The heartbreaking search for 23-year-old Philadelphia woman Kada Scott has come to an end. Law enforcement sources confirmed late Sunday that preliminary DNA results show the human remains discovered behind an abandoned middle school belong to Scott, who went missing two weeks ago.
Police had already suspected the remains were hers when they were found Saturday, but officials were waiting for confirmation from the medical examiner. “We’ve been in touch with her family,” said Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner John Stanford during a press conference. “This is not the outcome anyone wanted.”
Investigators found the body after getting a “very specific” anonymous tip that led them back to a wooded area behind an old school in Germantown — a place they’d already searched. This time, they uncovered a shallow grave containing what appeared to be a woman’s remains. Authorities believe she’d been dead for several days.
A small memorial has started to grow in front of the building. Neighbors have been leaving flowers, lighting candles, and praying for Scott and her family. According to WPVI-TV, DNA testing matched the remains to Scott’s parents. Police also said surveillance footage from a nearby recreation center may be connected to the case. During their earlier search last week, all they had found was Scott’s phone case and her debit card.
Another disturbing piece of evidence surfaced online: a TikTok video that allegedly shows 21-year-old Keon King peering into a window and trying to break in. King, who was arrested last Monday, faces a list of charges including kidnapping, stalking, and reckless endangerment. He’s currently being held on a $2.5 million bond.
Investigators say King was the last person known to have contact with Scott before she disappeared on October 4, after leaving work. Scott had reportedly told her family that someone had been harassing her by phone, though it’s unclear if she was referring to King. Police are still urging the public to come forward with any additional information.
King already had a troubling record. Earlier this year, prosecutors charged him with strangulation and kidnapping after allegedly forcing a woman he knew into his car, assaulting her, and later releasing her. But the case fell apart when the witness didn’t show up in court. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said the charges were dismissed as a result.
District Attorney Larry Krasner revealed that prosecutors had pushed for nearly $1 million bail at the time, but a judge reduced it to $200,000. King was able to walk free after posting just 10 percent of that amount. Krasner said he suspected the witness may have been too afraid to testify, knowing King was out of custody. That earlier case has since been reopened.
The community’s grief has turned to anger and frustration as many question how someone with such serious prior charges was back on the streets. For now, investigators are working to build the strongest possible case while friends and family mourn a young woman whose life was cut short far too soon.