Police and FBI investigators have used luminol inside a Philadelphia home linked to at least seven missing women, as the search for forensic evidence connected to Raymond “R.C.” Horsch and his son Eugene enters a new phase.
Officers returned to the property at 417 West Chew Avenue in the Olney neighbourhood on Monday night, working after dark because the chemical can reveal traces of blood that are not visible to the naked eye.
The home has been searched for months after Eugene Horsch was arrested in June on weapons and drug charges. Authorities say the investigation widened when a woman with him produced a fake identity document bearing the name of Blair Tonzelli, who had been reported missing.
Investigators search Horsch home for forensic evidence
Crews in protective suits have cleared the house of furniture, appliances and other household contents. Sections of walls and flooring have also been removed, while items including a large television, boxes and bags were taken away for examination.
The latest search has extended into the partially finished basement, where investigators recovered laboratory equipment and containers. The findings have not been publicly linked to any particular crime, and no human remains have been found at the property.
Joseph Giacalone, a retired New York police sergeant, said luminol reacts with substances including iron and manganese associated with blood and produces a brief luminescence. The process is most effective in darkness, he said.
Police and FBI teams are expected to begin excavating parts of the back garden on Tuesday. Heavy machinery is due to be used to remove a shed, while cadaver dogs could also be brought in to search the basement and surrounding grounds.
The investigation centres on a vast collection of material recovered from the house, including more than 600,000 images, 70,000 videos and 10,000 pages of writing. Authorities have so far examined only about 30 per cent of the digital evidence.
Police say files recovered from the property appear to show the bodies of Maribel Fresses, 27, and Gabrielle Amarando, 22. Neither woman has been found, and investigators have stressed that the images are still being assessed.
Amy McHale, who was previously married to Raymond Horsch, has been missing since 2016. Police have also connected Tonzelli’s disappearance to the address after her name appeared on the false identification document used during the June arrest.
The wider investigation now involves seven missing women, five of whom police believe may be dead. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of all seven publicly.
Raymond Horsch died before the current investigation began. His son remains in federal custody on weapons and drug-related allegations but has not been charged in connection with any of the missing women.
Investigators have appealed to anyone who visited the West Chew Avenue property, or who has information about activity there, to contact Philadelphia police. The inquiry remains active as forensic teams continue to examine the house and prepare to search the grounds.
