The Oahu Cliff Attack & The Trial of Gerhardt Konig

In the world of true crime, we talk a lot about masking the face a person presents to the world versus the face they wear behind closed doors. Few cases illustrate that duality more starkly than the story of Gerhardt and Arielle Konig. Arielle was a brilliant nuclear engineer and project manager at TerraPower. Gerhardt was a respected anesthesiologist. They had a blended family, a beautiful $1.5 million home in Maui, and a life that looked from every angle like an absolute dream. But behind closed doors, Gerhardt was engaging in a pattern of coercive control. After discovering Arielle had an emotional relationship with a coworker, he became consumed by jealousy. He surveilled her phone, demanded she quit her job, and isolated her from friends. Then, on Arielle's 36th birthday, Gerhardt planned a romantic hike on the Pali Puka trail — a closed, dangerous ridge on Oahu with 300-foot drop-offs. What happened on that cliff led to a massive police manhunt, a shocking discovery in a hidden fanny pack, and a controversial trial that left the true crime community in disbelief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices