The highly anticipated murder trial for the adoptive parents of Isabella Kalua, who are accused of starving, beating, caging and killing the 6-year-old Waimanalo girl two years ago, remains on the court calendar for Aug. 28 after a status conference Friday.
Friday’s conference, held via Zoom and closed to the public, was attended by court-appointed attorneys Jason Burks for Lehua Kalua; Alan Komagome, standing in for Donovan Odo, who represents Isaac “Sonny” Kalua III; and deputy prosecutors Tiffany Kaeo and Erica Candelario, appearing for the state. Circuit Judge Paul Wong will hold another off-the- record status conference Aug. 25.
The child, whose body was never found, was recently declared legally dead, just before what is believed to be on or about the second anniversary of her death.
Police say Isabella, also known as Ariel Sellers, was killed on or about Aug. 18, 2021, by adoptive parents Lehua Kalua and Isaac “Sonny” Kalua III at their blue, two-story Waimanalo home.
That’s a month before the Kaluas reported her missing from home Sept. 13.
Her disappearance spawned a massive search by her biological family, the Waimanalo community joined by many from across the islands, and armchair sleuths from other parts of the country, as well as multiple agencies, including the FBI, assisting the police. But residents noticed that the Kaluas did not personally engage in the search.
A break came in the case when investigators interviewed Isabella’s older sister, who revealed the horrible details of the abuse of Isabella, including being kept in a dog cage and having her mouth and nose duct-taped shut, which led to her losing consciousness.
Her older sister, according to the criminal complaint, was awakened one night by their parents to help put Isabella into a bathtub filled with water to wake her, which failed; then she had to help carry her lifeless body to her bedroom.
The couple was indicted on charges of second- degree murder, abuse, hindering prosecution, persistent nonsupport and endangering the welfare of a minor in Isabella’s death, as well as abuse of her older sister, then 12.
An Oahu probate judge declared Isabella legally dead on July 27, paving the way for her four biological sisters and her estate to sue the state and the Kaluas.
Three law firms — Leavitt Yamane &Soldner, Rosenberg McKay Hoffman, and Potts &Potts — will represent the children and the estate in the lawsuit, and are expected to file the civil complaint early next week.
The Kaluas renounced their right to appointment as personal representative.
A guardian ad litem was appointed in February to represent the girls, whose birth years are 2009, 2014, 2018, 2020, making them now roughly ages 14, 9, 5 and 3.
Isabella and her older sister were placed in foster care with the Kaluas in February 2019. In January 2021, they adopted the two girls and a girl born in 2018.
An emergency petition seeking to advance the hearing on the matter to July 27 from Aug. 17 was filed due to a looming two-year statute of limitations on certain claims being sought.
