Philadelphia DA Admits ‘Mistake’ After Murder Suspect Freed Twice Before Killing Kada Scott [WATCH]

Philadelphia authorities confirmed Monday that human remains found in a shallow grave over the weekend belong to 23-year-old Kada Scott, a woman who had been missing since October 4. DNA testing verified the identity of the remains, according to local reports.

Police have charged 21-year-old Keon King with kidnapping and murdering Scott.

@DA_LarryKrasner say her name!!!! Kada Scott!!!!!!!
You are responsible for the loss of this beautiful young woman!!! Be a real man and resign now!! The buck stops with you right??? Do what’s right and step aside!!!! pic.twitter.com/5wnTFmHo11

— Sgt. Mark Fusetti (Retired) (@MarkFusetti) October 18, 2025

King, who is currently being held on $2.5 million bail, had previously been arrested twice within the past year on similar charges involving another woman, but was released after both cases were dropped when the victim did not appear in court.

District Attorney Larry Krasner acknowledged that allowing King to go free following those earlier cases was a serious mistake.

“Everyone involved at this point, including the [initial prosecutor], agrees that we wish this happened differently,” Assistant District Attorney Toczylowski said Thursday.

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Scott was last seen on October 4 after arriving for her overnight shift at a senior-living facility in Philadelphia.

Her car was later found parked outside the workplace, and investigators discovered several personal belongings nearby, including her glasses, cellphone case, iPad case, and bank card.

Authorities launched an intensive search for Scott after her disappearance, and the investigation quickly focused on King, who had a history of violent behavior.

Prosecutors revealed that one of King’s earlier kidnapping cases had been largely captured on video.

Allegedly, this is Keon King. He is the suspect that was recently charged in the kidnapping of Kada Scott who is still missing. Apparently this guy Keon King had a history of domestic violence. How does one developed such a nasty characteristic at only 21yrs of age? pic.twitter.com/tJWK2vP7hs

— nik t. hatziefstathiou (@nikthehat) October 16, 2025

“One of those cases — King’s alleged assault and abduction of the woman in January — was largely captured on video, prosecutors say, so the case could have moved forward even without the woman’s testimony,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Despite that evidence, prosecutors withdrew both cases when the victim declined to appear in court. In one incident, King was accused of choking and kidnapping a former girlfriend inside his car.

King was released after posting 10% of a $200,000 bail set in his first kidnapping arrest. When questioned about why his office did not seek a higher bail amount, Krasner described the decision as “strategic,” citing challenges with overnight court appeals.

“You have the option of trying to do what is often a midnight or three o’clock in the morning telephonic appeal to a municipal court judge,” Krasner said.

“The unfortunate reality of this is that some, but not all of these judges, don’t want you calling them in the middle of the night. And if you do, they lower the bail. They don’t raise it, they don’t leave it. They lower it. So it is always a complex, strategic decision.”

Krasner also noted that prosecutors were concerned about the safety of victims who might have to testify while the defendant remained free on bail.

“The reason they had to worry he was going to come out of the same door they went in the courthouse right after they testified against him is because he was on bail,” Krasner said.

The district attorney’s office has faced mounting criticism over its handling of violent offenders and bail policies following a series of high-profile cases involving repeat suspects.

In Scott’s case, investigators believe she was abducted after finishing her overnight shift. Her disappearance prompted a citywide search effort that lasted more than two weeks before the discovery of her remains.

BREAKING NEWS: The body found behind the vacant Ada H. Lewis Middle School has been identified as Kada Scott, according to sources. Scott had been missing since Oct. 4, when she never returned home from her shift at work. pic.twitter.com/1TAInOLJfj

— KYW Newsradio – NOW ON 103.9 FM! (@KYWNewsradio) October 20, 2025

King was arrested shortly afterward and charged with kidnapping, murder, and related offenses.

A preliminary hearing in King’s case is scheduled for next month. He remains in custody at a Philadelphia detention facility.