HI ISABELLA KALUA: Missing from Waimanalo, HI - 12 Sept 2021 - Age 6 *ARREST*

CrimeSpotter: HPD searching for missing six-year-old Isabella Kalua

She was last seen in her room at her Waimanalo home on Sunday, Sept. 12. at around 9 pm.

www.kitv.com

CrimeSpotter: HPD searching for missing six-year-old Isabella Kalua​

CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) are seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing six-year-old Isabella Kalua.

She was last seen in her room at her Waimanalo home on Sunday, Sept. 12. at around 9 pm.

‘We need all of Hawaii’: Police encourage community to rally together to locate 6-year-old girl in Waimanalo

CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department are seeking the public’s help in locating 6-year-old Isabella Kalua who went missing from her home on Puha St. in Waimanalo on Sunday, Sept. 1…

www.khon2.com

‘We need all of Hawaii’: Police encourage community to rally together to locate 6-year-old girl in Waimanalo​

CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department are seeking the public’s help in locating 6-year-old Isabella Kalua who went missing from her home on Puha St. in Waimanalo on Sunday, Sept. 12.

“We need all of Hawaii. Please rally together in helping us bring her home,” Sgt. Chris Kim of CrimeStoppers said on Monday.

Kalua was last seen sleeping in her room at approximately 9 p.m. Sunday. She was wearing a black hoodie, black leggings, colorful socks and Nike slides with pink bottoms.

A family member said Isabella and her three siblings were recently adopted by the family. The family member told KHON 2 News Child Protective Services took the siblings from the home as the search for Isabella continues.

Police have opened a missing person case. There is no Maile Amber Alert due to certain criteria not being met.

“I think it’s fair to say that until she’s recovered, HPD is not going to stop looking for her,” Kim said.


MEDIA - ISABELLA KALUA: Missing from Waimanalo, HI since 12 Sept 2021 - Age 6

 

[GrandmaBear]

read posts above. monsters. do NOT let monsters out.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Judge denies motion to dismiss case against adoptive parents of murdered 6-year-old

A Circuit Court judge denied Lehua Kalua’s two motions to dismiss the indictment, which claimed defects in the charging language.

www.hawaiinewsnow.com

Judge denies motion to dismiss case against adoptive parents of murdered 6-year-old​

The case against a Waiamanalo couple accused of murdering their adopted 6-year-old daughter will move forward.

In November 2021, Lehua Kalua and Isaac “Sonny” Kalua were indicted on charges including murder and hindering prosecution in the death of Isabella “Ariel” Kalua.

The 6-year-old was reported missing in September 2021 and her body was never found, despite hundreds of search hours by law enforcement and community volunteers.

On Monday, a Circuit Court judge denied Lehua Kalua’s two motions to dismiss the indictment, which claimed defects in the charging language.

Judge Paul Wong said the grand jury indictment was sufficient and properly alleged all of the required elements of murder in the second degree and hindering prosecution.

The Kaluas are being held without bail at Oahu Community Correctional Center.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Thankful. Very.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Adoptive mother accused of murder is no-show in court, refuses transport for hearing over bail

Lehua Kalua refused to leave the Women’s Community Correctional Center Friday morning for a court proceeding over bail.

www.hawaiinewsnow.com

Adoptive mother accused of murder is no-show in court, refuses transport for hearing over bail​

Another delay in the murder trial for Isaac and Lehua Kalua, who are accused of killing and dismembering the body of 6-year-old Isabella “Ariel” Kalua in 2021.

Lehua Kalua refused to leave the Women’s Community Correctional Center Friday morning for a court proceeding over bail.,

Kalua and her husband, Isaac, have been held without bail for three-and-a-half years since they were arrested in 2021.

Lehua filed a motion earlier this year requesting bail, and that issue was supposed to be addressed. It has now been reset for July 11.

“It is not uncommon for inmates to refuse to come to court,” said legal expert Victor Bakke, who is not involved in this case.

Bakke said it can happen because an inmate is ill or because they want to delay the proceeding.

Most of the time, the judge will reset the proceeding, but if the inmate does it more than once, Bakke said the judge can order them brought to court by deputy sheriffs without consent.

