pointed out that neither first responders nor investigators reported detecting any scent of bleach or cleaning agents in the residence, nor did they find any such materials.
“Ms. Kim was not laying there for hours while Mr. Myklebust deliberately cleaned up a crime scene,” Wafai contended. “It doesn’t make sense.”
