Disturbing evidence has been uncovered during a wide-ranging investigation in Philadelphia, at a house dubbed the “House of Horrors.” It was home to Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, a producer of violent pornography, whose possible links to the disappearance of several women are being investigated.
Police in Philadelphia and the FBI have been investigating the property in the Olney neighborhood, on the 400 block of West Chew Avenue, for months. Horsch, who died in May 2025 at the age of 82, lived at the house with his son, Eugene.
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Searches uncovered hundreds of thousands of photographs, tens of thousands of videos, and thousands of pages of notes, manuscripts and drawings. Authorities say some of the material is particularly disturbing and is being analyzed as part of the investigation into the disappearance of several women.
One piece of evidence that has alarmed investigators is a video believed to show the killing of a woman who has been missing since 2018.
According to reports in US media, the video shows a woman using drugs before Horsch gives her money and handcuffs her to a bed. He then allegedly puts a plastic tie around her neck and tightens it until she loses consciousness.
A family member identified the woman as Nicole Fusaro, who was 27 when she disappeared in 2018. The circumstances of the incident and the findings of the investigation have not been made public.
In July, police said they had also found photographs that appeared to show two dead women inside the house. One was Maribel Fresses, 27, who disappeared in February 2018; the other, Gabrielle Amarando, was 22 when she disappeared in September 2012.
The photographs’ metadata indicates they may have been taken in 2017. Police suspect both women are dead, but their bodies have not been found. As a result, forensic experts have been unable to determine when, where or how they died.
Bones were found last week during excavations in the yard. Subsequent testing confirmed they belonged to animals, not humans.
The investigation is ongoing. Luminol, a chemical that helps identify possible traces of blood, has been used in parts of the property, and signs of human DNA have been detected that require further testing.
Authorities have removed several barrels of thick, oily waste from the property and are investigating whether chemicals may have been used to dispose of bodies. Five urns were also found in the house, and investigators suspect they may contain the cremated remains of missing women.
Local media reported that by Monday, about half of the back yard had been excavated. Once that phase is complete, investigators are expected to begin searching the front yard.
No one has been charged so far in connection with the disappearance or death of the two women. The investigation expanded in June after the arrest of Eugene Horsch, 44.
Authorities said he had firearms, drugs and fake law enforcement badges with him when he was arrested. A woman traveling with him had the identification document and bank card of Blair Tonzelli, a missing woman.
According to reports, the woman later told police about the Philadelphia house and said she was afraid of the basement.
“Bad things have happened to other people in that basement,” she reportedly said.
Eugene Horsch is being held in federal custody on charges related to illegal possession of firearms and drug possession. He has not been charged with harming the missing women, and authorities have not said whether he was involved in his father’s pornographic work.
In June, his lawyer said his client intended to plead not guilty. Another case under investigation is the disappearance of Blair Tonzelli, who vanished in 2022 and was reported missing in February 2023.
Interest in Tonzelli’s case grew after a disturbing photograph, alleged to show her, continued to be posted on Horsch’s erotic website for several months after her disappearance was reported.
According to archived material reviewed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, the photograph was still on the website in September 2023. It showed a naked 35-year-old woman with marks resembling bruises around her eyes and blood on her lower lip.
Investigators are also looking into the disappearance of Amy McHale, Horsch’s former wife and former collaborator in photography and films. She was last seen in 2016 at the property in the Olney neighborhood. Her family says it was the last place she was known to be.
Horsch made a name for himself in erotic art and pornography through photographs, films, novels and more than a dozen photography books. A wide-ranging investigation by The Philadelphia Inquirer found that his work ranged from erotic portraits to images with violent themes and disturbing content.
In one of his books, he wrote about strangling a woman and using chemicals to dispose of her body. He also described a serial killer who murdered people struggling with drug addiction. These writings have raised questions about how the artistic material found in the house should be interpreted.
Several women who had lived at or visited the property later died of overdoses. They included Krista Killen, Horsch’s longtime friend, who appeared in several of his productions and died in 2025.
The investigation remains open, and authorities are trying to determine whether the seized materials are directly connected to the disappearances, what happened to the women and whether other people were involved.
These suspicions remain part of the investigation. So far, no one has been criminally charged in connection with the disappearances or suspected deaths of the women.
