Doctor allegedly tried to kill his wife on Hawaii hiking trail, police say

HONOLULU — A Maui doctor was charged Wednesday with second-degree attempted murder after he allegedly tried to kill his wife by pushing her off a hiking trail and hitting her multiple times on the head with a rock, Honolulu police said.

A text message was sent to Gerhardt Konig’s cellphone seeking comment, but there was no immediate response. It was not clear whether he had an attorney, and phones rang unanswered at the Honolulu public defender’s office.

Police said a 36-year-old woman reported the incident Monday morning and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Two witnesses called 911 and helped the police with their investigation.

Konig fled the scene, prompting an hourslong search and the closure of a state park, police said. Officers arrested him just after 6 p.m. following a brief foot chase and he remained in custody Wednesday.

The couple were hiking on the Pali Puka trail, which traverses a ridge with dramatic ocean and mountain views. The trailhead is a short drive from downtown Honolulu.

Konig is an anesthesiologist at Maui Health, which operates hospitals and clinics in Maui County and is an affiliate of Kaiser Permanente. Maui Health said in a statement to media organizations that he was suspended pending investigation.

Maui Health’s online directory previously listed Konig as a provider, according to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, but his name was no longer in it Wednesday.

Kaiser Permanente said in a statement that Konig is not an employee, but is employed by an independent entity contracted to provide medical services at Maui facilities, including Kaiser’s Wailuku clinic. Kaiser said it has suspended his credentials and his ability to treat patients, pending investigation.