Philadelphia police are due to provide a fresh update on the investigation into an Olney home linked to five missing women, Eugene Horsch and his late father, Raymond “R.C.” Horsch.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel is expected to outline new findings at a press conference at 3pm on Wednesday, September 16, after investigators spent weeks examining material recovered from the property on West Chew Avenue.
The inquiry began on June 19, when a federal park ranger stopped a black BMW near Independence Mall. Horsch, 44, was arrested after investigators found fake federal credentials and a passenger carrying identification belonging to Blair Tonzelli, a woman who had been reported missing.
The traffic stop led authorities to Horsch’s home, where they found firearms, ammunition, drugs, chemicals, gun parts and evidence of a cannabis-growing operation. Investigators also recovered five urns believed to contain cremated remains, while more than 20 containers of unknown substances were sent to a laboratory in Chicago for analysis.
Five missing women linked to Olney investigation
Police sources have linked five missing women to the property. Maribel Fresses, 27, and Gabrielle Amarando, 22, were identified after investigators found digital material appearing to show them alive and later deceased. Their bodies have not been recovered.
Amy McHale, who was previously married to Raymond Horsch, has been missing since 2016. Tonzelli has been missing for several years, while Nicole Fusaro, who disappeared from Philadelphia’s Kensington neighbourhood in 2018, was recently identified as the woman seen being strangled in a video recovered during the investigation.
Investigators are reviewing more than 600,000 images, 70,000 videos and 10,000 pages of writings, manuscripts and drawings taken from the property. A special Philadelphia Police Department team is working with the FBI and other agencies to authenticate and assess the material.
The investigation has also involved the excavation of the grounds and pipework outside the house as detectives search for further evidence. Police have not disclosed whether any human remains have been confirmed at the property.
Raymond Horsch, a pornographer who died in 2025, had reportedly used drugs and money to recruit women struggling with addiction for his graphic work, according to reporting by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Eugene Horsch has been charged federally with possessing firearms as a convicted felon and unlawfully producing an identification document or authentication feature. Those charges are separate from the Olney investigation, and he has not been charged in connection with the deaths of any of the missing women.
His next court hearing is scheduled for January. Police have said the investigation remains active and that further details will depend on the continuing review of the evidence.
