Ex-UPMC doctor accused of trying to murder wife in Hawaii makes first court appearance
Gerhardt Konig, a former UPMC doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on a hiking trail in Hawaii, made his first court appearance on Thursday and was held on attempted murder charges.
The former UPMC doctor and assistant professor at Pitt was arrested earlier this week after he tried to push his wife off a hiking trail and hit her in the head with a rock several times, authorities in Hawaii said.
Konig appeared in a district court in Hawaii on Thursday, days after he was arrested near Pali Highway in Oahu and charged with second-degree murder.
Newly released court documents said the struggle started when his wife refused to take a selfie near the edge of a cliff, CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV reported. She said he struck her with a rock 10 times on the head, grabbed her hair, and smashed her face into the ground. She also told police he tried to inject her with an unknown liquid.
Konig has not posted the $5 million bail that was set earlier this week and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 31.
Couple's housekeeper calls it "complete shock"
The family's housekeeper is speaking out after learning the horrifying details of the alleged attack at the hands of someone she considered a friend.
"It's a shock, just complete shock," Christina Ferguson said. "This would never ever be something that I would think would take place."
The details in court documents are hard for Ferguson to fathom.
"They were always polite and loving to each other. They were always kind. Never saw any anger. Never even saw anybody being upset," she said.
Ferguson saw the family just a few days before the alleged attack. She said the couple was talking about taking a day trip to Oahu for Konig's wife's birthday. Knowing now what happened on that hiking trip, Ferguson can't help but wonder if the attack was planned.
"I think she's wonderful. I absolutely adore her. She's just so kind and smart and compassionate, loving," Ferguson said.
"I would think he's a great dad. The kids adore him. They love him. Up until this point, he was a great husband," she said.
What we know about Gerhardt Konig
Gerhardt Konig was a doctor with the Anesthesia Medical Group in Hawaii and has since been suspended pending investigation, KGMB reported. He was employed by an independent contract and provided medical services to facilities on Maui, the station said.
Before that, he was an anesthesiologist at UPMC and an assistant professor of anesthesiology and bioengineering at Pitt. UPMC said it hasn't employed Konig for more than two years.
KDKA-TV talked to former neighbors and friends who said Konig worked at UPMC until he moved with his wife and two small children to Maui to take his dream job.
Ben Brown lived next door to the Konigs in Mt. Lebanon for several years. While he wasn't particularly close with the couple, he said they were friendly and he considered them good neighbors. He said he was surprised by the news.
