Prosecutors filed new charges Monday against Keon King, the primary suspect in the disappearance and death of 23-year-old Kada Scott, who was reported missing earlier this month.
For now, King, 21, still has not been charged with murder, even though DNA tests have revealed that the remains recovered Saturday near a vacant East Germantown middle school belonged to Scott.
Authorities are waiting for the results of an autopsy from the Medical Examiner’s Office, which is expected to be completed within days.
“I am confident that homicide charges will be brought, but I also have an obligation to follow the law and uphold the Constitution,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said during a news conference Monday. “And that means we don't take shortcuts. We don't make assumptions.”
King is now facing an arson case after investigators tied him to a 2008 Hyundai Accent that was found torched Oct. 7 on the 2300 block of 74th Avenue in West Oak Lane, prosecutors announced Monday.
The car had been reported stolen Oct. 3 — a day before Scott went missing — from the 6600 block of Sprague Street in East Mount Airy, according to the DA’s Office.
Law enforcement officials believe King used the vehicle to kidnap Scott from her workplace, a Chestnut Hill assisted living facility. On the night of Oct. 4, security cameras show the Accent parking at Arbury Recreation Center, which is adjacent to Ada H. Lewis Middle School along Ardleigh Street, prosecutors said.
Scott’s body was discovered Saturday in a shallow grave in a wooded area behind the school, which closed more than 15 years ago. Investigators, who previously searched the grounds, returned to the site following a "very specific" anonymous tip, officials added.
Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski told reporters that cellphone data places King at the rec center and at the site of the car fire. Authorities received a tip that the burned car was connected to Scott’s disappearance; however, by the time they arrived, the vehicle had been towed and compacted at a junk yard, according to prosecutors.
Last week, in the aftermath of King’s arrest, police asked the public for information about a different car — a gold Toyota Camry. That vehicle was later located, and Toczylowski said it was also captured on surveillance footage at the rec center.
In addition to arson, the DA’s Office is notably charging King with conspiracy, an offense that occurs when two or more people agree to commit a crime.
“We do have reason to believe that other people may have been involved after the fact,” Toczylowski said Monday. “But in terms of who those people are and the level of their involvement, I'm not going to comment at this time. It's very much still being investigated.”
Prosecutors have not detailed how King and Scott knew each other, and authorities have not disclosed how Scott might have been killed.
King has been incarcerated since Oct. 16 on $2.5 million bail after he was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, stalking and related offenses. His attorney in the case has not responded to a request for comment.
Krasner continued to urge anyone with additional information to reach out to PPD at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or the DA’s Office at 215-686-8000.
Scott was an East Mount Airy resident and Pennsylvania State University graduate whose disappearance and death made national news and generated discussions about violence against women.
Her parents, in a written statement issued Monday, thanked everyone who shared their daughter’s story, participated in search efforts and supported the family.
“Our hearts are shattered, yet we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, support, and prayers from people across the nation and around the world,” they said. “Kada was deeply loved. Her light, kindness, and beautiful spirit will forever remain in our hearts.
“Please honor Kada’s memory by showing kindness and care to one another – just as she did every day of her life.”
City Councilmember Anthony Phillips, of the 9th District, is collecting toiletries; comfort and relaxation products; gift cards (for food delivery services or general use); and non-perishable food items for Scott’s parents and teenage sister.
Donations can be dropped off between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, through Friday, Oct. 24, and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 25, at Phillips’s office, 1514 Wadsworth Ave.
Krasner, a progressive prosecutor pursuing a third term in the Nov. 4 election, has faced criticism for his office’s handling of prior criminal cases against King, involving the alleged kidnapping and nonfatal strangulation of a different woman.
The DA’s Office withdrew those charges in May when the victim and witness did not show up for a second consecutive court hearing. A judge had ruled that the case must move forward without further delay. In hindsight, the matter could have been tried based on video evidence, Krasner has acknowledged.
He also blamed the cash bail system for permitting King to be released pending court proceedings, suggesting the woman and witness may have felt more comfortable if he was kept behind bars.
“From the moment this occurred, we have been looking at ways that we can improve our systems, because we have to be open to systemic change as well,” Krasner remarked Monday. “And we will have further announcements about that in the future.”
Prosecutors have resubmitted charges against King in relation to the earlier incident.
