True Crime Garage – Kada Scott ////// 891 (December 17, 2025)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of True Crime Garage explores the chilling and heartbreaking disappearance and murder of Kada Scott, a 23-year-old Philadelphia woman in the early stages of a promising life. Hosts Nic and The Captain take listeners step-by-step through the timeline, evidence, investigative process, and the disturbing background of the accused, examining not only what is known, but the unanswered questions and possible motives behind this tragic crime. Their discussion combines thorough research, personal observations, and candid reflection, with their trademark banter woven throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background of the Case [04:02–07:44]

• Kada Scott’s Disappearance: On October 4, 2025, Kada, a recent Penn State grad, Division 1 athlete, and pageant contestant, disappeared after leaving for her overnight caregiving shift at the Terrace at Chestnut Hill Senior Living Facility, Philadelphia.
• Community Response: Immediate efforts from family, friends, and community, including organized searches and a reward for information.
• Prior Concerns: In the days leading up to her disappearance, Kada reported receiving threatening/harassing messages and calls, shared with family and friends.

"Things are not good, but we still are positive Kada is alive and well somewhere and we're gonna get her home.”
— Kevin Scott, Kada’s father [04:10]

2. Victim Profile [07:15–10:46]

• Personal Details: Kada described as creative, loving, ambitious, and close to family; newly employed at the senior facility (about 2-3 weeks before vanishing).
• Potential Link: Host Nic questions whether starting this new job and the harassment are related.

“Immediately here I’m wanting to know, is there a possible correlation between these two events?”
— Nic [09:39]

3. The Night of Disappearance: Timeline [12:20–19:35]

• Timeline Breakdown:
  • 09:45pm: Kada leaves home in good spirits
  • ~10:00pm: Arrives, begins shift; coworkers see nothing amiss
  • 10:30–10:45pm: Last sighting — steps outside during shift, never returns
  • 10:09pm: Kada texts "CM when you hear" ("Call me when you're here")
  • 10:24pm: Her phone goes offline permanently
  • 6:00am (Oct. 5): Mother reports her missing; her car remains in the lot
• Cell Phone Records: 12 calls from the same number between 9:25–10:12pm; suspicious and aggressive communication.

“When I see an outgoing, attractive young woman in her early 20s disappears from a parking lot and her car’s still there... that's unfortunately doing this for so long, one thing we’ve seen time and time again…”
— Nic [21:33]

4. Early Investigation Hurdles [19:36–32:03]

• No Surveillance: Facility notably lacked security cameras, complicating the timeline and evidence gathering.
• Cell Data: Phone traced to an area near Ada Lewis Middle School/arboretum after going offline.
• Police & Family Search: Activities focused around last-known phone pings and coworker/family interviews. Community widespread with flyers and social media awareness.
• Host Analysis: Discussion of investigative challenges and speculation about whether it was a staged disappearance, given phone activity and lack of clear witnesses.

“If I’m police and I’m going, ok, this young lady started her professional career, but she texts somebody to basically come here, meets... I don’t necessarily think you jump to abduction... her car being there tells me no.”
— The Captain [21:05, 24:47]

5. Law Enforcement Developments & Breakthroughs [32:03–41:21]

• Detective Units Involved: Homicide joins early in response to the evidence (though case not declared a homicide yet).
• Arrest of Keon King (21): Arrested and charged with kidnapping after linking phone and vehicle activity; bail at $2.5 million.
• King’s History: Prior accusations of kidnapping, strangulation, and terroristic threats, with cases dropped when victims didn’t appear in court — speculation about witness intimidation.
• Physical Evidence: Recovery of Kada’s belongings (phone case, glasses, bank card) near abandoned middle school and the linked Toyota Camry.

“This guy seems to be a dirtbag... kidnapping charges... assault or domestic violence... those charges were all dropped because the victim didn’t show up to court to testify. My question is, well, is that victim still with us?”
— The Captain [37:09]

6. Disturbing Communication Details [41:22–49:52]

• Text Evidence: Odd exchange on night of disappearance — Kada texts "kidnap me again," to which King replies, “better be up to—”, interpreted variously as sarcasm, confusion, or forced compliance.
• Rumors & Possibilities: Uncertainty if text was part of a scenario, a code, or in response to threats/harassment. Nick and Captain warn about jumping to conclusions without full data.

