PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia investigators say seven women have now been connected to the sprawling case centered on Eugene Horsch, his late father Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, and their home in the Olney section of the city.

The inquiry began after Eugene Horsch was arrested in June near Independence Mall, where police say guns and narcotics were recovered and he was allegedly carrying identification that impersonated law enforcement. Since then, detectives have executed nearly 100 search warrants and reviewed a massive trove of digital evidence from the house.

Authorities have not recovered any bodies, and none of the women has been declared dead. But police say the images and videos they have found show women who appear injured, unconscious, and in some cases possibly lifeless.

The arrest that opened the case on Independence Mall

Investigators say the first break came on June 19, when a federal park ranger noticed a black BMW parked where it should not have been in the 600 block of Market Street on Independence Mall around 8 p.m.

The ranger suspected drug activity and asked for identification from the two people in the car. Police say the woman with Eugene Horsch handed over an ID card in the name of Blair Tonzelli, and that she later told authorities Horsch had given it to her.

That arrest led officers to firearms, narcotics, and what police later described as fake DEA and FBI credentials. Horsch was indicted in early July on federal firearms charges, including possession of a gun with an obliterated serial number and being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.

Seven women have been linked as detectives sift through images

As the investigation has grown, police have identified seven women connected to the case through records, interviews, or digital evidence. Most had already been reported missing before their names surfaced in the investigation.

Blair Tonzelli, who was 35 when she disappeared in 2023, became the first woman publicly identified in the case. Amy McHale, who was 44 when she was last seen in 2016, was later linked after her family said she had last been seen at the West Chew Avenue house.

Police also identified Gabrielle Amarando, 22 when she disappeared in 2012; Maribel Fresses, 27 when she vanished in 2018; and Nicole Fusaro, who was also 27 when she disappeared in 2018. Authorities have identified another 25-year-old woman seen in the files, but her family asked that she not be named publicly.

Families say the evidence has brought painful answers

The missing women’s relatives have been pulled into the case as investigators compare names, images, and video clips recovered from the property. In August, police said two women seen in recovered photos and videos were shown alive and later appearing to be dead, and that a medical examiner would consider them deceased if the material is authentic and unaltered.

Gabrielle Amarando’s family said the confirmation they had long feared finally arrived after years of uncertainty. A childhood friend described her as kind and said addiction and mental health struggles did not define who she was.

Nicole Fusaro’s cousin, Jonathan Halloran-Koren, said the family met with the FBI and was told the woman seen in a video allegedly showing R.C. Horsch strangling someone with a zip tie was Fusaro. He described her as a beautiful and kindhearted woman who will always be loved and missed.

Inside the house, police found chemicals, urns and handwritten notes

Investigators say the West Chew Avenue property has yielded a disturbing collection of physical evidence. Officers removed more than 20 containers of an unknown substance from what they described as a makeshift basement laboratory, and they also took pipes from the home.

Those items were sent to a federal laboratory in Chicago for testing. Police have also said they recovered chemicals, drugs, firearms, ballistic evidence, and a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines.

Five urns found in the house are believed to contain cremated remains. Police say one may hold R.C. Horsch’s ashes, another may contain his sister’s remains, and another is believed to hold a friend’s remains. The contents of the other two urns have not been identified. Documents also indicate officers found an unsigned handwritten note referencing Ted Bundy and methods for disposing of trash.

Federal agents are still trying to authenticate more than a million files

Authorities say the digital haul from the home is enormous: more than one million images and videos. Sources familiar with the investigation say the FBI has added agents to help authenticate the files and determine which ones are real, altered, or connected to potential victims.

Police said they have already tracked down some people shown in the material who are alive. Those individuals have been interviewed, though investigators have not disclosed what they said. Officials say only a small fraction of the digital evidence has been reviewed so far.

Former FBI agent J.J. Klaver, who worked in the bureau’s Philadelphia division, said the lack of bodies makes the case far more difficult because there is no easy source of DNA for comparison with other evidence recovered from the residence.

No bodies have been found as the house stays under guard

Despite the amount of evidence collected, police have not filed charges tied to any of the disappearances, and none of the women has been declared dead. Eugene Horsch remains in federal custody on firearms charges, while Raymond Horsch died in 2025.

The house remains under police guard as detectives continue searching for answers. Investigators say they have opened death investigations into the missing women and are asking anyone who spent time at 417 West Chew Avenue, or who may know something about activity there, to come forward.

Police are also urging anyone who believes a missing loved one may be connected to the residence to contact investigators. Tips can be made to the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS, or directly to the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.