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A former beauty pageant contestant philadelphia He is still missing more than a week after telling his family and friends that he was receiving harassing phone calls.
Just a few months ago, 23-year-old Kada Scott was in the running to become the next Miss Pennsylvania USA, hoping to represent her state at the national Miss USA pageant. Now, she has become the center of an immediate search across the city.
She was last seen on October 4 leaving for her night shift at an assisted living facility in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. Her family expected her to come home the next morning. But she never arrived.
Keon King, 21, has been charged in connection with Scott’s kidnapping, and is facing a second kidnapping charge following what investigators have described as a troubling “pattern.”
“We believe Mr. King is the last person to be in contact with her and that he was in contact with her when she was offline,” Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczilowski said at a news conference.
Despite King being in custody, there is still no sign of Scott.
“I just want him to come home and be safe,” said his mother, Kim Matthews. WPVI“That’s what I’m afraid of – she’s not safe.”
As police continue to search for Scott, new clues and sinister patterns begin to emerge.
kara’s disappearance
Kada Scott had only been working at The Terraces at Chestnut Hill Senior Living Facility for two weeks when she disappeared.
Her father Kevin Scott told WPVI that she was assigned to the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift
Investigators say she was off work until very late that night before leaving the facility. However, there were no surveillance cameras in the parking lot, he said.
When Scott did not return home that morning, his parents called the senior living facility and received “conflicting reports” about his whereabouts.
They met police at the facility that day and found his car still in the parking lot.
Her phone, iPad, keys and other items were not inside the vehicle, WPVI reported.
Police are still working to determine how Scott and the suspect knew each other, but say they believe they came into contact in the days before the disappearance.
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanor said, “Our evidence is absolutely clear that she was in communication with an individual, that individual meets her shortly after leaving her place of work and shortly thereafter she disappears.”
A car, a tip and a break in the case
As the search for Scott continued and leads were discovered, investigators were led to the Aubrey Arboretum in East Germantown on October 10.
Police searched the 55-acre property, which they say was one of the last places his phone pinged before it was deactivated. However, their search revealed no evidence.
Then on October 15, investigators found a car they believe is connected to the disappearance – a 1999 metallic gold Toyota Camry, which had heavy front end damage and blacked out windows.
The vehicle was found in the parking lot of Gypsy Lane Condos in East Falls after a tip was received around 3:10 p.m. It matched the description released earlier in the day and the license plate number, MSX0797. Sources told reporters that the car belonged to King, whose family lives nearby.
“We believe she may have been in that vehicle,” Tozilowski said.
Surveillance footage shows the driver arriving and leaving the property within about 35 minutes, although police have not confirmed who was behind the wheel. Police say the vehicle was seen in several parts of the city before it was found on Wednesday.
Just hours before the car was discovered, police, acting on another tip, searched Ada H. Lewis Middle School, an abandoned building near the Aubrey Arboretum. There they reportedly found evidence that linked Scott to being in the area.
“Shortly after we got here, we were able to find some physical evidence that links Miss Scott to this scene, and obviously, that’s very significant,” said Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp said.
Police have not said what was recovered, but sources say it included her card and a phone case.
This was not the first time investigators had searched the area. Drones, K9 units and crime scene teams searched the arboretum last week but with no success. Despite the new discovery, police say they did not find Kara Scott at the school.
a pattern of violence
As investigators looked into King’s background, a troubling history began to emerge.
Tokzilowski said King is accused of kidnapping and assaulting another woman earlier this year — a case that was dropped when the victim failed to appear in court. That case has now been registered again.
“At this point, they have two open kidnapping cases that will have preliminary hearings in the coming months,” Tozilowski said.
Additionally, court records show that King faces several other crimes, including fleeing police, driving without a license, and a pending DUI from December 2024.
Police say his record and behavior show a worrying “pattern”, and they are asking any additional victims to come forward.
“Anyone who may have been involved with this individual or anyone who knows this individual, please call at this time,” said Philadelphia Police First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford.
“If you have been a victim of a crime in relation to this individual, we want you to understand that now is the time to call and let us know.”
Before she disappeared, Scott had reportedly told friends that she was being harassed, although it is not clear by whom.
A family’s plea
Philadelphia police, along with the FBI, are treating the case as an active missing persons investigation.
Meanwhile, Scott’s family hasn’t stopped searching.
They have canvassed the neighborhood where she was last seen, distributing flyers and launching a gofundme Campaign to give rewards for reliable information.
Her father, Kevin Scott, said, “Publicize the neighborhood, any leads we can get, we can send to the police in hopes of bringing our daughter back home.” “You never know what little, tiny detail might apply to the bigger picture, the puzzle that might lead Cada home.”
As the second week of the search begins, police say they are pursuing every lead, and say every tip counts.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Kaida Scott or who was victimized by Keon King is urged to call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
Commissioner Stanford said, “We are still treating this as an active investigation.” “There’s still a lot of work to be done.”