PHILADELPHIA, PA — Five missing women are now connected to the sweeping investigation centered on a home in Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood, as police continue to examine evidence recovered from the property and surrounding area. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said an update in the case could come as soon as this week.
The case has drawn increasing attention since June, when authorities began focusing on 44-year-old Eugene Horsch and the home linked to him. Families of the missing women have also been meeting with detectives as investigators try to piece together what happened over several years.
Police have said the women were seen in images and videos found during the investigation, and investigators believe two of them appeared to be dead. Their bodies have not been recovered.
Nicole Fusaro joins the list of women linked to the case
Nicole Fusaro, who was 27 when she disappeared in 2018, is the latest woman named by family members and connected to the investigation. Her cousin told Philadelphia affiliate WPVI that relatives have been meeting with police detectives as the case develops.
That connection adds another missing woman to an already expanding list tied to the Olney home. The investigation had previously included Blair Tonzelli, Gabrielle Amarando, Maribel Fresses and Amy McHale, with police and relatives describing overlapping links to Horsch and the property.
Officials have not publicly laid out a complete timeline for how each woman fits into the broader case, but the growing number of names has deepened concern among families and investigators alike.
How the investigation began on Independence Mall
The probe started on June 19 after a federal park ranger noticed a black BMW parked where it was not supposed to be on Independence Mall around 8 p.m. Authorities said the ranger suspected drug activity and approached the two people in the vehicle for identification.
That encounter quickly shifted the focus of the investigation. Police say the woman allegedly handed over an identification card bearing Tonzelli’s name, a detail that helped trigger the broader review of Horsch and the property connected to him.
Authorities later arrested Horsch, and the investigation expanded well beyond the initial stop. What began as a suspicious parking and identification check has now become a sprawling case involving missing women, recovered video and multiple kinds of evidence.
Evidence recovered from the Olney property keeps widening the case
Police say they have recovered chemicals, drugs, firearms and ballistic evidence from the property. Investigators also found a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines, along with an underground pipe excavated from in front of the home.
Officials said in July that the pipes would be tested for evidence, but they declined to offer more detail because the investigation is still active. The property has remained under scrutiny since June as investigators try to determine what the recovered materials may show.
Documents obtained by WPVI also indicate officers found a handwritten note that referenced serial killer Ted Bundy and ways to dispose of trash. The note was unsigned, and investigators have not publicly explained who wrote it or how it may relate to the case.
Families describe painful searches for answers
The women named in the case span more than a decade. Amarando disappeared in 2012 at age 22. McHale was last seen in 2016 at age 44. Fusaro and Fresses both disappeared in 2018 at age 27, and Tonzelli went missing in 2023 at age 35.
After news of Horsch’s arrest became public, McHale’s family told WPVI she was last seen at the home. McHale had previously been married to Horsch’s late father, Raymond, who has also become a central figure in the investigation.
The family connections, disappearances and recovered video have made the case especially unsettling for relatives, who are now working with detectives while waiting for more information from police.
Raymond Horsch and the federal charges against Eugene Horsch
Investigators have also focused on Raymond Horsch, Eugene Horsch’s late father. Sources told WPVI last week that detectives recovered video that allegedly shows Raymond Horsch strangling a woman to death. Police have not named that woman publicly.
Eugene Horsch remains in federal custody on firearms charges. He was indicted in early July for being a convicted felon in possession of guns, including one with an obliterated serial number, and for possessing fake U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI credentials.
As the investigation continues, authorities have not said when they expect to identify additional evidence or whether more names could be added. For now, police say the case remains active and updates may come soon.
