Missing since 2012
Photos used in news coverage
Missing since 2023
Missing since 2016
Publicly reported information as of August 2026
Eugene Albert Horsch is a Philadelphia resident with a prior criminal record that includes drug and weapons offenses and a 2026 aggravated assault charge that was later withdrawn. He lived at a property on West Chew Avenue in the Olney neighborhood. His father, Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, a photographer and author who died in 2025, previously occupied the same house.
On June 19, 2026, a U.S. Park Ranger approached a parked vehicle near Independence Mall after hearing an argument. Horsch was found with two firearms that had obliterated serial numbers, a switchblade, drugs, and a counterfeit DEA badge. A woman with him presented identification bearing the name of a missing person.
This led investigators to search the Olney residence, where they recovered additional firearms, ammunition, drugs, chemicals, digital storage devices, urns containing ashes, and other items. A homicide investigation was opened.
Police have publicly identified connections to several missing women:
Photos are publicly circulated images from news reports, family appeals, and missing-person databases (NamUs, Charley Project, local outlets). They are included here for identification in the context of the public investigation.
In August 2026, investigators announced that digital media recovered from the home contained images and video that they believe depict two of the women after death. Police have stated they believe at least two women were killed at the residence. No human remains were reported found during initial searches of the property.
The residence is in the Olney neighborhood of North Philadelphia (400 block of West Chew Avenue). The June 2026 traffic stop that started the investigation occurred near Independence Mall in Center City. Some of the missing women had connections to nearby areas such as Kensington. The highlighted zone below represents the general area around the house and adjacent neighborhoods mentioned in reporting.
Raymond C. Horsch (died 2025) was a photographer known for work involving sadomasochistic themes. He published a 2014 book titled Empathy: The Memoir of an Empathetic Serial Killer, written in the first person. Family members and Horsch’s attorney have suggested some items found in the house may have belonged to the father. The investigation has examined both men’s histories.
As of mid-August 2026 the case remains active. Federal authorities are leading. Investigators have executed numerous search warrants, examined digital evidence (hundreds of thousands of files), and continued work at the property. No additional charges beyond the federal firearms and document offenses have been announced.