Some two years after she was last seen, a civil lawsuit has been filed over the death of Isabella Kalua, also known as Ariel Sellers. Being sued are her adoptive parents, Lehua and Isaac Kalua III, the state, the Department of Human Services and Catholic Charities of Hawaii on behalf of the child’s estate and her four surviving siblings.

Meanwhile, justice for Ariel in criminal court still awaits: the Kaluas were indicted in November 2021 on charges that include second-degree murder, hindering prosecution and abuse — they’re accused of keeping Ariel, 6, in a dog cage and starving her — but trial has yet to begin.