Police Uncover Ash-Filled Urns and Apparent 'Snuff' Films at the Philadelphia 'House of Horrors'

Police have unearthed ash-filled urns and suspected 'snuff' films at a Philadelphia home now at the centre of an investigation into at least seven missing women, as officers and FBI agents this week began digging up the property's back garden.

The renewed search at the former house of late pornographer Raymond 'RC' Horsch has escalated in recent days, with investigators returning to the Olney address to hunt for further evidence potentially linked to the disappearances.

Images from the scene show an excavator working behind the property as officers in protective equipment move in and out. Tents have been erected at the front and rear of the home, while sections of the lawn are covered with tarpaulins. Yellow police tape encircles the site and uniformed officers remain on watch.

Some investigators wore face masks, rubber gloves, protective sleeves and booties. Others appeared to be in hazmat suits. One crime scene investigator was seen entering with what looked like a chemical-spraying backpack, while a photographer documented the search on Wednesday.

The investigation began after Eugene Horsch, Raymond's 44-year-old son, was arrested in June. Police said he was in a car with a woman carrying identification belonging to Blair Tonzelli, one of the seven missing women now connected to the case.

That arrest led officers to the West Chew Avenue property, where Raymond Horsch once lived. The 82-year-old, who produced BDSM-themed pornography and books, died last year. His son's arrest was unrelated to the discoveries at the house, and Eugene Horsch has not been charged in connection with the women's disappearances.

What Police Have Found at the Horsch Home

Earlier searches produced images and videos that Philadelphia police said showed four of the seven missing women. Officers also recovered a drum of chemicals connected to the house's water system, along with boxes of evidence, including one marked 'glass vials'.

The latest excavation suggests investigators are not treating the property as a closed crime scene. Retired NYPD cold case sergeant Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the number of specialists at the house was striking.

'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 Fox News Digital. 'I just think that there's so many different nooks and crannies that they have to cover that they need this many people.'

He estimated that 10, 12 or 14 people were entering and leaving the property at once. That is a lot of people for one house. It is also a sign, perhaps, of how much material investigators believe remains to be examined.

A Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson declined to discuss the latest search in detail, citing the active investigation. 'Investigators continue to examine evidence and pursue all available leads,' she said.

'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.'

The Missing Women Linked to the Case

Only some of the women have been publicly identified. Philadelphia police named Maribel Fresses, 26, who vanished in 2018, and Gabrielle Amarando, 27, earlier in the investigation.

Tonzelli, 38, was last seen in Philadelphia in February 2023. Police said the woman alongside Eugene Horsch during his arrest carried her identification.

Two further women were identified in local reporting. Amy McHale, 54, Raymond Horsch's ex-wife, was 44 when she was last seen on 13 June 2016, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Nicole 'Nikki' Fusaro, 34, was 27 when she disappeared near Kensington and Allegheny Avenue in July 2019, CBS Philadelphia reported, citing local police sources.

Both women are listed as missing persons in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Investigators have also said they identified dozens of other people from the recovered images.

No arrests have been made in connection with the women's disappearances. Police previously excavated underground pipes at the property, but no bodies have been found.

Retired FBI supervisory agent James Gagliano said repeated visits to a scene can be necessary when forensic work opens new lines of inquiry. 'You find something that initiates a search into a different area,' he told Fox News Digital. 'We saw how early release of a crime scene in Tucson led to so many questions. They won't make that mistake here.'

The question now is whether the backyard yields anything that can confirm what the recovered images and videos appear to show. Until then, the investigation remains open, and the women's families are still waiting for answers.