A judge could also “waive their appearance,” Bakke said. He added that’s not a first choice because the defendant has a right to be present at their own hearings.


The trial has been rescheduled 10 times for various reasons over the years. The latest, because the defense needed more time to go over the materials in the case.

The new trial date is October 13.

 

[GrandmaBear]

SMDH. Enough b.s. and delay already!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Judge denies bail for woman accused of killing adopted daughter

A Honolulu judge denied bail on Friday for Lehua Kalua, a woman accused of killing her adopted daughter in 2021.

www.hawaiinewsnow.com

Judge denies bail for woman accused of killing adopted daughter​

A judge denied bail Friday for a woman accused of killing her adopted daughter.

Lehua Kalua and her husband, Isaac Kalua, are accused of murdering and dismembering the body of 6-year-old Isabella “Ariel” Kalua in 2021.

The couple previously pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, hindering prosecution in the first degree, two counts of abuse of a family member, and multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Friday’s bail hearing for Lehua Kalua was initially scheduled for June, but it was pushed back several times because Kalua refused transport from jail.

Her defense attorney said she is under a Family Court no-contact order, so she does not pose a risk to the case nor to her children, who are also witnesses.

Circuit Court Judge Paul Wong, however, denied her motion to set bail, saying she poses a risk of obstruction of justice and engaging in legal activity.

Wong cited her past alleged behavior, as she is accused of trapping Ariel in a dog cage, failing to call for help when Ariel stopped breathing, and hiding parts of her body to cover up the crime.

“The court doesn’t have the power of omniscience,” said Wong. “What we are left with is to determine whether past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. That rings true here.”


Lehua Kalua remains in custody at the Women’s Community Correctional Center while her husband is at the Oahu Community Correctional Center.

Barring further delays, their trial is scheduled to begin in October.

 

[Tresir]

I can hardly believe what I have read upthread. No wonder they never found her.

From two articles upthread-

The sibling told the panel that in August 2021, Lehua put the girl in a dog cage and put duct tape on her mouth then went to sleep. Some time during the night, they woke to find the child was not breathing.

The older sibling said the Kaluas started going to different public beaches about every other day.

They “poured this green stuff into the public toilets” the sibling said. Lehua was washing dishes at the beaches, “pots and pans and... other cooking materials” that Lehua used.

When the deputy prosecutor asked what the sibling was doing while this was going on, she told the grand jury panel that she was the lookout, told to “watch if somebody’s coming.”

She said the Kaluas poured green stuff down the drains of the bathrooms after they were done.

“We were just horrified by what the survivors were subjected to,” said Randall Rosenberg, one of the attorneys for the siblings.

Rosenberg said the older sibling was apparently forced to assist “in disposing of the body.”

Another attorney for the other children, Trevor Potts, believed the green fluid was possibly acid.

Potts said the revelations about cooking and grilling items and then the disposing of those items in dumpsters are difficult, but said volunteers who searched for the child and others who cared about the child deserve to know.

Isabella’s sister, then 12, revealed that her little sister’s mouth and nose had been duct-taped and that she lost consciousness before her death. Lehua Kalua directed her to help carry the girl into a bathtub of water allegedly to revive her, then assisted in bringing the child’s lifeless body to bed.

The 6-year-old allegedly had been kept in a dog cage and denied food. Both sisters were also allegedly physically and mentally abused since Feb. 8, 2019, when they first went to the Kalua home.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Judge denies bail for woman accused of killing adopted daughter

A Honolulu judge denied bail on Friday for Lehua Kalua, a woman accused of killing her adopted daughter in 2021.

www.hawaiinewsnow.com

Judge denies bail for woman accused of killing adopted daughter​

A judge denied bail Friday for a woman accused of killing her adopted daughter.

Lehua Kalua and her husband, Isaac Kalua, are accused of murdering and dismembering the body of 6-year-old Isabella “Ariel” Kalua in 2021.

The couple previously pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, hindering prosecution in the first degree, two counts of abuse of a family member, and multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Friday’s bail hearing for Lehua Kalua was initially scheduled for June, but it was pushed back several times because Kalua refused transport from jail.

