Philadelphia “House of Horrors” Linked to Deaths of 2 Missing Women
Investigators reviewing digital evidence recovered from a house in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood are now examining possible links to additional missing women, expanding a case that already includes images appearing to show two women dead.
Philadelphia Police Inspector Raymond Evers announced Wednesday that detectives found photos and videos on a hard drive taken from the home showing Maribel Fresses and Gabrielle Amarando, both born in 1990, alive inside the house and later appearing to be dead. The footage does not show how the women may have died, Evers said, describing what investigators reviewed as "graphic and dark." Fresses had been missing since 2018, last seen at her boyfriend's home in Kensington. Amarando had been missing 14 years.
Neither woman's body has been recovered, so the medical examiner's office cannot officially declare them dead. Reviewing the footage, the office said it would believe the individuals depicted are deceased, assuming the images are real and unaltered. Families of both women were notified hours before Wednesday's news conference at police headquarters on North Broad Street.
What Investigators Have Found
The house at the center of the case, on the 400 block of West Chew Avenue, belonged to 44-year-old Eugene Horsch, who lived there for years alongside his father, Raymond "R.C." Horsch, a pornographer, photographer and writer who died in 2025. More than 50 hard drives were recovered from the property, containing roughly 600,000 images, 70,000 videos and more than 10,000 pages of writings, manuscripts and drawings. Evers said detectives have analyzed only 5% to 7% of that material so far, calling the investigation "very complex and protracted."
Investigators have issued more than 95 search warrants tied to the house since June. Crews excavated the yard and removed a section of sewer pipe last month, testing it for DNA evidence, though no human remains were found at that time.
How the Investigation Began
The case traces back to June 19, when a National Park Service ranger stopped a BMW near Independence Mall. Eugene Horsch was driving, and his passenger was carrying a fake ID under the name Blair Tonzelli, a woman who had been missing since 2023 and was last seen at the Chew Avenue home. Officers recovered illegal handguns and a fraudulent DEA badge bearing Horsch's photo during the stop.
A search warrant executed at the house the same day turned up another illegal firearm, a marijuana growing operation, a second fake FBI badge and five urns filled with cremated remains. A follow-up search less than a week later, involving Philadelphia's homicide division, ATF agents and a bomb disposal unit, turned up computer equipment and containers of an unidentified oily substance.
Horsch has remained in federal custody since his arrest, charged with illegal firearm possession and fraudulent law enforcement credentials. He has not been charged in connection with the deaths of Fresses or Amarando as of Wednesday, and he is scheduled to appear in federal court later this month.
Additional Missing Women Under Review
Beyond Fresses and Amarando, investigators are now reviewing the case for connections to other missing women. Blair Tonzelli remains unaccounted for. Amy McHale, the ex-wife of Raymond Horsch, was reported missing in 2016 and was last known to be at the Chew Avenue house. Neither family of the two identified victims knew Eugene Horsch or his father, according to police.
Evers said a specialized investigative team is working alongside the FBI as the review of digital evidence continues, and he asked anyone with information about the Horsch family or the property to contact police.
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