Human remains of a woman have been found in the area where police have been searching for Kada Scott, 23, who went missing on October 4, Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department John Stanford said on Saturday.
The remains were discovered in a shallow grave in a wooded area behind the abandoned Ada H. Lewis Middle School near the Awbury Arboretum. According to Stanford, the remains appeared to be around a week old or less.
Police began searching the area near the abandoned school on Saturday after receiving an anonymous tip around 10 p.m. on Friday. While law enforcement had previously searched the school and arboretum in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, they only reported finding some physical evidence without specifying further details.
Community members gathered behind the crime scene tape at the search site on Saturday, voicing anger and frustration at the police, who they say have not done enough in the search efforts. Many community members, including Scott’s family, had been actively searching every day — including in the very area where the remains were ultimately found.
Deputy Commissioner Stanford addressed the community’s emotions, saying, “I’m not offended by some of the passion in some of the remarks that have been made as we walked back. I’m not offended at all by emotion, and this is an emotional situation. However, I know what we have done and the amount of hours that have been put into this process to try and locate Ms. Scott.”
Scott’s disappearance was the focus of a press conference held on Friday with District Attorney Larry Krasner, State Representative Andre Carroll, and Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski.
Scott went missing after she left her new job at The Terrace at The Chestnut Hill Nursing Home in a hurry and ran into Keon King, the last person known to have seen her before she disappeared. King was arrested on criminal charges, including kidnapping and criminal use of a communications facility.
The District Attorney’s office has also brought charges against King in two other cases. In at least one case, cash bail was set by a judge at $200,000 despite the DA’s office requesting $1 million bail. King was able to post 10% of that amount ($20,000) and was subsequently released, which may have intimidated an eyewitness and victim in one case.
However, in this case, King’s bail has been set at $2.5 million, according to the DA’s office, and he is unlikely to be released.
District Attorney Krasner spoke about the issues with cash bail, stating:
“This is the problem with cash bail. It’s not just whether or not he’s in custody immediately. It’s also, what is the situation of a victim who has to go to court, a victim of domestic violence who has to go to court knowing that the defendant will walk out the same door she came in? What is the situation? How likely is that victim to come to court if that victim knows that victim is dealing with a profoundly dangerous, profoundly violent person? We all know the answer, that victim is more likely to walk in the door of the courthouse and testify if that victim knows that the defendant can’t walk out right behind her if he’s locked up.”
He added, “Well, King wasn’t locked up. And so sadly, what happened was there were two court dates, at the first of which the judge announced that he must be tried next time, and the victim did not arrive on both of those occasions, and eyewitnesses did not arrive on both of those occasions.”
Subpoenas were sent to the correct addresses, and the DA’s office made multiple phone calls to both the victim and an eyewitness, but were only able to leave voicemails, Krasner said.
The DA urged any other victims to come forward, assuring them:
“We are encouraging you to come forward. You do not have to worry about the defendant coming out of the courthouse door right behind you, because he’s not coming out of that courthouse door right behind you.”
State Representative Andre Carroll, who said he met Scott in person last summer, expressed gratitude for the ongoing efforts to find her:
“First and foremost, I want to thank the DA’s office, the FBI, and the homicide detectives who have assisted with this case so far. I recognize at this moment that there is a family right now that is praying for the safe return of this young lady.”
“We recognize that everyone in the city — from the community to law enforcement to elected officials — is committed to the return of Kada Scott,” Carroll added.
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https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/human-remains-found-during-search-for-missing-philly-woman-kada-scott/article_e25628e9-8064-4907-b02f-458b68cca18c.html