Key facts
- Philadelphia police and the FBI are investigating a property linked to seven missing women.
- The property, known as the 'house of horrors,' belonged to deceased local artist and photographer Raymond 'RC' Horsch.
- Investigators believe five of the seven linked women are dead.
- A million photographs and films recovered from the home depict women in potentially dangerous situations.
- Raymond Horsch had a prior conviction for attempting to lure a child and was described as a manipulative criminal.
- Eugene Horsch, Raymond's son, was arrested on gun and drug charges, with a passenger carrying a missing woman's ID.
Philadelphia homicide investigators and the FBI are meticulously examining a dilapidated property, known locally as the 'house of horrors,' for clues related to at least seven missing women, five of whom are believed to be dead. The investigation centers on the former residence of Raymond 'RC' Horsch, a career criminal, artist, author, and photographer who died last year at 82, and his son Eugene, 44.
Investigators have recovered approximately a million photographs and films from the trash-strewn property at 417 West Chew Avenue. These images depict numerous women, with 58 identified so far. Of these, 25 have been located but not yet interviewed, and 19 have spoken with detectives but declined to cooperate. Detectives are working to determine which images are staged and which depict real harm, as some women appear unconscious, lifeless, or injured. Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore stated that while some images may be play-acting, investigators believe some could be real.
The five women police believe to be dead are Blair Tonzelli, 35, missing since 2023; Nicole Fusaro and Maribel Fresses, both 27, who disappeared in 2018; Amy McHale, who disappeared in June 2016 and was married to Horsch; and Gabrielle Amarando, 22, who disappeared in 2012.
Eugene Horsch, Raymond's son, is currently in custody pending federal gun and drug charges. He was arrested after being stopped in a car with a female passenger carrying Tonzelli's identification. A search of the Olney home uncovered an illegal firearm, a marijuana grow operation, a fake FBI badge, and five urns containing cremated remains. Raymond Horsch was previously convicted in 2009 for attempting to lure a nine-year-old girl, but the case collapsed on appeal. A 1985 psychological examination described him as manipulative and controlling, and a retired FBI agent suggested he could be a potential serial killer. Horsch also had connections to a crematorium and funeral home that was shut down for selling body parts, and his work explored themes of death and addiction.