Keon King Philadelphia man with history of targeting women arrested in kidnapping of Kada Scott, missing beauty pageant queen as cops continue to look for woman as case is now joined by homicide division.
Philadelphia police have arrested a man with a prior history of targeting young women in connection to the mystery disappearance of a local beauty pageant queen.
Keon King, of Southwest Philadelphia was arrested and charged with the kidnapping of 23-year-old woman, Kada Scott, (yet to be located) investigators said during a Wednesday press conference.
Kada Scott human remains found in Germantown wooded area
Philadelphia police connect Keon King to that of missing beauty queen
The missing woman who was last seen in early October after leaving home to make her way to work continues to remain unaccounted for.
Police say King was the last person in contact with Scott, noting that the two did know each other; however, it is unclear for how long.
Investigators said they believe King and Scott came in contact with each other the day she went missing.
‘Our evidence is pretty clear that she was in communication with an individual, that individual appears to meet her very shortly after she leaves her place of work, and very shortly after that, she disappears,’ Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore, for Philadelphia police, said during Wednesday’s briefing.
Police release images of vehicle and license plate: MSX-0797 thought to be car beauty queen was abducted in
Police also said they are trying to locate a car connected to Scott’s disappearance.
‘We believe she may have been in that vehicle,’ Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said.
The vehicle is described as a 1999 metallic gold Toyota Camry with a Pennsylvania tag of MSX0797. It has heavy front-end damage on the left front bumper.
They say the vehicle has been seen in various locations across the city and ask anyone who sees a car like it to call police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
“We know it’s been in Mount Airy. We have photos of it in Center City, we have pictures of it in Grays Ferry area and in Southwest Philadelphia. So it’s possible that it could be anywhere, it could be outside the city,” Vanore said.
Is missing Philadelphia Beauty Queen still alive?
Police said King has an alleged ‘pattern’ with this type of history and are asking any other possible victims to come forward.
Toczylowski said King is allegedly connected to a previous kidnapping and strangulation case from earlier in 2025. That case was never tried because the victim did not appear in court, officials said.
Officials said Wednesday they are going to refile charges in that case according to Action News.
Scott was last seen leaving her workplace, a senior living facility in Chestnut Hill, on the night of Saturday, October 4.
Before her disappearance, Scott, an up and coming beauty pageant queen had told people that she was being harassed, but it is unclear if King was the person allegedly harassing her.
While King is in custody, police said there is ‘still a lot of work needs to be done.’
‘We are treating this as if Ms. Scott is still alive,’ Vanore said.
‘The number one priority is locating Ms. Scott,’ said 1st Deputy Commissioner John Stanford.
Raising the possibility that the missing woman may now be dead, Stanford explained that the case had now shifted to homicide, saying, ‘The case was shifted to homicide because we have the most experienced investigators in our homicide unit. They have the most experience dealing with all types of investigations. They also have the most resources available to them.’
Police say her car was still at work the day she went missing and that her phone is dead.
Sources say the FBI is also assisting with this search and investigation.
King is now facing charges for two kidnapping cases.
Anyone with information can call or text Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.
