A home in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood is at the center of an investigation into the disappearances of at least five women. During a search of the building, law enforcement officers found a large array of digital data, urns with ashes, a so-called “laboratory” with chemicals and a small marijuana plantation. The home's owner, Eugene Horsch, was arrested in June on gun and drug charges. The house was also previously occupied by his father, Raymond Horsch, who died last year, CBS News reported.
The investigation began in June when law enforcement officers discovered a car parked in the wrong place. In the car was 44-year-old Eugene Horsch and his companion.
During the search, firearms, drugs and a counterfeit US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ID with Horsch's photo were found, although, according to authorities, he never worked for the agency. The woman was also found to have an unusual ID card: it had her photo on it, but the document was issued in the name of Blair Tonzelli, who has been missing since 2023.
During a subsequent search of Horsch's home, police discovered hidden rooms containing dangerous chemicals, five urns containing ashes, a small marijuana plantation, and more than a million digital images and thousands of videos. Among them, according to the investigation, there were “a huge number of photographs of women posing in different parts of the house.” Some of the materials, as law enforcement officers believe, could be related to Horsch’s father, who was involved in filming erotic films with scenes of violence.
Investigators were able to identify 58 people captured in the found photos and videos. Ten of them were found to have died from drug overdoses. Police have already questioned 16 people, but according to Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanora, they have been reluctant to cooperate with the investigation.
The materials involving five women attracted particular attention from the police. In photos and videos they look unconscious, and some show signs of injury. In one video, a naked woman has a plastic tie tied around her neck until she stops breathing.
Four of these five women have been identified. Philadelphia police have already named Maribel Fresses and Gabrielle Amarando, who disappeared in 2018 and 2012, respectively. Both women are depicted in materials dating back to 2017. Law enforcement officials are not disclosing the names of two more women at the request of their relatives.
Investigators emphasize that it is still difficult to establish which of the found materials reflect real events and which are staged scenes.
“We must remember that he [Рэймонд Хорш] made films. Some of these films are contained among found digital materials. So the problem is that some of the scenes were staged, and some of them we believe could have actually happened,” Vanor said.
So far, investigators have not found DNA or other physical evidence to confirm the women were killed in the home.
