Photo: Bastiaan Slabbers / iStock Unreleased / Getty Images
Five missing women have now been connected to a growing investigation focused on a home in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia. Authorities say the case, which began after a suspicious car was found on Independence Mall on June 19, is centered on 44-year-old Eugene Horsch. Horsch’s residence on West Chew Avenue has been under close examination since June, and the investigation has drawn in federal agents and Philadelphia police detectives.
Among the five missing women is Nicole Fusaro, who disappeared in 2018 at age 27. Her cousin, Jonathan Halloran-Koren, told reporters that their family has been meeting with detectives. "Nicole was a beautiful, kindhearted woman who deserved so much better than what happened to her. She will forever be loved and missed by her family and friends," Halloran-Koren told WPVI.
Other women linked to the case include Gabrielle Amarando, who vanished in 2012 at age 22; Maribel Fresses, missing since 2018 at age 27; Blair Tonzelli, who disappeared in 2023 at age 35; and Amy McHale, last seen in 2016 at age 44. According to police, images and videos recovered from the property reportedly show Amarando and Fresses appearing to be deceased, though their bodies have not been found.
When Horsch was arrested, police say he was with a woman carrying an identification card belonging to Tonzelli. The woman allegedly told officers that Horsch had given her the ID. After the arrest, investigators found chemicals, drugs, firearms, and ballistic evidence at the home, as well as a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines and an underground pipe. Both are being tested for evidence, but police have not released further details due to the ongoing nature of the case.
The investigation has also turned up a handwritten note referencing serial killer Ted Bundy and methods for disposing of trash. Additionally, video evidence allegedly shows Horsch’s late father, Raymond Horsch, strangling a woman to death. That woman has not been publicly identified.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has increased its involvement, with agents working to authenticate more than one million images recovered from the property. Eugene Horsch remains in federal custody on firearms charges, including possession of a weapon with an obliterated serial number and fake U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation credentials. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel has stated that a case update could come as early as this week, but no news conference date has been set.