A man accused of kidnapping beauty queen Kadda Scott has now been charged with her murder. New evidence suggests that they discussed plans to “kidnap” her just hours before she vanished.
Keon King, 21, had previously been charged with abducting the 23-year-old Scott in Philadelphia on October 4. He was released on bail months later on a similar charge involving another woman who was also found strangled.
Beyond kidnapping, King now faces several serious charges, including murder and abuse of a corpse, after Scott’s body was discovered last week buried in a shallow grave behind an abandoned middle school, as confirmed by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Authorities are also investigating whether he had assistance, as surveillance footage reportedly showed two individuals moving a bag resembling a body near the location where Scott was found.
According to court filings, Scott and King appeared to have been in contact prior to her disappearance. Shocking texts indicate that Scott, about 12 hours before going missing, message him asking, “kidnap me again,” although police have no record of any previous incidents between them.
“You better get up,” King allegedly replied, suggesting they meet later that night. He purportedly stole a Hyundai Accent from a delivery driver to meet Scott shortly before midnight. Their last text exchange ended with “cm”—abbreviated for “call me” when he arrived.
Cellphone location data tracked them together near Scott’s workplace around 10:15 PM. A co-worker noted seeing her around that time, mentioning she had made a comment before heading toward a dark-colored SUV parked outside. Shortly after, her phone went offline.
Authorities also tracked King’s cell phone numerous times between Scott’s home and the vicinity of the school where her body was eventually discovered days later. When police visited King’s home, they found concerning items, including a hammer and ammunition, but he was not present.
Two women found at the facility were taken in for questioning but were later released.
Just before midnight on October 5, surveillance captured a Toyota Camry registered to King parked near a recreation center next to the school. Two individuals exited the vehicle, and several hours later, they were seen apparently removing a large object that looked like a body from the passenger side.
Scott’s body was recovered from a shallow grave behind the abandoned school. She had represented Philadelphia Township in this year’s Miss Pennsylvania USA beauty pageant. Authorities have classified her death as a homicide but have yet to disclose the precise cause of her death.
Investigations into the nature of Scott and King’s relationship, as well as their initial meeting, are ongoing. King’s prior charge of kidnapping stemmed from an incident where he allegedly stalked and assaulted another woman. Those charges, however, were dropped after the victim did not appear in court.
Following Scott’s murder, prosecutors have reopened the earlier case against King.
