Philadelphia police discover blood in Olney house tied to missing women case

Police searching a house on West Chew Avenue in Olney uncovered a substantial quantity of blood, according to multiple law-enforcement sources. Forensic analysis has not yet confirmed whether the blood is human or identified its source, and testing could take several weeks. The department said it will excavate both the front and back yards in the coming weeks to look for possible remains.

Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore declined to comment on the discovery, citing the ongoing investigation, and noted that no human remains have been recovered to date. He said investigators are awaiting results from testing chemicals and other materials found in the basement.

The house belongs to 44-year-old Eugene Albert Horsch, who was arrested on June 19 after a U.S. Park Police encounter near Sixth and Market Streets. During the stop, officers heard a woman in the back seat say, “You’re going to hurt me,” and observed drug paraphernalia. A search of Horsch’s vehicle yielded two guns with obliterated serial numbers, cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, a cattle prod, switchblade knives, handcuffs and a counterfeit DEA badge bearing Horsch’s photo.

A woman in the car identified herself to officers as Blair Tonzelli, a 38-year-old who was reported missing in Kensington in 2023. She later told investigators she used the name to avoid arrest on outstanding drug-related warrants, and that Horsch had fabricated identification cards with that name.

Following the arrest, homicide detectives and federal agents searched Horsch’s residence and found drums of chemicals, unknown substances, a bank card belonging to Tonzelli, a death certificate for another woman, urns that appeared to contain cremated remains of a relative, an additional handgun, marijuana-cultivation equipment, and a 55-gallon drum connected to water lines leading to a hole in the ground.

Investigators also recovered an unsigned handwritten letter referencing violent themes and serial killer Ted Bundy; authorities are determining whether it is part of a fictional work. Horsch’s late father, Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, was known for producing drugs and erotic films with violent content.

The case gained further attention after it was learned that Raymond Horsch’s ex-wife, Amy McHale, was last seen at the Olney property in 2016 and has not been located since. Horsch’s attorney maintains the men are not connected to her disappearance, noting her history of substance abuse and mental illness.

Eugene Horsch faces state charges for illegal gun possession and drug offenses, as well as a federal charge of firearm possession by a felon based on the weapons found in his car. He remains in a city jail on $500,000 bail pending arraignment.