Copyright Newsweek
The Philadelphia district attorney’s office has come under fire after human remains reportedly belonging to missing woman Kada Scott were found on Saturday. Authorities had earlier charged Keon King, 21, with kidnapping, stalking and other offenses in connection with Scott’s disappearance. His bail has been set at $2.5 million in the Scott case and he remains in custody, with a preliminary hearing set for next month. He had been allowed to go free after being charged in a similar case earlier this year. On social media, critics have slammed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner for dismissing the prior case against King. At a news conference on Saturday, Krasner blamed the cash bail system for allowing King to go free and said the case was dropped after the victim did not show up in court, although he acknowledged that his office “could have done better" to prosecute King. Newsweek has contacted the Philadelphia district attorney’s office for comment via a contact form on its website. The Philadelphia Police Department has been contacted for comment via an email sent outside regular business hours. Why It Matters It comes amid a debate about whether cities are adequately addressing violent crime and growing scrutiny over why some offenders have been allowed on the streets despite prior criminal arrests or convictions for violent offenses. Last month, Decarlos Brown Jr. was charged with fatally stabbing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina commuter train. The case sparked criticism of the state’s judicial system after it emerged that Brown was a repeat offender and was known by authorities to have mental health issues. What to Know Philadelphia police said they found human remains in a wooded area behind an abandoned middle school near the Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, following an anonymous tip. A police spokesperson told Newsweek on Saturday that they believed the remains, which were buried in a shallow grave, belonged to Scott. DNA from the remains matched Scott’s parents, ABC6 reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources. At a news conference, Krasner addressed the prior case against King that was dismissed in May. The district attorney’s office has since refiled the charges. According to ABC6, King was accused of kidnapping and assaulting a woman in his car earlier this year. Krasner said the victim did not testify because King was out on bail. "The reason they had to worry that 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," he said. King’s bail had been set at $200,000 after the January incident and he was able to post 10 percent, Krasner said. Asked why the district attorney’s office did not seek higher bail, 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." He added: “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." A spokesperson for the courts told the station that Krasner and his staff “know there are assigned Municipal and Common Pleas Court judges on call 24/7 and prepared at any hour to address emergency Court matters." The spokesperson said that Krasner’s comments “are appallingly disrespectful and a sad attempt on his part to find a scapegoat for his own failings on this matter." On social media, others also criticized Krasner’s comments, with some calling for his resignation. Pat Dugan, a former judge who is running against Krasner in the 2025 Philadelphia district attorney’s race, said Krasner’s office “had every chance to appeal that bail decision. And as a matter of policy, they refused to do so." Radio host Natalie Egenolf said that Scott’s case was “avoidable" and that she hoped it led to “a deeper look into the mishandling of violent offenders." What People Are Saying Larry Krasner said during a news conference on Saturday that his office could have done more to prosecute King in connection with the January incident. "We could have done better, in that a really sophisticated approach to the case would have been to try to put it all on with video evidence," he said. "That is not usually an easy thing to do. I would say with 20-20 hindsight, it's something that could have been done and I own that. I mean, ultimately the buck stops here." Pat Dugan wrote on X: “Larry Krasner wants to blame municipal court judges for the low bail set for Keon King. What he won’t tell you is that he and his office had every chance to appeal that bail decision. And as a matter of policy, they refused to do so. It’s time to hold @LarryKrasnerDA accountable. Go vote on November 4th." Radio host Natalie Egenolf wrote on X: "Kada Scott’s case was avoidable with proper intervention. I hope this leads to a deeper look into the mishandling of violent offenders at the expense of women in Philadelphia. She is one of (likely) thousands and will never be forgotten. May God rest her soul." Brian Hart, a PR strategist and media commentator, wrote on X: “I’m rewatching Larry Krasner’s press conference yesterday... He blamed victims, he blamed judges, bail system. Even passed responsibility onto his staff. All the facts say this horror story, this nightmare, was entirely enabled by Larry Krasner." What’s Next The medical examiner’s office has not yet confirmed if the remains found in Germantown belong to Scott. Meanwhile, Krasner is seeking a third four-year term as the city's top prosecutor in the general election on November 4.
