Investigators in Philadelphia have uncovered human remains in a wooded area behind the shuttered Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School in the East Germantown neighborhood — the very same locale where 23-year-old Kada Scott vanished on October 4 after leaving her job.
Police say one of the breakthroughs came courtesy of an anonymous tip late Friday night. Officers followed the tip to the underbrush behind the abandoned school campus early Saturday morning and discovered a shallow grave containing the body of a woman.
While authorities believe the remains are likely Scott’s, they stressed that formal identification by the city’s Medical Examiner is still pending. Deputy Commissioner John Stanford noted that although the evidence strongly points to Scott, no definitive match has yet been made.
According to police, the victim appears to have been deceased for “several days.” Earlier searches of the same woods had turned up Scott’s glasses, phone case and a bank card, but had not revealed her whereabouts until the tip led them back.
The man arrested in connection with Scott’s disappearance, 21-year-old Keon King, remains in custody. Investigators say King was the last person known to be in contact with Scott and had been charged with kidnapping and other offenses prior to this discovery.
Mayor Cherelle Parker issued a somber message following the development: “I am a praying mayor who wholeheartedly believes in the power of God’s strength. I pray that God will give the family a certain peace that passes all understanding to meet this moment.”
Though the discovery brings a measure of closure for the community, police emphasize the investigation is far from over. They continue to urge anyone with information to reach out via (215) 686-TIPS. They also noted that additional charges may be forthcoming once formal identification is complete and further forensic work is done.
The discovery offers a heartbreaking halt to the nearly two-week long search for Scott — a young woman described by family and friends as full of life, talent and promise. For now, her case transitions from missing person to potential homicide investigation, as a grieving family and city await the next chapter.