Topline: A lava rock found at the crime scene contained DNA from the physician’s wife.
Published: March 30, 2026 6:00 am ET
Must Read
Left: Dr. Gerhardt Konig, Right: Michelle Amorin, DNA analyst (via Honolulu Police Department/Hawaii News Now)
HONOLULU, HI — A Honolulu Police Department criminalist testified that a blood-stained lava rock found on a trail last year contained the DNA of a woman allegedly attacked by her husband, a Maui doctor.
The testimony came on Friday, March 27 during the attempted murder trial of Gerhardt Konig. Prosecutors allege Konig used the rock to strike his wife, Arielle, while the couple was on the Pali Puka Trail in March 2024, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Michelle Amorin, a criminalist with the Honolulu Police Department, told the jury she conducted DNA testing on the rock. She said the testing focused on both stained and unstained areas of the object.
Deputy Prosecutor Joel Garner asked Amorin about the number of people who contributed DNA to the samples. Amorin said the stained area at the bottom of the rock contained DNA from one female contributor.
When asked about the unstained portion of the rock, Amorin said she detected DNA from two people. The prosecution presented the rock as the primary weapon used in the alleged attack.
Defense attorney Thomas Otake questioned Amorin about the limitations of forensic testing. Otake asked if DNA could explain the specific circumstances of the encounter. Amorin said DNA analysis does not show how the blood reached the rock.
The criminalist also said the testing could not determine how a physical altercation began. The defense maintains that Arielle Konig started the fight. Otake told the court that Gerhardt Konig acted in self-defense during the incident on the trail.
Amorin also testified about evidence gathered from the clothing Gerhardt Konig wore during the incident. She said a large blood stain on the T-shirt of the defendant came from a female. She told the jury that testing on the shorts of the defendant did not find any human DNA.
KHON Fox News reported that jurors in the trial were shown police body camera footage depicting the aftermath of the alleged cliffside attack. The video showed Arielle Konig sitting bloodied and disoriented on a hiking trail as bystanders tried to assist her and officers assessed the scene.
The trial is expected to continue March 31. Prosecutors said the 19-year-old son of Gerhardt Konig is scheduled to testify when the court reconvenes.
The son is the stepson of the victim, Arielle Konig. Jurors are expected to hear testimony regarding a phone call the defendant made following the incident.
The prosecution intends to present the call as a confession to the crime. The defense argues the call was a desperate expression of suicidal intent rather than an admission of guilt.
Gerhardt Konig remains on trial for one count of second-degree attempted murder. If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
DNA Expert Details Bloody Rock in Hawaiian Doctor’s Attempted Murder Trial
A lava rock found at the crime scene contained DNA from the physician’s wife.
By Kate Byrd
Published: March 30, 2026 6:00 am ET
Left: Dr. Gerhardt Konig, Right: Michelle Amorin, DNA analyst (via Honolulu Police Department/Hawaii News Now)
HONOLULU, HI — A Honolulu Police Department criminalist testified that a blood-stained lava rock found on a trail last year contained the DNA of a woman allegedly attacked by her husband, a Maui doctor.
The testimony came on Friday, March 27 during the attempted murder trial of Gerhardt Konig. Prosecutors allege Konig used the rock to strike his wife, Arielle, while the couple was on the Pali Puka Trail in March 2024, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Michelle Amorin, a criminalist with the Honolulu Police Department, told the jury she conducted DNA testing on the rock. She said the testing focused on both stained and unstained areas of the object.
Deputy Prosecutor Joel Garner asked Amorin about the number of people who contributed DNA to the samples. Amorin said the stained area at the bottom of the rock contained DNA from one female contributor.
When asked about the unstained portion of the rock, Amorin said she detected DNA from two people. The prosecution presented the rock as the primary weapon used in the alleged attack.
