Human remains believed to be a missing Philadelphia beauty queen have been located after a ‘very specific’ tip came in.
A body was found in a shallow grave behind Ada H. Lewis Middle School on Saturday morning in East Germantown, and according to police, it could be Kada Scott, 23.
Scott, a former Miss USA hopeful, was last seen on October 4 leaving her job at an assisted living facility in Chestnut Hill around 9.30pm.
The recent Penn State graduate seemingly vanished, as her car was left parked at work and her phone went offline. Keon King, 21, was arrested as a suspect in the case this week.
First Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department John Stanford called the discovery ‘a somber and grateful moment’ as he praised the public for providing information to authorities.
On Friday evening, one ‘very specific’ tip led police to the heavily wooded area where the body was located, Stanford said.
‘While conducting a search of the property, investigators discovered a shallow grave and recovered human remains believed to be those of Kada Scott,’ he added.
‘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.’
Kada Scott, 23, was last seen on October 4 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On Saturday morning remains were found that police believe could be her
A body, who police said is female, was found in a shallow grave behind Ada H. Lewis Middle School
The officer said that it has not yet been confirmed if the body is Scott, but did say ‘all indications at this point is that it’s a female.’
‘We are not going to confirm at this point that it is Ms. Kada Scott because that has to be done by the medical examiner’s office,’ he said, adding that Scott’s family are aware of the new development.
People who helped search after the tip came in said there were obvious signs something was lying beneath the dirt.
‘Sign number one, fresh dirt under a board,’ a man who helped search told NBC10 Philadelphia.
‘So we begin to try to dig with our hands, and there’s maggots there under the ground, and there’s a strange smell coming from the ground.’
Members of the community, including Scott’s family, have been out searching everyday since she disappeared.
The shuttered school is two and half miles from where Scott worked.
The 23-year-old is believed to have met up with an ‘individual’ after leaving her job.
Keon King, 21, was arrested as a suspect in the case last week. Scott has not been charged in Scott’s death as of Sunday morning
An earlier tip led police to the same school on Wednesday. There they found a 1999 Toyota Camry, a vehicle Scott is believed to have been in the night she vanished.
Several of her belongings, including her debit card and phone case, were found inside the car. The front of the vehicle also sustained major damage.
King was arrested on Wednesday and charged in connection to Scott’s disappearance.
He was charged with kidnapping, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, stalking, and tampering with physical evidence, according to court records reviewed by the Daily Mail.
Scott has not been charged in Scott’s death as of Sunday morning. He is being held on a $2.5 million bond and being held at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.
He is due in court on November 3, per the records.
Shortly after his arrest, a terrifying video started to circulate on TikTok showing a hooded figure creepily peering through a woman’s window in Philadelphia.
The 23-year-old is believed to have met up with an ‘individual’ after leaving her job
An earlier tip led police to the same school on Wednesday. There they found a 1999 Toyota Camry (pictured), a vehicle Scott is believed to have been in the night she vanished
The viral clip is now believed to show King trying to break into another woman’s home and is part of Scott’s investigation.
Police said the clip appeared to show King, who in January allegedly climbed a fence at his ex-girlfriend’s home and tried to break in.
In the video, the woman told King to leave and urged someone off camera to call police. Moments later, King was seen walking to the side of the house, peering into another window as he appeared to try to break in, investigators said.
Later that day, he allegedly abducted the woman from the street, forcing her into his car, driving at high speed, and biting her face while choking her. She was later treated for minor injuries.
King’s two-year-old child was in the backseat of the car during the incident, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski told NBC10.
While King was charged for the incident, the case was withdrawn in May 2025 because the victim didn’t show up to court, officials said.
In November 2024, King allegedly forced the same woman into bed and violently choked her, but those charges were also dropped when she failed to appear in court three times.
After King’s arrest in connection with Scott’s disappearance, prosecutors refiled earlier kidnapping charges against him for the incident involving the TikToker.
The Daily Mail contacted the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office and King’s attorney for comment.