Man accused of kidnapping Kada Scott had earlier domestic violence cases withdrawn

Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski speaks about the ongoing search for 23-year-old Kada Scott. Read more Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

by Ellie Rushing and Jesse Bunch Published Oct. 16, 2025, 6:20 p.m. ET

Keon King, who police say abducted Kada Scott, had been charged with violently assaulting an ex-girlfriend twice in the last year, including kidnapping her and strangling her in his car.

But in both cases, the victim did not show up for court, so prosecutors withdrew the charges.

After Scott’s disappearance, and as investigators race to find her, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office now says that was a mistake.

One of those cases — King’s assault and abduction of the woman in January — was largely captured on video, prosecutors say, so t