Search for missing Mount Airy woman now includes homicide detectives, police say

Homicide detectives are now assisting in the search for Kada Scott, the Mount Airy woman who went missing earlier this month, Philadelphia police said Tuesday.

Scott, 23, was last seen leaving her home near Rodney Street and East Mount Airy Avenue around 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. She was on her way to work her overnight shift at The Terrace, an assisted living facility in Chestnut Hill. Though her car was found in the parking lot, Scott did not show up for work.

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Investigators initially had been treating Scott's disappearance as a missing person's case. Police were expected to provide an update on the case Tuesday afternoon, but canceled the press conference. They did not give a reason for the cancellation.

Police said Scott was typically a frequent social media user, but her cell phone and social media accounts have not shown any activity since she went missing. Her phone is no longer in operation. Last week, a co-worker reportedly revealed that someone had been harassing Scott in the time leading up to her disappearance, but police said they were unsure who the harasser was.

On Friday, police searched a section of Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, north of Washington Lane, after "some evidence" led them to the area. Police deployed K-9 units and cadets from the Police Academy to aid the search, but they only found a few clothing items. Investigators were unsure if the clothes were related to the case.

Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Friday that detectives saw some signs that Scott might not have been missing voluntarily, including her lack of phone activity.

"It's concerning, many young people today, they can't live without having a phone in their hand," Vanore said in a press update. "So that's a concern. She left her car behind, it's certainly something that's not usual of someone who's missing voluntarily."