Her defense attorney said she is under a Family Court no-contact order, so she does not pose a risk to the case nor to her children, who are also witnesses.

Circuit Court Judge Paul Wong, however, denied her motion to set bail, saying she poses a risk of obstruction of justice and engaging in legal activity.

Wong cited her past alleged behavior, as she is accused of trapping Ariel in a dog cage, failing to call for help when Ariel stopped breathing, and hiding parts of her body to cover up the crime.

“The court doesn’t have the power of omniscience,” said Wong. “What we are left with is to determine whether past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. That rings true here.”


Lehua Kalua remains in custody at the Women’s Community Correctional Center while her husband is at the Oahu Community Correctional Center.

Barring further delays, their trial is scheduled to begin in October.

I think they mean illegal, not legal.

What a joke, a restraining order would prevent her from contacting child witnesses, keep her on the straight and narrow, etc.? We all know how good a piece of paper works such as a restraining order. That's her attorney's best argument?

Then she applies for reduced bail but refuses to show up at the hearing repeatedly?

It's well past time they try this case and put these two MONSTERS away.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I can hardly believe what I have read upthread. No wonder they never found her.

From two articles upthread-

The sibling told the panel that in August 2021, Lehua put the girl in a dog cage and put duct tape on her mouth then went to sleep. Some time during the night, they woke to find the child was not breathing.

The older sibling said the Kaluas started going to different public beaches about every other day.

They “poured this green stuff into the public toilets” the sibling said. Lehua was washing dishes at the beaches, “pots and pans and... other cooking materials” that Lehua used.

When the deputy prosecutor asked what the sibling was doing while this was going on, she told the grand jury panel that she was the lookout, told to “watch if somebody’s coming.”

She said the Kaluas poured green stuff down the drains of the bathrooms after they were done.

“We were just horrified by what the survivors were subjected to,” said Randall Rosenberg, one of the attorneys for the siblings.

Rosenberg said the older sibling was apparently forced to assist “in disposing of the body.”

Another attorney for the other children, Trevor Potts, believed the green fluid was possibly acid.

Potts said the revelations about cooking and grilling items and then the disposing of those items in dumpsters are difficult, but said volunteers who searched for the child and others who cared about the child deserve to know.

Isabella’s sister, then 12, revealed that her little sister’s mouth and nose had been duct-taped and that she lost consciousness before her death. Lehua Kalua directed her to help carry the girl into a bathtub of water allegedly to revive her, then assisted in bringing the child’s lifeless body to bed.

The 6-year-old allegedly had been kept in a dog cage and denied food. Both sisters were also allegedly physically and mentally abused since Feb. 8, 2019, when they first went to the Kalua home.

Yes, it's a rough case with rough details--absolutely horrid. Also a case where CPS should be under fire.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Family Court Must Release Records In Isabella Kalua Abuse Death

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on Tuesday broke with more than two decades of precedent to order the release of 975 pages showing how the 6-year-old was placed with parents now accused of killing her.

www.civilbeat.org

Family Court Must Release Records In Isabella Kalua Child Abuse Death​

The Hawaiʻi Family Court that placed Isabella Kalua with foster parents now accused of killing her must release records detailing the process that led to one of the state’s most notorious child abuse deaths, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.

The ruling marks a dramatic break with a 1999 Supreme Court opinion in Kema v. Gaddis that blocked the release of records in another infamous child abuse death involving 6-year-old Peter “Peter Boy” Kema Jr. That case had set the tone for Family Court transparency for more than two decades.

In its Tuesday decision, the Supreme Court wrote that the best interest of the children is not the only factor to consider in making Family Court records public, breaking with its reasoning in the Kema case.

Other “legitimate interests” should also come into play, the court said, such as informing the public about what happened in a case that led to the death of a foster child.

In a larger sense, releasing the records promotes transparency and the public’s faith in the integrity of the judicial process, the court wrote.

As a practical matter, the decision means that 975 pages of records about Isabella’s placement as a foster child and eventual adoption by Lehua and Isaac Kalua are now subject to release. The state’s Department of Human Services has never publicly accounted for its actions in the case, including why it recommended the Kaluas adopt the girl.

