The bones were unearthed last week in the backyard of Horsch’s run-down house, located in the 400 block of West Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood of North Philadelphia. The property is currently owned by his jailed son, according to sources who spoke with NBC10 Philadelphia. Following the discovery, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the scene to transport the remains to a forensic laboratory to determine whether they belong to a human or an animal.
Meanwhile, the FBI Evidence Response Team meticulously sifted through dirt beneath a large tent erected over the dug-up yard. Additional excavations are expected to take place at the front of the property in the coming days as the multiagency investigation deepens.
Just days earlier, authorities uncovered a safe hidden inside a wall of the home while tearing up interior walls and floorboards in a desperate search for clues. There was no immediate word from law enforcement on the contents of the safe.
These revelations mark the latest developments in a monthslong, high-profile investigation that was triggered by the June arrest of Horsch’s adult son, Eugene Horsch, who owns the West Chew Avenue home at the center of the disturbing case.
Chilling Discoveries and Digital Evidence
Authorities previously seized more than 1 million photographs and videos from the house. Based on this colossal trove of digital evidence, police believe at least five of the seven missing women linked to the case are possibly deceased, though no bodies had been recovered prior to the recent backyard excavation.
"Based on the video and photo evidence, if the images in the video are real and not altered in any way, based on their review, the M.E. would believe the individuals depicted in the images are deceased," said Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers.
One of the recovered videos, bearing metadata from 2017, allegedly depicts the elder Horsch strangling a naked woman after giving her drugs, handcuffing her to a bed, and securing a zip tie tightly around her neck. Investigative sources identified that woman as 27-year-old Nicole Fusaro, who was reported missing in 2018.
Additional recordings retrieved from hard drives taken from the residence allegedly showed two more missing women, identified as Gabrielle Amarando, 22, and Maribel Fresses, 28, appearing to be lifeless. Amarando has been missing since 2012, while Fresses was last seen alive in 2018.
In 2016, falling right in the interval between the disappearances of Amarando and Fresses, Raymond Horsch’s 44-year-old wife, Amy McHale, vanished without a trace from the couple’s home.
Property History and Community Impact
Property records show that the West Chew Avenue home was transferred to Eugene’s ownership in 2007 for a disclosed price of $40,114. The prior owner, Raymond’s aunt Helen Hoersch, died in the home in 2004 at the age of 83, according to her published obituary. Raymond signed the deed transferring ownership to his son, Eugene, using power of attorney for his deceased aunt, according to records reviewed by real estate professionals.
The long-term future of the residential property remains entirely unknown at this time. City Councilman Anthony Phillips, whose district includes the Olney neighborhood, stated that a formal municipal process will determine the ultimate fate of Horsch’s property only upon the completion of the ongoing criminal investigation. Potential outcomes for the site may include condemnation, demolition, or heavy environmental remediation.
For now, the intensive investigative work at the house has caused major disruptions in the local community, as authorities have routinely closed roads, deployed heavy excavation machinery, and imposed strict parking restrictions to safely carry out their searches.
Nearby residents have expressed deep concern about the potential lasting impact of this dark case on their neighborhood.
"It’s not good, it’s not good for the neighborhood," local resident Han Red told Fox29. In response to the growing anxiety, Councilman Phillips has hosted community meetings to update neighbors on the progress of the investigation and address their safety and quality-of-life concerns.
"A house like this can put a stain on a block," Phillips told NewsNation. Residents have understandably raised questions about how long investigators will remain stationed there, where pedestrians will be allowed to walk, and whether nearby streets or sidewalks could be dug up during the exhaustive search, he added.
A Fateful Traffic Stop Unravels the Mystery
Raymond Horsch, a prolific filmmaker and author of violent pornography, died from an illness in 2025 without ever facing criminal charges related to any of the missing persons cases.
Police only became aware of suspicious, potentially illicit activity at the West Chew Avenue home after Horsch’s 44-year-old son was pulled over by officers in June. Eugene Horsch was driving a BMW with a female passenger who possessed an identification card bearing the name Blair Tonzelli. According to records from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, Tonzelli has been missing since 2023.
A subsequent search of Eugene’s vehicle allegedly produced two illegal loaded handguns, crack cocaine, a switchblade, a cattle prod, and a fake DEA badge.
When officers later executed search warrants at the family house, they allegedly uncovered another illegal firearm, urns containing human cremains, an indoor marijuana grow operation, and a makeshift chemical laboratory containing 20 containers filled with an unidentified oily substance.
Down in the basement, police came upon what Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore described as a "strange setup" involving a 55-gallon drum piped directly into the home’s water lines.
Elsewhere in the residence, authorities found chilling handwritten notes that referenced notorious serial killer Ted Bundy and discussed logistics for "disposing of trash that needs to go."
Eugene Horsch, whose prior criminal history includes convictions for assault, battery by a vehicle, and drug offenses, has since been indicted on federal firearms and impersonation counts. He remains in law enforcement custody as the sprawling investigation continues.