“This is one of those cases where we feel very compelled to report on this and very compelled to talk about this, but... it gets a little dicey... what does that mean? 'Kidnap me again?'”
— Nic [45:19]

7. Critical Investigation Evidence [49:54–55:40]

• Crime Scenes Multiply: The parking lot, vehicle(s), and abandoned school all become focal points.
• Anonymous Tip: After two weeks, a tip leads police back to previously searched woods behind the abandoned school, where they discover a shallow grave on October 18th.

“Somebody gives us a tip. And good for that freaking person, because how many people are sitting on information that could solve a case... this individual... they did the right thing. They told the police, search again.”
— The Captain [57:54]

8. Case Resolution: Autopsy & Charges [56:16–62:16]

• Autopsy: Confirms Kada Scott, cause of death: gunshot to the head, manner: homicide.
• Charges Against King: Upgraded to first-degree murder, robbery, abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence, theft, and—crucially—criminal conspiracy, implying more than one perpetrator involved.
• Vehicle Arson: The stolen Hyundai used in the crime is found burned, likely as an evidence-removal tactic; forensic ties possible between Kada and King’s residence.

“Now we have him sitting in jail with a mountain of charges. And I’m guessing that they’re getting a mountain of evidence to mount a case against this son of a bitch.”
— The Captain [59:04]

9. Outstanding Questions & Public Role [59:20–64:19]

• Unanswered Issues: Who phoned in the tip? Who was assisting in moving Kada’s body? Was King working alone or as part of a group? Is there more digital or eyewitness evidence that hasn’t been disclosed?
• TikTok Video: Loose references to investigators reviewing a video possibly related to case circumstances.
• Legal Proceedings: Preliminary hearing delayed to February 2; focus on continuing investigation and public pleas for further information or witnesses.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Surveillance Gaps:

  • “If you are there...look around. If you don’t see cameras...that location is probably not for you.”
    — Nic [12:20]

• On King’s Prior Behavior:

  • “We should take all these...whether online threats or text messages...as serious as possible.”
    — The Captain [41:21]

• Dark Humor Amid Grit:

  • “In the garage, we don’t even speak with punctuation.”
    — Nic [49:41]

• Emotional Reflection:

  • “This is a difficult one because it seemed like she had a bright future ahead. And you don’t know if this person forced their way into her life or if she met this individual and he did a con job on her.”
    — The Captain [56:51]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------| | [04:02] | Introduction of Kada’s case, clips from the family/community | | [06:05] | Kada’s background, pageant pursuits, personal details | | [12:20] | Dissection of disappearance night, timeline starts | | [18:51] | Cell phone & text record revelations | | [32:03] | Search efforts, canine units, cell ping areas | | [36:21] | Arrest of Keon King, his history | | [41:22] | Court docs: text “kidnap me again”, digital forensics analysis | | [53:26] | Vehicle surveillance, movement post-disappearance | | [55:40] | Discovery of Kada’s remains after anonymous tip | | [56:16] | Autopsy findings, murder charges, criminal conspiracy | | [62:16] | TikTok/social media dimension and ongoing investigation | | [63:19] | Upcoming court dates, next investigative steps |

Summary for New Listeners

Nic and the Captain meticulously piece together the tragic story of Kada Scott, shining light on her bright personality, problematic workplace security, the well-coordinated community/family search, and the effectiveness of digital forensics in tracking her last movements. Their storytelling brings forward the horror of a crime rooted in both personal and digital harassment, the procedural breakthroughs that resulted from syllphone tracking and anonymous tips, and the lingering emotional and investigative uncertainty surrounding the involvement of additional parties.

Despite the darkness of the case and their palpable frustration at the system’s delays, the hosts urge listeners to focus on the facts, avoid wild speculation, and recognize the bravery of those who stepped up with critical tips. They close by reaffirming support for Kada’s family and the ongoing search for full justice, while emphasizing—per True Crime Garage tradition—the importance of community and careful consideration in every true crime mystery.

Hosts: Nic & The Captain
Case: Kada Scott (Philadelphia, 2025)
Accused: Keon King (and possible unnamed accomplice)
Status: Ongoing legal proceedings as of episode airdate

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