The Supreme Court redacted information from the records, such as the names of Isabella’s siblings and references to abuse that they may have suffered along with her, to protect their privacy. The parties in the case, including DHS and Isaac Kalua, will have 30 days to file objections to the release of any parts of the records not already blacked out.

“This is a significant shift in how the Department of Human Services and family courts should be viewing the secrecy that surrounds these types of proceedings,” said Brian Black, executive director of Public First Law Center, which petitioned the Supreme Court to hear the case after a Family Court judge denied release of the records.

“This is definitely a huge step forward.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

This is HUGE and I'm so happy to hear it. Who this law center is that petitioned the State's Supreme Court, I don't know but I am so glad they did and even happier about the Court's decision. I'm not surprised one bit the county judge denied it.

I hope more states do it and have people that will push it to the higher level if denied by the local level. County judges work with the agency people every day, they should not decide such imo, and should recuse.

Way too many foster children cases where it is hard to understand how the child could have been placed with such a family. AND in this case then let that family adopt or urge them to do so. The West boys in CA is another one. I hope this decision is seen by anyone who has seen it denied at the local level and they find someone to push it higher.

I see no reason for the privacy and refusal to release when a child is dead from abuse. It no longer will affect the child and, as this judge did, the names of siblings, etc. can be redacted if they use that as an excuse, it nullifies that excuse.

Our govt also needs to quite incentivizing adoption with rewarding agencies with money. I won't say what president did that but it was a dumb thing to do and the effect is being seen.

Also clearly the rules are way too lax as to who is fit to foster or adopt.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Murder trial delayed for Waimanalo couple accused of killing adopted daughter

A judge granted a continuance for Isaac and Lehua Kalua, who are being tried for the death of 6-year old Ariel Sellers, also known as Isabella Kalua.

www.hawaiinewsnow.com

Murder trial delayed for Waimanalo couple accused of killing adopted daughter​

The trial for a Waimanalo couple accused of torturing and killing their adopted daughter is now delayed until August.

A judge granted a continuance Friday for Isaac and Lehua Kalua after Isaac got a new attorney this month.

The Kaluas are charged with murder, abuse, and hindering prosecution for the death of 6-year old Ariel Sellers, also known as Isabella Kalua.

It’s been nearly five years since the child went missing.

Her body was never found.

https://www.khon2.com/hawaii-crime/postponed-isabella-kalua-murder-trial-delay-affecting-civil-case/

Postponed: Isabella Kalua murder trial delay affecting civil case​

Another delay in the Isabella Kalua murder trial is slowing a related civil lawsuit.

The criminal case is now set for August 2026, and it impacts depositions and timelines on the civil side.

Isaac and Lehua Kalua are accused of the 2021 death and dismemberment of their six-year-old adopted daughter, Isabella Kalua. The couple saw their criminal trial week postponed to Aug. 3, 2026, during a status conference on Friday, Jan. 23, and it directly affects a separate civil case tied to Isabella’s death.

“We’re going to have to postpone things until the criminal case runs its course. Of course, we don’t want to do that. We would prefer just to get this thing done on the civil side. But these are the issues that we’re dealing with,” said civil attorney Randall Rosenberg.

Rosenberg confirmed the defendants will not participate in civil depositions while the criminal case is active, and they have a right to plead the Fifth Amendment.

“Because their lawyers will make them take the Fifth Amendment and not answer those questions. Until the criminal case has run its course, they have the right to the Fifth Amendment,” Rosenberg said.

A third-party defense attorney who is not involved in either the criminal or civil proceedings in the Kalua case explained why this is standard practice.

“It’s difficult to depose a defendant when that defendant still has a Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. So, it sounds like in this case, the civil lawyers are agreeable to staying the civil case pending the outcome of the criminal trial,” Megan Kau said. “Once the criminal case is complete and final, you no longer have a Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.”

The civil attorney in the Kalua proceedings said the parties involved — including the State of Hawaii and three contracted agencies — have indicated they want to resolve the case by settlement, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

“It’s a difficult case to settle because there’s a lot of parties, and the numbers that we’re going to need to resolve this case are fairly significant. I should say substantial is a better word,” Rosenberg said.

The delay in the criminal trial means justice on the civil side could be pushed back well into late 2026 or beyond.