Search for Kada Scott leads investigators to shallow grave in Philadelphia

Police in Philadelphia discovered human remains in their search for Kada Scott, a missing woman who was last seen leaving the nursing home where she worked about two weeks ago.

John Stanford, deputy commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department, said at a news conference that investigators discovered human remains in a shallow grave near an abandoned middle school on Saturday, Oct. 18. The discovery came after a “very specific” anonymous tip drew law enforcement to a wooded area.

Stanford said the remains will be identified by the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office, which did not immediately respond to USA Today’s request for comment.

“We are not going to confirm at this time that it is Miss Kada Scott because that has to be done by the medical examiner’s office,” Stanford said. “But we have been in communication with her family as to this process and the fact that we have recovered a human being.”

Scott’s family reported her missing on Oct. 5. The night before, she left early from the assisted living facility where she worked overnight shifts.

The case has galvanized the city, drawing a large amount of volunteers to help police search for Scott.

“This is a heartbreaking development, and our thoughts are with Kada’s family and loved ones during this extremely difficult time,” the police department said in a statement after the remains were discovered.

Suspect arrested in Kada Scott’s disappearance faces kidnapping charge

The grim development comes days after police arrested a suspect in connection with Scott’s disappearance. Keon King, 21, was arrested Oct. 14 on charges of kidnapping and reckless endangerment, according to prosecutors.

Authorities said evidence showed King was in communication with Scott before she disappeared. Officials previously said Scott told family members prior to her disappearance that someone was harassing her, though it’s unclear if she was referring to King.

King is also the prime suspect in another kidnapping case in which prosecutors allege he grabbed a woman in front of her house and forced her into his car before assaulting her. The case was dismissed after a witness failed to appear in court, but prosecutors have since reopened it.

At a news conference over the weekend, Stanford called for people with any information about the case or King to contact law enforcement.

“We don’t know if there are other individuals that have been victim of this individual that we have in custody,” he said.

The remains were found in a wooded area near Ada H. Lewis Middle School, an abandoned school in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Last week, police searching the area recovered items they believe belonged to Scott, including an iPad case, a card with her name on it and a pair of glasses.

While investigators had already concentrated their efforts in the densely forested area, it was an anonymous tip that ultimately led to the breakthrough. Stanford said the tip was sent through the department’s anonymous tip line and led them to the shallow grave.

“We don’t know who the tip is from, but we’re grateful that the individual submitted the tip that brought us back here,” he said.