PHILADELPHIA, PA - Authorities with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) are investigating the mysterious disappearance of beauty queen Kada Scott after they recovered human remains believed to be the missing 23-year-old.
The remains were found in a shallow grave behind an abandoned school, the New York Post reported. Police made the gruesome discovery on the grounds of the shuttered Ada H. Lewis Middle School in the East Germantown neighborhood on Saturday morning, October 18, after receiving a "very specific" anonymous tip made the night before.
"While searching the property, investigators discovered a shallow grave and recovered human remains believed to be those of Kada Scott," PPD said in a statement. "This is a heartbreaking development, and our thoughts are with Kada's family and loved ones during this extremely difficult time. The Philadelphia Police Department remains committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring that justice is served."
Once on the property, investigators sifted through the brush and cleared away some debris to uncover fresh dirt and detected a "strange smell." Police have not yet confirmed the remains to be Scott's as they await an official ruling from the medical examiner's office.
"Sign number one, fresh dirt under a board," one man who was part of the discovery said. "So, we begin to try to dig with our hands, and there are maggots there under the ground, and there's a strange smell coming from the ground."
Scott, who represented Philadelphia Township in this year's Miss Pennsylvania USA Beauty Pageant, vanished shortly after leaving her job at The Terrace assisted living facility in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood at about 9:30 p.m. on October 4. The closed middle school's campus is two and a half miles southeast of where Scott worked.
She is believed to have met up with "an individual" after leaving the facility before going radio silent. An earlier tip led police to the abandoned school on Wednesday, October 15, where they found a 1999 Toyota Camry, which Scott is thought to have been in the night she disappeared.
The front of the car had sustained heavy damage, and items belonging to Scott, including her phone case and her debit card, were found near the vehicle.
Police arrested 21-year-old Keon King last week and charged him with kidnapping for ransom, false imprisonment, stalking, recklessly endangering another person, and tampering with evidence, according to court records. He has not been charged in Scott's death as of Sunday morning.
King had faced kidnapping charges earlier in the year stemming from a January incident where he allegedly stalked a woman before abducting her from her home and assaulting her in his car.
The charges were withdrawn in May after his victim failed to appear in court on multiple occasions. Charges were refiled following King's arrest in Scott's disappearance.
Prosecutors with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office owned up to their mistake of letting the charges be withdrawn from the initial case: "We could have done better in that. A really sophisticated approach to the case would be to try to put it all in with video evidence," District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
The fact that King was out on bail was apparently the reason the woman was afraid of attending court in the first place. "[She] had to worry he was going to come out of the same door they went in the courthouse right after they testified against him... because he was out on bail," Krasner said.
King was held on a $200,000 bail in the first case. He posted 10% of the bail and was released. He is currently being held on a $2.5 million bail for Scott's kidnapping.
The remains were found in a shallow grave behind an abandoned school, the New York Post reported. Police made the gruesome discovery on the grounds of the shuttered Ada H. Lewis Middle School in the East Germantown neighborhood on Saturday morning, October 18, after receiving a "very specific" anonymous tip made the night before.
"While searching the property, investigators discovered a shallow grave and recovered human remains believed to be those of Kada Scott," PPD said in a statement. "This is a heartbreaking development, and our thoughts are with Kada's family and loved ones during this extremely difficult time. The Philadelphia Police Department remains committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring that justice is served."
Once on the property, investigators sifted through the brush and cleared away some debris to uncover fresh dirt and detected a "strange smell." Police have not yet confirmed the remains to be Scott's as they await an official ruling from the medical examiner's office.
"Sign number one, fresh dirt under a board," one man who was part of the discovery said. "So, we begin to try to dig with our hands, and there are maggots there under the ground, and there's a strange smell coming from the ground."
Scott, who represented Philadelphia Township in this year's Miss Pennsylvania USA Beauty Pageant, vanished shortly after leaving her job at The Terrace assisted living facility in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood at about 9:30 p.m. on October 4. The closed middle school's campus is two and a half miles southeast of where Scott worked.
She is believed to have met up with "an individual" after leaving the facility before going radio silent. An earlier tip led police to the abandoned school on Wednesday, October 15, where they found a 1999 Toyota Camry, which Scott is thought to have been in the night she disappeared.
The front of the car had sustained heavy damage, and items belonging to Scott, including her phone case and her debit card, were found near the vehicle.
Police arrested 21-year-old Keon King last week and charged him with kidnapping for ransom, false imprisonment, stalking, recklessly endangering another person, and tampering with evidence, according to court records. He has not been charged in Scott's death as of Sunday morning.
King had faced kidnapping charges earlier in the year stemming from a January incident where he allegedly stalked a woman before abducting her from her home and assaulting her in his car.
The charges were withdrawn in May after his victim failed to appear in court on multiple occasions. Charges were refiled following King's arrest in Scott's disappearance.
Prosecutors with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office owned up to their mistake of letting the charges be withdrawn from the initial case: "We could have done better in that. A really sophisticated approach to the case would be to try to put it all in with video evidence," District Attorney Larry Krasner said.
The fact that King was out on bail was apparently the reason the woman was afraid of attending court in the first place. "[She] had to worry he was going to come out of the same door they went in the courthouse right after they testified against him... because he was out on bail," Krasner said.
King was held on a $200,000 bail in the first case. He posted 10% of the bail and was released. He is currently being held on a $2.5 million bail for Scott's kidnapping.
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Comments
2025-10-20T19:40-0400 | Comment by: Sher
What a waste and he should be held without bail until he is swinging.
2025-10-20T21:55-0400 | Comment by: James
DEATH!