The 12-day search for a 22-year-old pre-med Temple student came to a close Thursday, Feb. 20, when an anonymous tip led police to the discovery of the woman’s body inside a parked car with several parking tickets near 30th Street Station.
A Philadelphia police spokesperson confirmed that Nadia Malik was found in the passenger seat of a black Nissan Altima Thursday morning on South 30th Street near Market Street. Marple Township police requested Philadelphia police search the car Thursday morning, leading to Malik’s discovery.
Multiple reports say the car was covered in snow and had tinted windows, making it difficult for the casual observer to see anything inside the car.
Malik’s body was reportedly shielded by a pile of clothes and a duffel bag that obstructed her head from view. She was found placed on her side in a sleeping position and did not show any obvious signs of trauma.
In addition, Malik was found with several bottles of prescription pills prescribed to Malik’s ex-boyfriend, Bhupinder Singh, Philly.com reported Saturday.
Singh was arrested in Ohio on Feb. 12 for violating probation, and is awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania for questioning.
Malik was reported missing by a friend, who was concerned that Malik may have been held by Singh, prompting Marple police to launch an investigation that included search warrants of the couple’s apartment as well as a warrant for Singh, Marple Police Chief Thomas Murray said. The friend in question who reported Malik missing described the couple’s relationship as volatile and “on again, off again,” Murray said.
“For a 22-year-old adult, we need more to start an investigation than her just not coming home,” Murray said. “In this case we had that.”
Marple police traced Singh’s cellphone to his parents’ home near Cleveland, where he was arrested by authorities for a probation violation. He will be brought to Delaware County and questioned by Marple police on Thursday, Murray said.
Malik, a mother of two and Broomall, Pa., native, had been missing since Feb. 9 when a friend filed a missing persons report to Marple Township Police Department.
The car was reportedly ticketed several times by the Philadelphia Parking Authority, dating back to Feb. 10 at 23rd and Market streets.
“Some people were calling 911 to report that the vehicle was parked illegally, looking like seven or eight parking tickets from the Parking Authority were issued,” Philadelphia police Lt. John Walker told CBS 3.
The spokesperson confirmed that the car had been ticketed twice at 23rd and Market streets before being towed to 30th Street as part of snow emergency regulations on Feb. 14.
The spokesperson declined to say if police know how long Malik was in the car, something Walker told Philly.com Saturday they are still trying to figure out.
As for Murray and the rest of his department, they await Singh’s arrival Thursday, as well as autopsy and toxicology reports from Philadelphia that Murray said could come as early as this week.
Andrew Parent can be reached at andrew.parent@temple.edu or on Twitter @daParent93.
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