Police and FBI investigators have returned to excavate the backyard of a Philadelphia home as part of a widening investigation into a possible serial killer. Previous searches of the property uncovered apparent “snuff” films, urns containing ash and evidence potentially connected to at least seven missing women.
Images from the scene show an excavator operating in the backyard as investigators in protective gear continued working at the property this week. Tents have been erected in the front and back yards, while tarps cover sections of the lawn. Personnel have been seen wearing face masks, hazmat suits, rubber gloves, protective sleeves and boot covers.
One crime scene investigator appeared to be carrying a backpack sprayer containing chemicals while entering the home. A crime scene photographer was also seen arriving and leaving Wednesday.
An inset showing four of the seven missing women linked to the Philadelphia home of the late pornographer Raymond “RC” Horsch. (NamUs, Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Media)
Yellow police tape surrounds the property, with uniformed officers posted around the perimeter.
Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD cold-case sergeant and adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the size of the operation was notable.
“The sheer number of crime scene technicians that are going in and out of this house — usually you try to keep it to a minimum because you don’t want people trampling on things and stuff like that,” he told News Media. “I just think that there’s so many different nooks and crannies that they have to cover that they need this many people. So, I mean, we’re not talking three or four, we’re talking 10, 12, or 14 people going in and out of this place at one time.”
WATCH: FBI’s Evidence Response Team continues investigation at the home of Eugene Horsch
Police have returned to the property several times in recent weeks. Earlier this month, investigators removed boxes of evidence, including one labeled “glass vials.”
A Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson declined to discuss the latest searches in detail Thursday, citing the active investigation.
FBI agents continue their investigation at the home of Eugene Horsch in the Olney section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Authorities are scrutinizing the property after linking it to at least seven missing women cases. Eugene Horsch is the son of the late Raymond “R.C.” Horsch. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for Fox News)
“Investigators continue to examine evidence and pursue all available leads,” she told News Media. “At this time, we are unable to provide specific details regarding investigative activities at the property, any potential findings, or the status of efforts to authenticate the previously recovered images and videos.”
Raymond “RC” Horsch, who produced BDSM-themed pornography and authored related books, died last year at age 82. Police searched his former home after arresting his 44-year-old son, Eugene Horsch, in June. The younger Horsch was taken into custody in a car with a woman who was carrying identification belonging to one of the seven missing women now associated with the case.
FBI agents continue their investigation at the home of Eugene Horsch in the Olney section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for Fox News)
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Earlier searches produced images and videos that police said appeared to show four of the seven missing women. Investigators also discovered a drum of chemicals connected to the home’s water system.
“Investigations predicated on forensic evidence can sometimes result in repeated trips back to a crime scene,” said James Gagliano, a retired FBI supervisory agent and Fox News contributor. “You find something that initiates a search into a different area. We saw how early release of a crime scene in Tucson led to so many questions. They won’t make that mistake here.”
An excavator is seen in the backyard of the home of Eugene Horsch in the Olney section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for Fox News)
Authorities have publicly identified only some of the women. Philadelphia police previously named Maribel Fresses, 26, who disappeared in 2018, and Gabrielle Amarando, 27. When Eugene Horsch was arrested, the woman with him had identification belonging to Blair Tonzelli, 38, who was last seen in Philadelphia in February 2023, police told News Media in September.
Two additional women were identified in local news reports. Both remain listed as missing in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs.
One of them is Horsch’s former wife, Amy McHale, 54. She was 44 when she was last seen on June 13, 2016, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported on the case in June.
The other is Nicole “Nikki” Fusaro, 34, according to CBS’ Philadelphia affiliate, citing local police sources. Fusaro was 27 when she disappeared near the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny Avenue in July 2019.
FBI agents execute a search warrant at the home of Eugene Horsch on the 400 block of West Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pa., on Monday, July 13, 2026. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including Philadelphia police homicide detectives and the FBI, are conducting an investigation after chemicals, ammunition and drugs were found inside the home in June. The 44-year-old Horsch is in custody on several charges. (Kyle Mazza/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect)
Investigators said they have also identified dozens of other people from the images. However, no arrests have been made as the investigation continues.
Police have previously excavated underground pipes, but no bodies have been found.
Eugene Horsch’s arrest was unrelated to the disturbing discoveries police made at his father’s former home, and he has not been charged in connection with the women’s disappearances.