Neighbor wants closure with Kalua home up for sale

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The home at the center of a heart-wrenching murder case is up for sale.

The home of Isabella Kalua’s adoptive parents went on the market on Monday, June 13. The two are behind bars accused of killing the 6-year-old. The listing doesn’t stand out as anything particularly memorable, but outside of the home, the Waimanalo community has banded together to make sure that Isabella is not forgotten nearly 10 months after police say she was murdered.

“Seeing that is an eye-opener for a lot of people because to remember, watch your keiki,” an anonymous neighbor said. “Don’t let your guard down. Could be your own neighbor.”

The listing puts the five-year-old Puha St. four-bedroom three-bathroom home for sale at $625,000.

Prosecutors say Isabella’s 12-year-old sister told investigators that the home is where her adoptive mother Lehue duct-taped the 6-year-old’s mouth and nose and left her in a dog cage, which caused her to lose consciousness and die.

Both Lehua and Isaac, who leases the home, have been charged with murder and are awaiting trial. The realtor listing the property declined an interview but said that since the property is Department of Hawaiian Homelands Leasehold it will have to be sold to somebody on the DHHL list.

The neighbor wants the property to remain in Hawaiian hands.

“Basically I like ’em just go back on the list and the people who come, hopefully going to be nice people nice family,” the neighbor said.

DHHL did not respond to questions about who would get the money if the property is sold. The neighbor said that the spot is still visited often by folks in Waimanalo.

“Every weekend there’s people pass by here and beep the horn. Beep the horn even though nobody is in the house but they beep the horn just to show their respect,” the neighbor said.

He’d like the memorial along the fence outside of the home to remain, and like many others to find out what happened to the little girl in their neighborhood.

“One day we can get closure, that’s what I like. What actually happened, nobody knows,” the neighbor said.

Both Kalua’s are being held at OCCC without bail. Their trial is scheduled for September. If found guilty, they face life in prison without the possibility of parole.