Philadelphia police and the FBI returned to excavate the backyard of a home tied to an investigation into seven missing women, according to Fox News. The search is part of an ongoing inquiry into disturbing images and other evidence found at the property, formerly owned by Raymond “RC” Horsch, a producer of BDSM-themed pornography and books who died last year at age 82.
Images from the property showed an excavator, tents and tarps, with yellow police tape around the site. Investigators were seen entering and leaving in protective equipment, including masks, gloves and hazmat suits. Police had also visited the property repeatedly in recent weeks and removed boxes of evidence earlier in the month, including one marked “glass vials.”
A Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson declined to describe the latest search, citing the active investigation. The spokesperson said investigators were continuing to examine evidence and pursue leads, but would not discuss potential findings or the status of efforts to authenticate images and videos previously recovered.
Retired NYPD cold-case sergeant Joseph Giacalone told Fox News Digital that the number of crime-scene personnel at the property suggested investigators may need to examine many areas. He said searches generally limit the number of people entering a scene to reduce the risk of disturbing evidence. His comments were an expert’s assessment, not an official explanation from investigators.
Retired FBI supervisory agent James Gagliano said forensic investigations can require additional visits when evidence leads investigators to examine another area. He also argued that authorities should avoid ending a scene examination prematurely. Police have previously excavated underground pipes at the property, but the report said no bodies had been found.
Authorities searched the former Horsch home after Eugene Horsch, Raymond’s 44-year-old son, was arrested in June. He was in a car with a woman carrying identification belonging to Blair Tonzelli, one of the missing women. Police told Fox News Digital in September that Tonzelli, 38, was last seen in Philadelphia in February 2023. The report said Eugene Horsch’s arrest was unrelated to the discoveries at his father’s former home, and he has not been charged in connection with the women’s disappearances.
Police have said previously recovered images and videos appear to show four of the seven missing women. Investigators also found a drum of chemicals connected to the home’s water system, according to the report. Authorities have said they identified dozens of other people in the images, but the material provided no further details about those individuals or their status in the investigation.
Philadelphia police have publicly identified Maribel Fresses, 26, who disappeared in 2018, and Gabrielle Amarando, 27. The report also identified Tonzelli through the identification found with the woman during Eugene Horsch’s arrest. Two additional women were named in local media reports: Amy McHale, Raymond Horsch’s former wife, who was reported missing in 2016, and Nicole “Nikki” Fusaro, who disappeared in 2019. Both are listed as missing in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, according to the source report.
The investigation has not resulted in arrests related to the women’s disappearances. The source report does not establish that a serial killer is responsible; it describes the inquiry as a possible serial-killer investigation. Police have not publicly detailed what investigators expect to find in the latest excavation.
