A grim investigation at a Philadelphia home once owned by a late pornographer and suspected serial killer has taken another disturbing turn, with investigators reportedly uncovering bones in the backyard as they probe links to seven missing women.
The property, located in the city’s Olney neighborhood, belonged to Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, who died in 2025 at the age of 82. Authorities have been excavating the home — described in reports as a “house of horrors” — after more than one million recovered digital files allegedly captured women who appeared harmed, dead or unconscious.
Here’s everything to know about the ongoing investigation.
Bones Found in the Backyard of Raymond Horsch’s Home
Investigators digging in the yard of Raymond Horsch’s Philadelphia home have found bones, according to reports.
The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office visited the home to assess the bones on Thursday, October 15, per CBS News. Law enforcement sources emphasized that investigators haven’t determined whether the bones belong to humans or animals, and it’s unclear if the remains are connected to the investigation into the missing women.
Philadelphia police and the FBI arrived at the home a day earlier to excavate the property in search of possible human remains, according to NBC News. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that DNA evidence was located inside the residence earlier that week.
No bodies have been found at the Horsch house to date, per ABC 6.
7 Missing Women Linked to Raymond Horsch’s Olney Property
Investigators have connected seven missing women to the home based on photo and video files discovered inside the residence, where Raymond Horsch lived with his adult son, Eugene Horsch. Five of the seven are believed dead, Philadelphia police said on Wednesday, September 16, according to NBC News.
Five of the women have been publicly identified: Blair Tonzelli, Amy McHale, Maribel Fresses, Gabrielle Amarando and Nicole Fusaro. McHale, who went missing in 2016, was Raymond’s former wife and was reportedly last seen at the home. Fresses has been missing since 2018. The identities of the remaining two women have not been shared by law enforcement.
So far, 58 people have been identified in digital images found at the Horsch home, including four who looked dead or unconscious, Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said, NBC News reported. Investigators are trying to interview 25 of those individuals after locating 41 people who were identified.
Nicole Fusaro Identified in Alleged Strangling Video
One video appeared to show Raymond fatally strangling a woman with a zip tie, according to Vanore, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. The footage was said to show first the woman consuming drugs and Raymond handing her money. Then Raymond, who was allegedly naked, was reportedly seen handcuffing her to a bed before strangling her.
Family members identified the woman as 27-year-old Nicole Fusaro, who disappeared in 2018, the newspaper reported.
Raymond Horsch Described Himself as an ‘Empathetic Serial Killer’
Raymond authored several books before his death, including one in which he described himself as an “empathetic serial killer,” according to CBS News. The description appeared on a Google Books page for his memoir Empathy, written in 2014.
In one of the books reviewed by CBS News, Horsch wrote of killing a woman and disposing of the evidence using chemicals. Investigators now suspect he used a chemical process to get rid of bodies, mirroring what he had described in his writing.
In an author section for another book titled Slaves, Raymond described himself as an “artist, filmmaker, composer, porn performer,” as well as a “fugitive, sociopath, ex-convict and all-out villain.”
Eugene Horsch’s June Arrest Sparked the Investigation
The ongoing probe at the Horsch home was prompted by the arrest of Raymond’s son, Eugene, 44, on unrelated drug and firearm charges in June, when he was allegedly illegally parked at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, per NBC News.
A park ranger encountered Eugene with a woman who had an identification card belonging to Blair Tonzelli, who hasn’t been seen since 2023. Eugene was also allegedly found with two firearms, identification representing himself as a federal law enforcement officer and illicit drugs.
Authorities also reportedly located a cattle prod and a fake badge purporting to belong to a federal drug enforcement agent in Eugene’s vehicle, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Eugene was arrested on drug and firearm related charges stemming from the June encounter. He has not been charged in relation to the women’s disappearances.
Some of the Finds Inside the Horsch Home
The June arrest prompted the search at the Olney home, where drugs, weapons, tubs of unknown fluids and a 55-gallon drum connected to a water line were discovered, per The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Eugene’s attorney told NBC News that he has no connection to the searches at his home, which he inherited following Raymond’s death. No arrests have been made over the alleged discoveries at the residence.
The Investigation Continues
The scope of what authorities are reviewing is staggering. More than one million recovered images have revealed several women who appeared harmed, dead or unconscious, authorities have said.
Investigators have been working to speak with the dozens of people identified in the digital files, trace the origins of the suspected remains unearthed from the backyard and determine whether what Raymond has written in his novels line up with what forensic evidence may reveal.
The Horsch home, long an unremarkable address in Olney, has become the center of what could become one of the most sprawling serial killer investigations in Philadelphia history.
For now, questions outnumber answers. Two of the seven missing women connected to the house haven’t been publicly identified. The bones recovered from the backyard have yet to be classified. And the full catalog of what Raymond left behind including on paper and film, is still being pieced together.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
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