PHILADELPHIA, PA — Five missing women are now linked to the sprawling investigation centered on a home in Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood, and police say the case could see an update as soon as this week. The developments have widened a probe that began in June and has already drawn in federal charges, recovered evidence and questions about possible deaths that have not yet led to the recovery of every body.
Nicole Fusaro, who disappeared in 2018 at age 27, has now been identified by her cousin as one of the women connected to the investigation. Family members have been meeting with Philadelphia police detectives. The case centers on 44-year-old Eugene Horsch, whose home has remained under scrutiny since June, while investigators continue to sort through evidence tied to multiple missing women over more than a decade.
How the Olney investigation began with a park ranger’s stop on Independence Mall
The investigation started June 19 after a federal park ranger saw a black BMW parked where it was not supposed to be on Independence Mall around 8 p.m. The ranger suspected drug activity and asked the two people in the car for identification. According to police, the woman then handed over an identification card bearing the name of Blair Tonzelli.
Tonzelli was the first missing woman publicly tied to the case. She was 35 when she disappeared in 2023. Police say that when Horsch was arrested, he was with a woman who had Tonzelli’s ID. The woman allegedly told police Horsch gave her the card. That stop led investigators to begin looking more closely at Horsch and the home now at the center of the case.
Police connect Nicole Fusaro, Gabrielle Amarando and Maribel Fresses to the case
Philadelphia police later linked several missing women to the investigation, including Gabrielle Amarando and Maribel Fresses. Amarando disappeared in 2012 at age 22, and Fresses vanished in 2018 at age 27. Last month, police said both women were seen in images and videos recovered during the investigation and that both appeared to be dead.
Their bodies have not been recovered. Fusaro’s addition to the case marks another development, with her family now speaking to investigators. Fusaro was 27 when she disappeared in 2018. Each new name has deepened the case’s scope and raised new questions about what happened inside or around the Olney property over the years.
Amy McHale’s family says she was last seen at the Philadelphia home
Amy McHale was 44 when she was last seen in 2016, and her family says she was last seen at the home tied to the investigation. Soon after Horsch’s arrest became public, her relatives told WPVI about that connection. McHale had previously been married to Horsch’s late father, Raymond, who has also become a central figure in the case.
That connection added another layer to an already unusual investigation. McHale’s disappearance stretches back years, and her family’s account places her at the same property now under intense scrutiny. Police have not said publicly how McHale fits into the broader evidence picture, but her name has become one of the five now associated with the case.
Recovered video, chemicals and an underground pipe drew investigators deeper
Investigators have recovered chemicals, drugs, firearms and ballistic evidence from the property, along with a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines. Police also excavated an underground pipe from in front of the home. In July, officials said the pipes would be tested for evidence, but they declined to provide additional details because the investigation was still active.
Documents obtained by WPVI indicate officers also found a handwritten note that referenced serial killer Ted Bundy and methods for disposing of trash. The note was unsigned. Last week, sources told WPVI that investigators had recovered video that allegedly shows Raymond Horsch strangling a woman to death. That woman has not been named, and police have not said publicly what charges, if any, may follow from that material.
Federal firearms case keeps Eugene Horsch in custody as detectives work
Eugene Horsch remains in federal custody on firearms charges while the wider investigation continues. He was indicted in early July for being a convicted felon in possession of guns, including one with an obliterated serial number. Prosecutors also said he possessed fake U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI credentials.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said an update in the case could come as soon as this week. For now, detectives continue to work through the material recovered from the home and the questions surrounding the women now tied to the case. The investigation has moved far beyond a single arrest, becoming a search for answers in several missing-person cases spanning from 2012 to 2023.
