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As a general rule in Western society, we love to classify winners and separate them from out from the losers. It’s how we make sense of the chaos. In that spirit, I’m offering my take on the aftermath of the Gerhardt Koenig trial—a case that has gripped our island and true crime fans internationally. |
🏆 The Winners |
1. Prosecutor Joel Gardner |
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Gardner is now the undisputed "go-to" lead chair for the prosecutor’s office on high-profile cases moving forward. Taking on the S-tier Thomas Otake is no small feat. While many saw this as an uncomplicated case for his division, Gardner nonetheless secured an attempted manslaughter conviction, a class A felony, while on the biggest stage and against the scariest opponent—in his first time as the lead chair. The shadow of Ben Rose loomed large prior to this big win, but now, Mr. Gardner has blazed his own trail and is in the earliest stages of newfound stardom. |
2. The Defense - “God of War” Tommy Otake |
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It sounds counterintuitive, but the defense is still a winner with the potential to be a tremendous winner. Mr. Otake, aka “God of War,” removed the maximum penalty of “life with the possibility of parole,” and whittled the potential punishment down to what could still be probation. It’s such a big difference in outcome, one can make the argument, “why even contest a win that could result in probation?” |
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For every drop of blood that streamed from the top of Arielle’s head that day, there were equal parts deception and gaslighting leading up to the fight that broke out on that popular Pali Puka trail. Otake took a narrative of “My husband (Dr. Konig) tried to push me off a cliff, stab me with a propofol syringe, then bash me over the head 10 times with a rock,” to “for sure 2 hits, and no intent to kill.” |
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What if Judge Wong, hands down Oahu's most respected big-trial judge, finds cause for probation? Let's not forget, manslaughter is the rare probationable class A felony. The door is still open for Dr. Konig's release later this year. Stay tuned folks, there’s still so much to come. |
3. True Crime Viewers |
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Whether local or international, the viewers won big. With 24-hour access to replays and high-def streams, the "at-home" experience was actually superior to being in the courtroom. No blocked views by attorney teams, no hassles getting up and out of the gallery, and—for YouTube Premium subscriber—no ads! |
❌ The Losers |
1. Arielle Koenig |
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Arielle finally got what she wanted all along, and now she’s a loser. She is the poster child for the "emotional affair," a term that has now gone mainstream. The job she insisted she keep—despite agreeing earlier to leave and find work elsewhere to help Dr. Koenig heal from her betrayal—is no longer a luxury; it is an absolute necessity. |
Arielle is now a single mom with two small children and will have to focus on her career at the expense of her family. Its ugly, but let that set in folks; the "picture-perfect" veneer has cracked under the weight of the same toxic dynamics—betrayal, secrecy, and vengeance—that typically plague urban broken homes. It really is a shame, and it was totally avoidable. |
2. The Hawaii Court System & Taxpayers |
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The biggest loser might be the judiciary itself. Court TV is profiting hand over fist off content the state provides for free. |
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The Subsidy: Taxpayers are fronting the bill for the product. We pay for the clerks, the bailiffs, the security, and even the electricity, while Court TV simply fills out a “request for extended coverage” form. The state is leaving money on the table. Moving forward, high-publicity cases should require vendors to provide a revenue split or a licensing fee for access. Things for the next Chief Justice to strongly consider.
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3. The Tech Experience (Zoom & Audio) |
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The state’s Zoom feed would have crashed under the weight of the 25,000 viewers who streamed the final day of the trial on YouTube. |
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Furthermore, the audio quality was abysmal—even if you were let into the meeting, you had terrible camera angles and crappy audio. As is typical with state-run versus private-sector experiences, the private option was far superior. |
As a conspiracy enthusiast who loves a good headline, do you think I’m crazy for leaning so heavily into the “new trial” narrative Jail Mail was the first to report? |
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Reply to this email or comment on a video online—I love feedback. |
-Jail Mail Nick |