Defense attorney Thomas Otake questioned Amorin about the limitations of forensic testing. Otake asked if DNA could explain the specific circumstances of the encounter. Amorin said DNA analysis does not show how the blood reached the rock.
The criminalist also said the testing could not determine how a physical altercation began. The defense maintains that Arielle Konig started the fight. Otake told the court that Gerhardt Konig acted in self-defense during the incident on the trail.
Amorin also testified about evidence gathered from the clothing Gerhardt Konig wore during the incident. She said a large blood stain on the T-shirt of the defendant came from a female. She told the jury that testing on the shorts of the defendant did not find any human DNA.
KHON Fox News reported that jurors in the trial were shown police body camera footage depicting the aftermath of the alleged cliffside attack. The video showed Arielle Konig sitting bloodied and disoriented on a hiking trail as bystanders tried to assist her and officers assessed the scene.
The trial is expected to continue March 31. Prosecutors said the 19-year-old son of Gerhardt Konig is scheduled to testify when the court reconvenes.
The son is the stepson of the victim, Arielle Konig. Jurors are expected to hear testimony regarding a phone call the defendant made following the incident.
The prosecution intends to present the call as a confession to the crime. The defense argues the call was a desperate expression of suicidal intent rather than an admission of guilt.
Gerhardt Konig remains on trial for one count of second-degree attempted murder. If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
DNA Expert Details Bloody Rock in Hawaiian Doctor’s Attempted Murder Trial
A lava rock found at the crime scene contained DNA from the physician’s wife.
By Kate Byrd
Published: March 30, 2026 6:00 am ET
Left: Dr. Gerhardt Konig, Right: Michelle Amorin, DNA analyst (via Honolulu Police Department/Hawaii News Now)
HONOLULU, HI — A Honolulu Police Department criminalist testified that a blood-stained lava rock found on a trail last year contained the DNA of a woman allegedly attacked by her husband, a Maui doctor.
The testimony came on Friday, March 27 during the attempted murder trial of Gerhardt Konig. Prosecutors allege Konig used the rock to strike his wife, Arielle, while the couple was on the Pali Puka Trail in March 2024, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Michelle Amorin, a criminalist with the Honolulu Police Department, told the jury she conducted DNA testing on the rock. She said the testing focused on both stained and unstained areas of the object.
Deputy Prosecutor Joel Garner asked Amorin about the number of people who contributed DNA to the samples. Amorin said the stained area at the bottom of the rock contained DNA from one female contributor.
When asked about the unstained portion of the rock, Amorin said she detected DNA from two people. The prosecution presented the rock as the primary weapon used in the alleged attack.
Defense attorney Thomas Otake questioned Amorin about the limitations of forensic testing. Otake asked if DNA could explain the specific circumstances of the encounter. Amorin said DNA analysis does not show how the blood reached the rock.
The criminalist also said the testing could not determine how a physical altercation began. The defense maintains that Arielle Konig started the fight. Otake told the court that Gerhardt Konig acted in self-defense during the incident on the trail.
Amorin also testified about evidence gathered from the clothing Gerhardt Konig wore during the incident. She said a large blood stain on the T-shirt of the defendant came from a female. She told the jury that testing on the shorts of the defendant did not find any human DNA.
KHON Fox News reported that jurors in the trial were shown police body camera footage depicting the aftermath of the alleged cliffside attack. The video showed Arielle Konig sitting bloodied and disoriented on a hiking trail as bystanders tried to assist her and officers assessed the scene.
The trial is expected to continue March 31. Prosecutors said the 19-year-old son of Gerhardt Konig is scheduled to testify when the court reconvenes.
The son is the stepson of the victim, Arielle Konig. Jurors are expected to hear testimony regarding a phone call the defendant made following the incident.
The prosecution intends to present the call as a confession to the crime. The defense argues the call was a desperate expression of suicidal intent rather than an admission of guilt.
Gerhardt Konig remains on trial for one count of second-degree attempted murder. If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
