Philadelphia "House of Horrors" Searched by FBI Following Arrest of Eugene Horsch, Evidence Linked to Missing Women Found
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Content Warning: This post contains descriptions of violence, murder and addiction. Reader discretion is advised.
At approximately 8am on June 19, Eugene Albert Horsch, 44, was arrested on the 600 block of Market Street near Independence Mall. He was arrested after being questioned by a U.S. Park Police ranger during what started as a routine encounter with Horsch's parked BMW.
Horsch wasn't completely unknown to police. In fact, he had a sprawling criminal history involving drug-related arrests, including $1.9 million worth of marijuana found at his property on Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood.
When the ranger approached Horsch's vehicle, a female passenger stated that Horsch intended to harm her. After seeing what he believed to be drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle, the ranger asked both Horsch and the woman to show their IDs. The woman showed an ID with a photograph that matched her; however, the name on the ID was that of a missing woman named Blair Tonzelli. Tonzelli disappeared in 2022 and was reported missing in 2023. During later questioning, the woman told investigators that Horsch had made the ID for her due to her outstanding warrants.
A search of the vehicle produced cocaine, fentanyl and marijuana, handcuffs, a cattle prod, two firearms with the serial numbers removed, a fraudulent DEA credential with Horsch's photograph using the name Eugene Frederick Steiner, and switchblade knives.
Horsch was held in federal custody on charges relating to illegal possession of firearms as a convicted felon and fraudulent federal identification documents.
After the discovery of the fraudulent DEA credential, legitimate investigators from the DEA searched Horsch's property at 417 W. Chew Avenue. This property would go on to be referred to by some media outlets as a "house of horrors."
Tonzelli's bank card was found inside the house, as well as other forms of fake ID connected to the missing woman. An additional firearm as well as ammunition was also found in the home, as well as a marijuana-growing operation, large vats of chemicals, a 55-gallon drum that was connected to pipes of the residence, five urns containing what are believed to be unidentified remains, and 120 pieces of ballistic evidence.
Investigators identified Amy McHale, another missing woman who has not been seen since 2016, whose disappearance had a connection to the Horsch property. According to CBS News, McHale had been married to Horsch's father and her last known whereabouts were at the Chew Avenue house.
In late July, police, along with the FBI, excavated the area around the property on Chew Avenue. Sections of pipes and sewer lines were removed in an attempt to understand why Horsch had a 55-gallon drum connected to pipes. No human remains were found during the excavation.
The investigation took another turn in August 2026, when investigators reportedly discovered digital material across 50 hard drives that appeared to show two missing women alive and later appearing to be deceased, among a huge stash of digital evidence found in Horsch's home. The women were identified as Maribel Ivette Fresses, who was 27 when she went missing, and Gabrielle Amarando, who was 22 when she went missing. Fresses disappeared in 2018 and Amarando in 2012.
Police subsequently opened a death investigation.
CBS News reported that there were approximately 600,000 images, 70,000 videos and around 10,000 pages of writing and drawings. Investigators have reportedly reviewed only about 5% of the digital material so far.
According to 6ABC Philadelphia, the images and videos showed the women both alive and then appearing to be deceased. At the time of writing, their bodies have not been recovered. Investigators have stressed that the material and other evidence is still going through forensic authentication.
During an August 12 news conference, Inspector Raymond Evers said that after the Philadelphia Office of the Medical Examiner examined the images of the missing women, they concluded that they appeared to be dead, stressing: “if the images and the video are real and not altered in any way.”
Evers said of the videos: "I'm not gonna get into exactly what I saw, it's dark. It's real dark. But what we saw is these two girls alive. There was a period of time and what appears to us that they're deceased. There's pieces of the video that we don't have yet."
Although several urns were recovered, they have not been linked to any of the missing women. The suspected remains found inside the urns have not been officially identified.
Media outlets have also been reporting on what is believed to be a note recovered from the property that references infamous American serial killer Ted Bundy. Zip ties, a drum and killing were mentioned in the writing. It is unclear whether the note was penned by Horsch or possibly his father, Raymond Charles “R.C.” Horsch.
R.C Horsch, who died in 2025, was an erotic photographer and filmmaker who also had convictions for fraud and the manufacture of drugs, including methamphetamine, which was allegedly manufactured in a laboratory at his home. His published work included themes of sadomasochism and serial killers. IMDb lists R.C. Horsch's filmography as including titles such as: The Erotic Memoirs of a Male Chauvinist Pig, Whore! and Transgressions.
The Chew Avenue property belonged to him before he transferred it to his son for $1 in 2007.
According to an article in the Inquirer, in 2014, R. C displayed his photography at the Papermill artist studios in Kensington. There, he displayed a series that followed nude women through their heroin addiction. One of the women, he claimed died from a drug overdose and ended with her body being set up for cremation. The art show was criticized by some in attendance, including Justin Roman who was an audio-visual technician at the time. According to Roman, R. C had a compulsion for sexual relationships with vulnerable addicts, and seemed "self-aware."
Although Eugene Horsch is currently in custody, he has not been charged in connection with the missing women. A jury trial in the federal case, concerning the firearms and fraudulent identification charges, has been scheduled for September 2026.
Resources:
USA: SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
UK: FRANK: 0300 123 6600.
AUS: National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015.
