- Isaac and Lehua Kalua were charged with second-degree murder in the death of their adopted daughter.
- Court records showed the two were able to adopt despite filing for bankruptcy.
- Isabella's biological family is considering suing Hawaiian child welfare officials for the placement.
Isaac Kalua, who was charged with second-degree murder alongside his wife Lehua in the death of their 6-year-old adopted daughter Isabella, was able to adopt despite being convicted of multiple felonies.
According to records viewed by Insider, in 2000, Isaac Kalua was convicted on four felony charges of assault, attempted assault, and terroristic threatening, to which he pleaded guilty and served five years probation.
Lehua had been indicted for felony drug promotion in 2001, but the charge was dismissed in 2002 after she completed a drug court program, HawaiiNewsNow reported.
Court records reviewed by Insider also showed that Isaac declared bankruptcy in June 2020. In his bankruptcy petition, Kalua lists his three adopted children as dependents.
The couple fostered Isabella and her siblings for several years before adopting the three of them on January 26, 2021, according to HawaiiNewsNow. The report added that the three siblings were removed from their biological mother's custody because of substance abuse and housing issues.
The Kaluas reported their adopted daughter Isabella, also known as Ariel Sellers, missing on September 13, but investigators now believe the girl had been dead at least a month before that time and that the parents covered it up and hid evidence, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
The biological family of Isabella, whose birth name is Ariel Sellers, are also said to be considering a lawsuit against child welfare service officials in Hawaii for placing her with the adoptive parents.
In court documents made public on Friday, Hawaiian investigators alleged that Isabella's 12-year-old biological sister told them that Isaac and Lehua duct-taped Isabella's mouth and nose and left her in a dog cage where she died. The Kaluas pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charges in court last Friday.
Insider reached out to their attorney for comment.