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Dark' Photos Found By Police May Solve Mystery of Missing Women
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Police say they have launched a death investigation after reviewing images and videos recovered from a home in Philadelphia that appear to show the bodies of two missing women.
The images were recovered as part of an investigation into 44-year-old Eugene Horsch. Since June, Horsch’s home in Olney has been the focus of a police inquiry.
He is in custody on charges relating to possessing firearms and counterfeit DEA and FBI credentials, according to local reports. He is not facing any new charges as of Wednesday.
At a news briefing on Wednesday, Philadelphia Police Inspector Ray Evers said that a review of digital evidence found images and videos, which appeared to show two deceased women.
Police have identified the women as Maribel Fresses and Gabriella Amarando. Fresses disappeared in 2018 at the age of 27, and Amarando disappeared in 2012 at the age of 22.
"I’m not going to get into exactly what I saw," Evers said. "It’s real dark. What we saw is these two girls alive; there is a period of time, and what appears to us is that they are deceased."
Evers said that more than 95 search warrants have been served on the house and its contents. The FBI is assisting in the investigation. Investigators have recovered approximately 600,000 images and 70,000 videos from hard drives at the residence.
Evers said the amount of digital evidence was "astonishing," and noted, "This investigation will take time." He described the investigation as "new territory" for the Philadelphia homicide unit.
"Usually, when we have a homicide investigation, we have a body. We have body parts. This time we do not."
Horsch, 44, was arrested on June 19 after he was found parked illegally in a spot reserved for law enforcement officers near the Independence National Historic Park, which is home to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said at a news conference on June 26.
That vehicle was spotted by a park ranger, who believed that there was a disturbance and decided to investigate.
The park ranger overheard a woman in the back seat of the car say, "You’re going to hurt me!" Then, the ranger said that there appeared to be illegal drug activity ongoing and discovered a Drug Enforcement Administration badge and switchblade. The DEA identification badge was later determined to be fake.
Firearms with "obliterated serial numbers" were also found in the car, per Vanore’s remarks at the June news conference.
The woman in the car produced an ID, which was also determined to be falsified. It had the picture of the woman on it, but not her name. Rather, it was the name of a missing person in Philadelphia.
Law enforcement did not detail those names at the June news conference, but at the August 13 briefing Evers gave the name of the missing woman as Blair Tonzelli.
Investigators then executed a search warrant at Horsch’s home on West Chew Avenue. The address quickly became a crime scene with more weapons, ammunition and drugs, including evidence of a "grow operation."
Horsch was subsequently charged with weapons and drug-related offenses.
Multiple chemicals were also found in the basement, including in bottles.
Vanore said that "some of these chemicals if they were would be put together and obviously ignited, they could cause some hazards," and said that after the discovery of those chemicals, the FBI came in to support on determining what the chemicals were.
Asked at the news conference if it was possible the chemicals could have been used to make an explosive, Vanore said, "It’s possible. I have no idea."
At the June news conference, Vanore said: "At this point, I just don’t know where it was going to go."
Police have since conducted further searches, including scouring sewers beneath the house.
Speaking at the news briefing on August 12, Evers said, "We will be transparent in this investigation," but noted that the investigation is "very complex" and "protracted."
"There will be times when we could say we just don’t know. Because we just don’t know at that time," he added.
Detectives are appealing for information to assist with the investigation. They are asking anyone who may have been inside the property, or who may have information about activity there, to come forward.
Police have also urged anyone who believes that a missing loved one may be connected to the residence to also come forward.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact police. The tip line for the case is 215686 TIPS, and homicide investigators can be contacted at 215-6863334.
"Our goal is to bring justice to the families," Evers said.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Tobias Meyjes and Robert Greenall
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