KISSIMMEE, FL — A second suspect has been arrested in connection with a deadly stabbing at a Kissimmee motel, more than two months after the July killing.
Jihad Basil Scott was taken into custody in Morrisville, North Carolina, on a warrant accusing him of first-degree murder. Police say the charge is tied to a July 11 stabbing at the Days Inn at 4125 W. Vine Street.
Investigators said officers responded just before 1 a.m. after a report of an injured man. They found an adult male victim suffering from stab wounds, and paramedics later took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
How officers found the victim inside the Days Inn
The killing happened shortly after 12:49 a.m., when Kissimmee police were called to the motel on West Vine Street. The initial report described an injured person, but responding officers quickly learned the victim had been stabbed.
Police identified the victim only as an adult male. No further details about his name or age were released in the information provided by investigators.
After paramedics transported the man to a local hospital, doctors there pronounced him dead. That sequence turned the motel response into a homicide investigation and set off the search for the people responsible.
The location, a busy hotel property near one of Kissimmee’s main roads, became the center of a case that detectives have continued to build since July.
Scott arrested in Morrisville and extradited to Osceola County
Scott’s arrest happened outside Florida, with the Morrisville Police Department taking him into custody on the murder warrant. Authorities then extradited him to the Osceola County Jail.
That move brought a second suspect back into Central Florida custody in the same case. Police have not publicly described what led investigators to Scott or how he came to be located in North Carolina.
The out-of-state arrest also shows how the case extended beyond the county where the stabbing occurred. Local detectives worked with officers in Morrisville to secure the arrest and return him to Florida.
Scott is now facing the same top charge as the earlier suspect in the case, first-degree murder, which signals prosecutors believe the killing was intentional and planned.
Keith Swinton Jr. already charged in the July case
Scott is the second person arrested in the investigation. Keith Swinton Jr. was arrested in July and also faces a first-degree murder charge, according to police.
With two suspects now charged, investigators appear to have linked the fatal stabbing to more than one person. Police have not released additional details about each man’s alleged role in the killing.
Officials also have not said whether the men knew the victim, what happened inside the motel room or whether a weapon was recovered. Those unanswered questions remain part of the public record surrounding the case.
For now, the key development is that detectives have identified and arrested two men they believe are connected to the death at the Days Inn.
Chief Charles Broadway credits detectives and Morrisville police
Kissimmee Police Chief Charles Broadway said the latest arrest reflects persistent work by investigators. He also thanked Morrisville police for helping locate Scott and place him in custody.
Broadway said the detectives showed dedication and persistence as they worked to identify those responsible and move the case forward. His comments suggest the investigation remained active for weeks after the stabbing.
The chief’s statement also highlighted the role of cooperation across state lines. In a case that began in Florida and ended with an arrest in North Carolina, that partnership became essential to the outcome.
Police did not announce any further arrests. They also have not said whether additional suspects could still be sought in connection with the homicide.
What the first-degree murder charges mean in this homicide investigation
The charges against both suspects place the case squarely in the hands of prosecutors who will decide how to proceed in court. First-degree murder is among the most serious homicide charges under Florida law.
Police have said the investigation began with a fatal stabbing at a motel, but they have not publicly outlined a motive. They also have not said whether the killing involved a confrontation, robbery or any other underlying dispute.
The arrest of Scott adds another major step after the July death, but it does not resolve the case. The public record still leaves open questions about the events inside the motel and how investigators connected the suspects to the crime.
For Kissimmee police, the focus now appears to be on completing the case file and continuing the prosecution process against the two men already charged.
